Pumas need 'clinical' game for Bloem trip
SPOTLIGHT: The Pumas will arrive in Bloemfontein as rank outsiders, when they take on the table-topping Cheetahs in a Currie Cup semifinal.
The Cheetahs will be high on confidence, coming off an impressive 35-5 drubbing of the Bulls in last week’s final round of league fixtures.
In contrast, the Pumas suffered their second heartbreaking loss in three weeks, replacement Theo Boshoff slotting a late penalty to secure a 45-44 win for Griquas in Nelspruit this past weekend.
However, the Pumas have collected enough bonus points to finish ahead of the Sharks in fourth place – earning them a trip to the Free State capital – a venue where they recorded a league win a fortnight ago.
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse was cautiously optimistic about his team’s prospects, but admitted the need to eliminate soft moments and errors will be key to any chance of success.
The Pumas have reached the semifinals of South Africa’s premier domestic competition for the first time in four decades – a 6-49 loss to Northern Transvaal (now Bulls) in its previous guise as South Eastern Transvaal.
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There is no doubt that the most underrated coach in SA, is Jimmy Stonehouse. Judging on what he has done the past years with very limited budget, the never ending “wolves” poaching his players every year and very little players depth. A real coach and player developer!
— Kobus Wiese (@4KobusWiese) May 28, 2022
Stonehouse admitted last week’s heartbreaking 44-45 loss to Griquas in Nelspruit has put a ‘bit of a damper’ on the achievement of ending a four-decade-long drought.
“Getting into the semifinal for the first time since our name changed to Pumas is amazing and a great achievement,” Stonehouse said.
However, the Pumas coach bemoaned the lack of discipline that saw his team cough up a handy lead – 30-14 at half-time and 37-21 just short of the hour mark.
“We are playing good rugby, but we will have to improve our discipline,” he said of a penalty count that raised some questions.
However, Stonehouse would not be drawn on the competence of match officials and rather focused on his own team’s conduct.
Even the obvious forward pass that resulted in a try – which referee Marius van der Westhuizen said he could not ‘review’ – could not sway Stonehouse from turning the focus away from his own team.
The two yellow cards and 13 penalties are the aspects the coach believes warrant attention ahead of the trip to Bloemfontein.
“We fell into the same trap we did at Loftus Versfeld,” Stonehouse said of a 26-31 loss to the Bulls in Round 12 – when they also coughed up a handy lead with a string of second-half errors.
“You have to take the emotion out of the situation and on Monday you have to come back and lift the team for the next challenge,” said a coach well-known for his demonstrative pre- and post-match speeches.
“It is human nature to get emotional and we asked plenty of questions after the loss to the Bulls, but we have to stay focused on the task at hand.
“My biggest concern is the number of high-tackle penalties,” Stonehouse said, adding: “We have had five yellow cards in three matches.
“We will have to have a long, hard look at ourselves in the mirror.”
He spoke of the need to be “clinical” against a dangerous Cheetahs team – such as their 29-28 win over the Free Staters in Bloemfontein in Round 11, a game where their disciplined and defence were from the top shelve.
“If we want to win, those are the aspects of the game we have to sort out,” the coach said.
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