WP must overcome denial, accept their failings

WESTERN Province captain Siya Kolisi was seemingly digesting the five stages of grief on Saturday night after his team’s narrow loss to the Golden Lions at Emirates Airline Park.

The Springbok and WP captain oscillated between anger and depression, with some bargaining throw into his self-internalisation as he came to terms with their last gasp 22-19 defeat.

“It's horrible,” said Kolisi of the loss.

“You work so hard for 79, 80 minutes ... you know we had a plan, and as soon as we overstepped the plan, that is when (the Lions) took advantage.

“And I think, also, you work so hard to create opportunities and then you don't take them ...

“Even though we did not play as well as we wanted to, we were still in control. We were leading 19-6 here, that doesn't happen often and then you throw it away like that. It honestly breaks you.”

It's true – Province were on the right side of the scoreboard, and in their set-piece and defensive work to lock out the Lions and claim an away victory.

But moment's of ill-discipline, and shoddy work with ball in hand, cost them. They certainly had the upper hand at scrum time, and their defence on their tryline kept the Lions at bay on at least three occasions.

And while their line-outs were their only failure, there was a sense of mission accomplished after they had gone 13 point up in the early stages of the second half.

But somehow WP, with all that dominance, conspired against themselves to lose the game.

It started with a lack of concentration which saw Lions wing Stean Pienaar burgle a try from a tap and go, and ended with the Joburgers holding onto possession in the final third of the match and on the field to slot over the winning penalty.

Both coaching the team and players should be beyond livid as they genuinely had all the ingredients to cook up a victory. Kolisi placed the blame squarely on a lack of maturity, and losing sight of the gameplan, but remained positive that it could be corrected.

“It is all stuff that we can fix,” Kolisi said.

The skipper was also not immune to his own failings, revealing a belief that he could have done more to keep his charges in line.

Said the World Cup winner: “I think we get bored a bit. We want to try spectacular things, were we can be a bit more mature. And from us, as a senior group, we have got to drive it a bit more. On the field we have to make sure that we are leading a bit more.

“I know we don't have a lot of senior players, especially in the backs, so myself, (Steven Kitshoff) and (Frans Malherbe) are going to have make sure we open up as much as we can. I would say I failed a little bit in making sure that we stuck to the plan, but come next week I can't be saying the same thing.”

Meanwhile, WP next face the Pumas, but there might be an injury crisis brewing within the team as the war of attrition on Saturday took a toll on their players. Province lost key men at crucial moments, which didn't help their cause at all.

"Bongi (Mbonambi) took a knock,“said coach John Dobson. “I’m not sure what the diagnosis is. Neethling Fouche is in the hospital for concussion, Salmaat Moerat is concussed, Juarno Augustus is concussed and has a neck strain. Seabelo Senatla has done his MCL ligament to his knee ... I am not sure what Scarra (Ntobeni's) condition is ... I can tell you Seabelo will obviously not play next weekend, the rest we will have to see.“