Levy praises Mongalo's magnificent seven as WP teeter on brink of Currie Cup exit

Western Province assistant coach Labeeb Levy showered praise on decorated Sharks Currie Cup coach Joey Mongalo, whom he felt made the most of the Sharks' flaky and subsequently early United Rugby Championship exit.

Mongalo's Sharks, who face Western Province in the last Currie Cup round-robin game on Saturday, have methodically moved to the top of the log, booking themselves a home semi-final on the back of 10 wins in 13 matches.

The Sharks have made the most of having separate coaching staff for their URC and Currie Cup campaigns which meant they could get the best out of their Currie Cup group, while Western Province and the Bulls have reaped different results.

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Since their 24-20 home loss to the Bulls on 14 April, the Sharks have racked up seven consecutive wins, clearly benefitting from stability and consistency in selection.

The Bulls, who underwent a coaching change with director of rugby Jake White stepping in for Edgar Marutlulle after four consecutive opening losses, have flattered to deceive.

Western Province had their hands full with the Stormers making the URC final, meaning the Currie Cup was always going to take a back seat.

Levy said Mongalo, who has been promoted to John Plumtree's URC coaching staff for next season in the defensive coaching role that he excelled in at the Lions and Bulls, has done brilliant work with his charges, but still backed using the same coaching staff across tournaments.

"I have my opinions on it, but I think, from a union perspective, that it's good to have some form of a foot in both camps from a synergy perspective," Levy said.

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