VIDEO: Jaguares need to 'change their attitude'
This is the view of new coach Mario Ledesma.
Speaking after their 20-28 loss to the Stormers at Newlands at the weekend, the Argentinean legend said his team was their own worst enemies.
Top of that list was – as has been the case for the past two seasons – their lack of discipline.
Not only did they conceded 15 penalties, but the most carded team in the competition also earned the first yellow card of the 2018 season.
The coach said the lack of discipline is 'very frustrating',.
"I think we could have avoided that," he told a post-match media briefing.
"There's no need [to be yellow carded].
"We have our trademarks and that [conceding yellow cards] is not one of them.
"We should be better than that.
"We should learn from that and change our attitude."
The Jaguares' next match is against the Lions – beaten finalists in 2016 and 2017 – at Ellis Park this coming Saturday.
Ledesma said his team had the chance to secure the win, but poor execution also cost them dearly.
"Our handling was terrible," he said, adding: "We had our chances to score and win the game, but we stand here with nothing [not even a bonus point].
"We need to get better."
He also declined to blame the referee for his team's demise, despite making it clear they should have been awarded a second penalty try.
Ledesma said the scrum penalty against his team was the correct call by the referee, but felt the previous scrum should have been a penalty try.
"It [the defeat] is not the referee's fault," he said, adding: "All the handling errors and turnover of possession was our own fault.
"We need to get better, technically. We can't concede the possession we did in the first half."
Ledesma said there is no magic formula that can cure his team's ills – only hard work.
"We will get better. We have to work, work a lot, lot, lot – just work, work more and better."
By Jan de Koning
@king365ed
@rugby365com
