John Plumtree: Sharks still look a side that hasn't gelled properly

Injuries, travel, Springboks in and out of the squad and a shortened pre-season have all had an effect on building continuity, and this was evident in a commanding performance that didn't quite reach the heights the potential promised.

"There were moments in the game when we looked like we were going to open them up, but there would be an offload that didn't stick, or a pass wasn't quite made," Plumtree said after the match.

"We still look a bit like a side that hasn't gelled properly, we don't look totally collective.

"I also thought Scarlets were really good at slowing our ball down, the addition of some big forwards added a lot of power to their pack and they managed to hold up our runners, so we didn't get the fast ball we wanted.

"We also conceded some soft tries so we're not quite accurate enough and seem to be putting ourselves under pressure through lack of execution in the back half. We didn't nail those exits well and that shows how important it is after you score to be accurate getting out of your back half.

"Give the Scarlets some credit, I thought they were really good. They were up for it physically, they showed up. They're under pressure to keep their franchise in place, so they're playing for a lot."

The Sharks also had disruptive preparations for the game, losing Siya Masuku during captain's practice on the Friday, and Vincent Koch during the match warm-up.

"I was really proud of the way Lee-Marvin Mazibuko stood up and Mawande Mdanda off the bench and I thought Jean Smith played well, controlled proceedings nicely, and although there were a couple of errors, in general I thought he didn't do badly," continued the Kiwi.

"Trying to get some rhythm in the team is the challenge. We must take this win and move on."

The tournament takes a month-long break now before resuming at the end of November and enough time to prepare, along with the return of a number of injured players back into the fold.

"Connacht is our next game, and we will have Boks overseas so we'll hopefully be able to use some players not involved in the test match with Wales on the same weekend," said Plumtree.

"We do need to get some of those bodies back. But there are going to be challenges over the next month; we need to get a group of guys to prepare for Connacht without the Springboks, and I'll use them if they're available and lightly raced."

Although there are always areas to improve, Plumtree goes into the break knowing that his forwards have really come on well this season.

"I'm really pleased with the ways the forwards are scrummaging, I'm happy with some of our forward play around our driving lineouts, I think we've improved a lot in that area," the coach explained.

"Warren Whiteley and Philip Lemmer are doing a good job in that space. I know how much better we can be - we just don't look like a side that's really clicking. It's been a bit of a combination thing, we've had to use different 10s and haven't really got going in that space. The backs haven't really clicked yet, but when we get it together, we'll be good."

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