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Blues coach David Nucifora refused to use his side's heavy travel schedule as an excuse for their demise in the Super 14 semifinal against the Sharks in Durban this morning.
After leading by four points with less than 20 minutes to go the Blues faded in the final quarter and were run down by the Sharks 34-18 to end their Super 14 campaign.
The Blues were playing their fourth successive match overseas and had crossed the Indian Ocean three times in two weeks, but Nucifora laid blame for the loss elsewhere.
"We're not going to use that (the travelling) as an excuse," he said.
"That game was in the balance until the final 10 minutes but in big games little things can make big differences.
"We had a few opportunities that we didn't take but every time the Sharks got a chance they cashed in."
Springbok captain John Smit was overjoyed after the Durban-based Sharks booked a home final against the Bulls, who beat the Crusaders 27-12 in Pretoria.
"It's the biggest achievement I have been part of in my 10 years at the province and it's very, very exciting," Smit said.
"This is a huge achievement but it really means nothing at the moment. People only remember the teams that win things."
The Sharks led 14-6 at halftime but conceded two tries and 12 points in the first 13 minutes of the second half to give the New Zealanders hope.
Coach Dick Muir said: "We played poorly for 20 minutes and let them right back into it but there was still a consistent belief among the guys they could do it."
The Sharks regained the lead with two Percy Montgomery penalties before two tries in the last eight minutes put the result beyond doubt.
- REUTERS
