CAPE TOWN – Western Province captain Siya Kolisi has admitted that their decision-making in their 20-22 Currie Cup loss to the Bulls wasn’t the best.
Province controlled territory and possession for most of the game and held a 10-5 lead at half time, but despite being down to 14 men after loosehead prop Jacques van Rooyen was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Warrick Gelant, the Bulls managed to fight back and secure their first Currie Cup win at Newlands since 2009.
It was a game the hosts simply shouldn’t have lost - they had opportunities, but scrappy play and questionable decision-making saw them get their campaign off to a rotten start.
The Springbok skipper said that the leadership group would look at areas they can improve in.
“We should have just mauled and kept it with the forwards because that was where the advantage was and I think we slipped up there and I think we relaxed and then they came back really hard,” he said.
“We didn’t stick to the plan at times and especially at the end of that game.”
On the decision to not go for poles when they were 20-15 up, he said: “You don’t know if it’s going to go over or not so whatever decision we make, we must back it.
“I didn’t know what the call on the field,” said Kolisi, who was off the field at that stage. “The guys made a decision to go for the touchline and the guys backed it, but we need points and that is the most important thing.
“We should have taken some points in the game. When I was on as well there were a couple of opportunities where I would have liked to go for poles, but I didn’t.
“We have to look at the game as a team and see where we can better, especially as a leadership group.”
Head coach John Dobson added that the team are disappointed in their display. The fact that their focus was on playing in the Currie Cup final (Dobson often mentioned it during the Super Rugby Unlocked competition) makes this start even more dismaying.
“We are very disappointed,” Dobson said after the game.
“It’s a great achievement by the Bulls, but at 20-15 we got a lineout five metres from their line and possibly we should have gone for poles to be two scores out. We then lost that lineout and defended really poorly.
“If I say it shouldn’t have happened, I don’t want to take away credit from them. They showed a lot of fight.”