De Bruin backs calls by Lions’ skipper

Lions coach Swys de Bruin backed returning captain Warren Whiteley’s decisions after his charges squandered a position of promise to crash to a first defeat in 21 conference matches against the Sharks on Saturday.

The Lions took a 21-11 lead into the break and despite considerable huffing and puffing short of the Sharks goalline in the second half‚ the visitors could not blow the house down.

Instead the Sharks grew with confidence in their obdurate defence and made the Lions pay for not kicking at goal with kickable penalties.

“We were scrumming them at that stage‚” said De Bruin about the ascendancy the Lions enjoyed in that facet, which guided Whiteley’s decision to scrum rather than kick for goal.

The Lions also preferred to kick for touch at times.

“They didn’t go for the maul either‚” De Bruin said about the Sharks. “They were on a warning for a yellow at the next one. I back Wazza [Whiteley] for his calls. Most of the 20 wins [the consecutive ones they had in the conference] came off. If it doesn’t come off‚ so be it.”

A 10-point lead‚ a dominant scrum and favourable field position counted for nothing as the Sharks belligerently held their defensive lines. Then they made the Lions pay.

“That is one that got away‚ definitely. He read that intercept very well‚” said De Bruin about Lwazi Mvovo’s intercept try, which helped turn the tide in the home team’s favour.

De Bruin lamented the fact his side didn’t have a bigger lead at halftime.

“It went so well. We had scoring chances‚ so many.

“It is a game of margins. You must take those [opportunities]. The one from Warren to Elton [Jantjies] the hands showed backwards. The [TMO’s] call said ‘forward’.

“Those are the small margins you live by. I thought we played well until the intercept‚” noted De Bruin.