Coach Ivan van Rooyen says the Lions only have themselves to blame after letting victory slip in the dying minutes against Zebre in Parma on Sunday.
The Lions appeared set to clinch a valuable away win after storming back with three thrilling second-half tries, but a late lapse from the restart handed Zebre a final entry into the 22 – and ultimately, the game.
Van Rooyen lamented his team’s inability to close out the result after fighting their way back into contention.
“With four minutes to go, it was our game to win,” Van Rooyen said. “But unfortunately we didn’t manage the kick-off well enough, put ourselves under pressure and allowed them an entry into our 22. It was way too easy and they managed to score.”
REPORT: Lions fall short at the death in Parma
The Lions were forced to absorb long periods of pressure in the first half, unable to exit their own half or generate any real momentum.
“We spent way too much time defending our try line,” Van Rooyen admitted. “We couldn’t get playing, we couldn’t get ball in the right areas and start to build pressure.
“That started to change in the second half. I think we were a lot more dynamic, we had a lot more momentum in attack and the three tries we scored were really exciting.”
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Despite the heartbreak, Van Rooyen believes there were encouraging signs in how his players responded after the break, and says the focus now shifts immediately to the next challenge, which is Benetton.
“Obviously we’re disappointed with the result. It shows you how small the margins in the URC are and it shows you there isn’t a bad team in the competition, especially when you’re playing away,” he said.
“Now we’re prepping for Treviso. It’s a short week so no time to sulk.”
Photo: Kian Abdullah/Gallo Images
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