Johannesburg - “It’s like 2007 all over again. It feels exactly the same.” Lions coach Johan Ackermann was, of course, referring to the Super Rugby final between the Sharks and Bulls when Bryan Habana scored a last-gasp converted try to rob the Sharks of the title.
Ackermann was in the Sharks side that day in 2007, a match – and result – he says, he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Saturday’s 19-16 Currie Cup final defeat to Western Province in Cape Town didn’t quite have the same dramatic conclusion, but it got very close.
Ackermann is again on the losing side, just this time as the coach. “I told the guys afterwards that I’ve got the same hollow feeling,” said Ackermann on Sunday. “Just like in that 2007 Super Rugby final, I feel we did enough to win on Saturday.
But sadly the scoreboard doesn’t show it.” The Lions came back from 13-0 down at half-time to eventually draw level in the second half at Newlands, but a late missed penalty by Marnitz Boshoff – which would have taken the game into extra time – allowed the competition’s table-toppers to claim yet another Currie Cup title.
“If you lose by 15 or 20 points and are out-played then you can accept it. But to lose such a tight game in the way we did is very difficult,” said Ackermann. “It’s the hand that’s been dealt and we have to deal with it.
There are plenty of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ today, but we can’t change the result. The margins between winning and losing are so tiny ... maybe it was meant to be for Western Province.”
Boshoff, usually a very reliable kicker, had an off day with the boot, missing several kicks at goal, but Ackermann said he should not bear the brunt of the blame for the defeat. “Bossie was very down on himself afterwards. I don’t know why he struggled, maybe it’s because we only flew to Cape Town on the morning of the match and he didn’t have an extra day to practice at Newlands. I don’t know. “The team had a good chat afterwards and consoled him (Bossie).
All the guys were very down, but the sun came up this morning (Sunday) and life goes on,” said Ackermann. The Lions boss pointed to a poor first half performance as the main reason for the team’s defeat. “We battled in the first half. Western Province put us under a lot of pressure and we weren't able to exit from our half.
We also made some silly handling |errors, things we didn't do in the semi-finals. And, also, WP’s defence was excellent. “But to come back from that first half and get so close was good. I’m proud of how the guys responded after being 13-0 down.We had a good campaign and, while the defeat hurts, the experience the players picked up over the last 10 weeks is massive. We've grown as a squad and now have to look to the future, to Super Rugby, and hopefully we’ll get another opportunity in a final.”
The Star