Johannesburg - Lions coach Dick Muir knows exactly where to put his money for a winner in this year’s Super 14 competition – either on the Stormers or on the Bulls.
After his side fell apart in the final quarter of the game against the Bulls to eventually lose 51-11 at Loftus Versfeld, Muir praised the Bulls attack and admitted that after believing his side were very close to their first win of the season, this was a massive setback for the Lions.
But when asked as to his punt for the winner of the competition, Muir could only see a South African hand on the title.
“The two South African sides right up there are looking good and they need to regroup and finish the job off,” Muir said.
“It would be difficult to say and having played both of them we narrowly lost to the Stormers and we got thumped by the Bulls so that may tell you the answer there as to who I believe should win it.”
But Muir had an important message for both teams in terms of player fatigue, warning them if they didn’t rotate their teams smartly, they would ultimately pay the price.
“It’s a very important stage in the competition for teams. The team dynamic starts to play a part and if you haven’t rotated your squad enough that might be your downfall. With the last few games, certain teams having an easier run in than others. That will play a part.”
Returning to his own side, Muir gave a blunt assessment of his side’s performance and admitted that while he was happy with the team’s defence at the start, the scoreline was “nothing to be proud of.”
“If you are a rugby purist you will realise that there wasn’t that much in it but the result certainly doesn’t reflect that,” Muir said.
“We are there and there about and we got to grind on and that is what Super 14 is all about. It’s about being able to get up and go again next week and it really makes it difficult when you have picked the guys up to the extent that we did thinking again that this week. We were thinking that it is going to be our first win and we are going to make the breakthrough. Then you take 50 against the Bulls - it’s nothing to be proud of.”
Muir praised the Bulls for the way they played, wearing the Lions down until they had no answer to the attack. “I felt that we had the upper hand in the first half and that we played correctly. We could have been leading in the first half but in the second half the Bulls played extremely well,” Muir added.
“We were hit heavily by injuries and sometimes when it is as disruptive you lose your way, your set-piece and lineouts fall apart and then it is a scramble and you give away penalties. That is the pressure that a team like the Bulls put on you and it’s a momentum thing that wears you down. Well done to them.”