Sharks Are Confident Of Bouncing Back From Leinster Against Lyon In Challenge Cup

The Sharks defence of their Challenge Cup title begins in earnest on Sunday when they travel to Lyon for a last-16 match, and Sharks assistant coach Joey Mongalo says his team is in good shape despite a humbling loss to Leinster last week.

Sharks fans have been scratching their heads as to why a close to full-strength Sharks team lost at home to a Leinster side devoid of their big Ireland stars and packed with Academy players.

But defence coach Mongalo says the team sees things differently and they travel to France with their confidence intact.

Were a group that puts things in context, he said. That Leinster team we played against, irrespective of their missing Ireland internationals, was a top-quality team. You saw that the previous week at Loftus when the Bulls had to kick a penalty in the last minute to beat them.

Mongalo feels the positives of the Sharks performance outweigh the negatives.