'Yin and Yang ': Lions' second-half collapse against Stormers a big concern
REACTION: Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen believes poor execution played a big part in his team’s second-half collapse against the Stormers at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Capetonians scored 21 unanswered second-half points to record a brilliant 31-22 victory in the United Rugby Championship Round Seven encounter.
It was a typical game of two halves, with the Capetonians finishing very strongly with their replacements making a big difference in the last half-hour to seal the win after they drew and lost their last two clashes in the competition, which they won last season.
“It was yin and yang,” said Van Rooyen.
“It was a complete turnaround. I felt we had control after the first 40 and we lost that control in the second 40.
“If your line-out doesn’t function you can’t put pressure on them.
“You end up playing on the wrong side of the field and you are defending. Normally that combination doesn’t work so well.”
When asked if the second-half collapse was a result of a lack of experience, Van Rooyen said: “The easy answer would be yes.
“However, I think it’s more about execution probably.
“Sometimes you feel under more pressure than what there really is.”
The story continues below…
#ICYMI: The Stormers bounced back from a disappointing European tour to record a much-needed win over the Lions 👇#URC #Stormers #Lions #LIOvSTO https://t.co/6p1wsxsRPg
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) October 30, 2022
Gastro disruption
The Lions entered Saturday’s match after their Round Six encounter against Glasgow Warriors in Johannesburg was postponed due to gastroenteritis infections in the visiting side’s camp.
It means that Van Rooyen’s side has two weeks between games, which could have been a factor in their defeat.
“You can always say yes because you didn’t play,” said the Lions coach.
“We felt we had an exceptional preparation week for Glasgow, so to not play that game at home after that bit of momentum could have played a role.
“We still felt that we had prepared well for the Stormers.
“I can’t sit here and say what would have happened if we played that [Glasgow] game.
“From the beginning, we knew there was a seven-game block and the next block is 10 games.
“We will take a week off, regroup and get ready to play six away games out of 10 [after the international break].”
@rugby365com
