Pumas running on 'pure heart and belief' amidst financial challenges
REACTION: Pumas head coach Jimmy Stonehouse says his team’s determination to prove their worth in South Africa was the motivating factor in their Currie Cup semifinal win over the Sharks in Durban.
The team from Nelspruit recorded a hard-fought 26-20 win at Kings Park which gave them a shot at defending their title against the Cheetahs in Saturday’s Final at the Free State Stadium.
Stonehouse’s side were the underdogs heading into the match, but they made life difficult for the Sharks, especially with their defensive performance.
Ahead of a long bus trip back to Nelspruit, Stonehouse told reporters how proud he is of his players.
“It is difficult to express my feelings, but I am very proud of this bunch of kids,” Stonehouse said.
“They are just amazing. Coming in and out and just fighting week after week.
“We don’t have the depth to change [players] but we keep on going.
“It is just amazing to see the way they fought.”
The Sharks were threatening to snatch victory in the final minutes as they were camped inside the Pumas’ half and producing a huge number of phases. However, the Pumas held firm on defence.
“We just hit them back and hit them back and when they got over the gain line, we just hit them back again,” said the Pumas coach.
“That is pure heart and belief and just pure Puma.”
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#REACTION: Joey Mongalo’s plan backfired 👇#CurrieCup #Sharks #Pumas #SHAvPUM https://t.co/Db7ZgIDT1k
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Stonehouse has opened up on the challenges of being a smaller union a few times this season and Saturday was another platform for him to mention the topic.
“We got the belief to win. It doesn’t matter if it is home or away.
“It is just the supporters and the spectators that don’t give us a chance because we are a small union in everybody’s mind.
“However, week in and week out we play a good brand of rugby and we are trying to show that we belong somewhere.
“I practise and I preach this with the players. I say to them if the Pumas win, they will go somewhere, but if they have that belief that they are brilliant and they want to do stuff on their own, they will go nowhere.
“I think that is the greatest thing. At the end of the season, Tinus de Beer is going to Wales, Ali Mgijima to the Cheetahs and Diego Appollis to the Sharks. Everybody is going.
“It is the same as last year.
“I think it is the toughness. We really trained hard and most of all it’s the discipline.
Stonehouse added: “It’s very tough for the guys at the Pumas.
“The Pumas’ plan is to say to SA Rugby: ‘Just give us an opportunity’.
“We cannot play URC, we don’t have the money, but just give us something – another competition, so that we don’t have a seven-month pre-season. It can help us get a bigger sponsor, somebody that can invest in us.
“That is what we are trying to create.”
The Pumas have one injury concern ahead of next weekend’s Final and it is a big one.
“I am concerned about [captain] Shane Kirkwood. After winning that last ball on the ground he got an injury there, so that is our biggest concern at this moment,” said Stonehouse.
“We will see when we are back in Nelspruit.”
On the long bus trip home, Stonehouse added: “We don’t have the luxury of flying back or staying another day in the hotel.
“Hopefully, he [Kirkwood] can stretch a bit and recover [on the journey].”
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