Pieter Jordaan

Johannesburg – Western Province coach Allister Coetzee is not panicking about his team’s Currie Cup slump because he knows where the problem lies.

The team’s third consecutive defeat was the worst of the lot when they were beaten 46-28 by the Lions.

With games against the Leopards, Griquas and Pumas coming up, WP may well get their campaign back on track in the coming weeks.

Province are also going to be strengthened by a few Springboks now that the Tri-Nations has run its course.

“We know the competition still has a long way to go,” Coetzee said after the defeat.

“There aren’t big gaps on the log, even though the Sharks managed to build a big lead. We’re now playing the Leopards and Pumas, followed by Griquas and the Sharks at home.

“We’re not going to panic. You only panic when you don’t know where the problem lies and don’t have a plan to fix it.”

Province lost backline players Tim Whitehead and Frikkie Welsh in the first half at the weekend after also being disrupted by injuries prior to the game.

“It can be very disruptive. But fortunately we are now getting players like Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh and Jean de Villiers back. We have to beat the Leopards to get our confidence back. We’re still a good team when we carry the ball and scored three good tries against the Lions,” said Coetzee.

He did not want to put his team’s slump in the last 20 minutes against the Lions down to a lack of fitness. Rather, Coetzee singled out the Lions’ opportunism as being decisive.

“It takes a lot out of a side when they make a mistake on the attack 40m out and then have to fall back to defend. Show me any coach that plans for emergency defence from a turnover. Nobody does that because you can’t,” he said.

“I have to praise the Lions for the manner in which they utilised their turnover possession. They have a lot of pace in their side.”

Province captain Anton van Zyl said the team had spoken at half-time about keeping the ball in the right areas of the field and maintaining discipline.

“Our discipline was not good enough in the second half and we could not keep the ball,” he said.

“The Lions are a proud side and I can’t remember when last WP won at Coca-Cola Park. We knew they were dangerous off turnover possession and they proved it once again.”