Bulls coach not blaming lock’s red card for loss

BULLS coach Nollis Marais was loath to admit that RG Snyman’s 72nd minute red card cost his team a potential win against the Highlanders, but felt they had other opportunities to finish off the game.

The young lock was sent off for an illegal clean out on Highlanders replacement hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate.

Coenraad van Vuuren’s resultant try from the ruck was disallowed and four minutes later All Black centre Malakai Fekitoa scored to give the Highlanders a 17-10 win. It was the Bulls seventh defeat of the season. “We had opportunities to score in the second half and I think we played well‚” Marais said.

“Those seven points were there for us to take and it was always going to be difficult to catch up a seven-point difference.

“It was unfortunate that the seven-point turnaround was costly. At the end of the day‚ RG is 21 and there’s not much I can say.

“His intent wasn’t to hit the guy on the head. He did something he was penalised for and he made a mistake that he was penalised for.

“He played well and he made a mistake. He’s feeling bad because he knows how important it was for the team and for me.”

Snyman and Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo‚ who was sent off for a similar offence on Bulls centre Burger Odendaal‚ have been cited and will probably have the book thrown at them by Sanzaar.

With Jason Jenkins and Lood de Jager putting in decent shifts‚ Marais has little to worry about should Snyman be suspended.

With the dangerous Lions looming at Ellis Park on Saturday‚ Marais knows his team can at least fight before they can learn to win again.

“I told the guys they could sit in the corner and let everybody kick them or they could come out and fight‚” Marais said.

“The win was there but we didn’t take, it but I’m proud of the fight back from last week’s hammering.”