Pumas take 'emotion' out of losing streak
INTERVIEW: Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse will never lose his passion for the game, but he is ready to ‘tone down’ on emotion as he works on ending his team’s losing streak.
Despite a promising start to the Currie Cup season, the Nelspruit outfit has not won since their Round Two drubbing of the Lions and are second-to-last on the standings.
The Pumas started the season with a 19-33 loss to the Bulls in an admirable performance in Nelspruit on January 14.
The next week they put 50 points past the Lions in a bonus-point (50-9) win at Ellis Park.
However, they have found the big W elusive in subsequent matches – losing 20-41 to Griquas in Kimberley, going down 17-28 to the Cheetahs in Nelspruit and suffering a 10-24 loss to the Sharks at the Mbombela Stadium this past weekend.
The Pumas have a bye in Round Six, before travelling to Cape Town for a showdown with Western Province – as the competition reaches the halfway stage.
(Continue below …)
Stonehouse admitted that the set pieces were troublesome and an aspect they will have to look at during the next fortnight.
However, the biggest concern was the costly individual errors which prevented them from turning opportunities into points.
“You will laugh when I say I am very positive, but the players showed great fight – real grit,” the coach said.
“However, errors are what cost us.
“We will come back a better team.”
Stonehouse admitted that some of the issues have been ongoing all season.
“We are going to have a look and see if the problem is with us, the coaching staff,” he told @rugby365com.
“[However,] individual errors – like handling errors – are things the players have to take responsibility for. You have to take responsibility for your own errors.
“It is my job to fix that.”
He said they will come back stronger and have a chance to still cause a few upsets.
Stonehouse added that getting “emotional” about the problem areas will not do their cause any good.
“My job is to get the players to believe they can pull it off.
“I know there’s a saying that you make your own luck, but we just need a few bounces of the ball to go our way.
“I have been in this coaching job long enough to know that getting emotional will not help.
“We have to focus on the positives, rather than harp on negatives.
“Every player knows what he has done wrong and now is not a time for pointing fingers.”
The team’s already paper-thin second row resources are being tested again – with lock Malembe Mpofu having suffered a knee injury against the Sharks.
However, Darrien Landsberg has recovered from the injury he suffered against Griquas in Round Three and will be available to face WP.
@king365ed
@rugby365com
