Durban - Coach Robert du Preez says the Sharks are a "great team" and he is still backing them to go far in Super Rugby 2018 despite their 39-33 loss to the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.
The Durbanites ran the Bulls close, but in the end it was ill-discipline that hurt them most as they fell to a second defeat this season to John Mitchell's men.
Curwin Bosch was yellow-carded early in the contest for a trip while, later, Lukhanyo Am was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
The Bulls scored twice with Bosch off the field and at one stage they led 19-7.
The Sharks, though, hit back.
"To come back from a deficit like that and to be in the game right until the death ... I've got to commend the boys on that," Du Preez said after the match.
"That showed a massive fighting spirit. This is a great team and we're going to go a long way."
Du Preez did acknowledge, though, that the yellow cards - particularly the first one - made things difficult.
"It was very costly," Du Preez said.
"Our discipline let us down early on in the game. With a deficit like that, it was always going to be difficult to come back.
"I also thought our exits weren’t great early on, so that wasn’t a great way to start."
The result leaves the Sharks in 4th place in the South African Conference and 10th overall, but they are still very much in the playoff race.
They host the Chiefs in Durban on Saturday (15:05).