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Cape Town - Lions coach Swys de Bruin admits he lost his cool at his players during Saturday's clash against the Rebels in Johannesburg.
The hosts went into the break 26-5 down and were staring down the barrel of what would have been a hugely disappointing result, but a heroic second-half performance saw them claim a 36-33 win thanks to a Gianni Lombard penalty after the hooter.
A likeable, easy-going man of the surface, De Bruin could not control his emotions at half-time.
"Walking into that change room, I was in a flat spin," he told media after the match.
"I must admit, I don’t think I’ve ever lost it like that before at half-time. I really lost it because I know how good these guys can be and they were not.
"There were one or two words that came out badly and I’m sorry about that.
"But in hindsight, it was maybe time to lay the marker down for once because that first half wasn’t good enough."
By the end of the match, though, De Bruin said incredibly proud of his charges.
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a side turn a 33-5 deficit into a victory so I'm very happy. I've got so much belief and faith in this team and what we stand for," he said.
