EP did not capitulate and the players gave it their all when they went down 61-22 against a superior Pumas team in a SA Cup clash on Saturday, Elephants coach Allister “Toetie” Coetzee said.
It was always going to be tough ask for a semi-professional EP team to compete against a fully-fledged professional Pumas outfit who were crowned Currie Cup champions two seasons ago.
EP’s task was made more difficult when they were on the receiving end of three yellow cards against the Mpumalanga side who raced into a 26-3 lead after only 16 minutes at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The home side had also received three yellow cards in their first-round loss against the Falcons last weekend.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, EP scored three tries on Saturday against an on-fire Pumas side who thrashed the SWD Eagles 75-7 last week.
The Pumas, who kicked off as overwhelming prematch favourites, outscored EP by nine tries to three in a second-round SA Cup encounter.
EP will now go back to the drawing board before a crunch third-round clash against the Eagles in George on Saturday.
“When you lose it is never something that one will be happy about,” Coetzee said.
“But, in the same breath, I have to mention that there was fight in the EP team and our players did not capitulate in the second half.
“There were moments this team must improve on going forward.
“The aggression we wanted was not controlled and the tip tackle in the first half was uncalled for.
“We had three yellow cards and I was not happy about that.
“The boys must learn from these experiences.
“The thing about a team that wants to do well is that they have to control the aggression and the fight they want to show in the game.
“In moments when we are on the ascendancy, there is a penalty or a card against us.”
Coetzee said the team were showing progress since he took over three months ago from Dumisani Mhani.
“If you look at last year, the score was 63-0 against the Pumas,” he said.
“This time we were so close to getting a bonus point and that is what we fought for.
“It would have been a massive positive for us to get that fourth try.
“I think we stayed in the fight until the last Pumas try at the end.
“And that was against the former Currie Cup champions of two years ago.
“What the Pumas do so well is that they hardly make mistakes.
“EP made a lot of mistakes and our kicking plan was not executed at all.
“Our kicking, out of hand we were poor, and at the start we did not put the Pumas under the pressure we wanted to.
“The unfortunate thing is that there are still too many individual mistakes and the players must get better against well-structured sides like the Pumas.
“I am looking for learning in the team and I can see they have grown from when I started and where we are now.
“When I was appointed, I said I was not a magician.”
Scorers:
EP Elephants 22: Tries: Shirwin Cupido, Rodney Damons, Jayden Banton. Conversions: Chris Humphries (1), Chadwyn November (1). Penalty: Humphries.
Pumas 61: Ross Braude (3), Sango Xamlashe, Ruwald van der Merwe, Wian van Niekerk, Danrich Visagie, Lundi Msenge, Penalty Try (worth seven points). Conversions: Clinton Swart (5), Danrich Visagie (2).
Other results: Griffons 38 Boland Cavaliers 35, Griquas 68 Falcons 15, Cheetahs 69 Leopards 0, SWD Eagles 48 Border Bulldogs 22.
The Herald
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