Poor decisions: WP's leaders under the spotlight
CURRIE CUP REACTION: Western Province head coach John Dobson and captain Siya Kolisi admitted that poor decisions were made on the field during their 20-22 loss to the Bulls on Saturday.
The Bulls played for most of the second half with 14 men after prop Jacques van Rooyen was given a controversial red card for a high tackle on Warrick Gelant.
Despite being a man down, Jake White’s side stayed in the game and they eventually clinched victory after Chris Smith showed nerves of steel to convert a late try by replacement Marco Jansen van Vuren.
While the Bulls showed great character, WP are also kicking themselves for allowing the Bulls to stay in it.
“We are very disappointed,” Dobson told reporters after the game.
“It’s a great achievement by the Bulls, but at 20-15 we got a line-out five metres from their line and possibly we should have gone for poles to be two scores out. We then lost that line-out and defended really poorly.
“If I say it shouldn’t have happened, I don’t want to take away credit from them [Bulls]. They showed a lot of fight.”
Kolisi said the leadership group will have a long look at themselves after their decision-making on Saturday.
“We should have buried that game and we are very disappointed. I think some of the decisions we made as players on the field were not good,” said Kolisi.
“I don’t think we realised where the advantage was for us and I think we missed the point there and we as a leadership team will take it head-on.
“We should have just mauled and keep it [the ball] 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.
“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, the captain 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.”
