VIDEO: Discipline won the day at Newlands
Stormers coach Robbie Fleck admitted that his team's [lack of] discipline cost them in their 23-26 loss to the Lions at the weekend.
The Stormers lost wing Raymond Rhule (to a red card in the 50th minute), after he collided with the head of Lions wing after the latter had kicked ahead and was chasing his own kick.
Centre Johannes Engelbrecht was yellow-carded in the 36th-minute for a tip tackle and replacement Jaco Coetzee was yellow-carded in the 59th-minute for a late tackle off the ball – leaving the Cape Town side with just 13 players on the field at a crucial stage in the game.
There were 13 penalties in all, prompting Fleck to admit that his team need to improve their discipline.
"Look, it is small margins, but from a safety point of view – he [Rhule] connected with the head, so it is a red [card]," Fleck said when he was asked what he thought of the decision to card the Stormers flyer.
"I can't argue with that decision.
"If you look at the safety of the game it was the right decision.
"If we go back to the CJ Stander incident [in the Ireland versus South Africa Test two years ago] the player [Pat Lambie] was out [sidelined with concussion] for a long time.
"It is the same [kind of] incident. The referees do have to look after players."
He admitted that the high penalty count is also a cause for concern.
"We spoke about it [discipline] before the game, knowing the only way the Lions could get into the game was through some ill-discipline.
"There may have been some penalties that were 50-50. [But] the red card and the two yellow cards, there was a late hit and it was after a warning.
"You can't argue with that yellow [issued to Coetzxee]. The one by JJ Enmgelbrecht] was quite tough. {Lions fullback Anbdries] Coetzee did jump into the tackle and it is tough to control that. But [it goes] to the letter of the law and the safety of the players.
"Generally, I felt we could have been a bit better [with our discipline], which gave them opportunities to get into our half.
"Overall, that is something we need to be better at."
Lions coach Swys de Bruin was full of praise for his team, saying their discipline was the best asp[ect of their game.
"Coming in [to the dressing room, trailing 7-17] at half-time and everybody wanted to say something.
"The big thing was to calm the guys down and focus on our job.
"I said to them: 'If we can win the discipline [be better disciplined] we can win the game',"the Lions coach added.
By Jan de Koning, at Newlands
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