A combination of scorching heat and flat performance in the first half conspired to deal the Border Bulldogs an SA Cup season-opening 36 -17 loss against the Griffons at the Down Touch Investment Stadium in Welkom at the weekend.
Coach Dumisani Mhani said the match played in sweltering conditions was a game of two halves as his boys struggled to jell in the first half, allowing the opposition to lead 12-5 at the break.
“I do not know whether the boys were trying to adjust to the conditions or they were suffering from other factors, but they were just not there in the first half,” he said.
“This is where we lost the game, and they also acknowledged it after the game.”
Consisting of a youthful squad assembled from Border clubs, the Bulldogs fought gallantly after the break and virtually dominated the game, especially in the last 20 minutes.
They scored three tries, with Avuyile Mabece, Siyabulela Marhele and Siphamandla Soti doing the honours.
However, the exploits fell short in overtaking the Griffons, who dotted down six times and made most of the visitors’ defensive lapses and basic errors, such as forward passing.
Mhani bemoaned the lapses, saying they cost them a match they should have easily won.
It is good when the players are aware of their mistakes because it makes things easy to correct.
— Dumisani Mhani
“The Griffons were there for the taking, but we let them off the hook due to our own mistakes.
“But I was happy with the performance of the team and there were plenty of positives to take home.
“It is good when the players are aware of their mistakes because it makes things easy to correct.”
While they returned home empty-handed, Mhani, who has a tough task to transform the team into a winning unit after woeful previous seasons, is confident that their fortunes will change this time around.
The Bulldogs were considered the whipping boys in the last two seasons, losing by century scores and failing to register a single win.
They finished at the bottom of the log in both seasons, with the Griffons being one of the teams to hand them drubbings.
However, judging by their bold stand away from home, they are on course to hold their own, with the loss to the Griffons not the biggest in the opening weekend matches of the competition.
That misfortune befell the Leopards, who were handed a 7-101 humiliation by the Suzuki Griquas in Kimberley.
The Bulldogs will enjoy home-ground advantage in their next match when they welcome the SWD Eagles at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane on Saturday.
• Bitterly disappointed EP Elephants players believed they let themselves down when they slipped to a heartbreaking 23-29 defeat against the Falcons in their opening SA Cup clash in Gqeberha, coach Allister Coetzee said.
Hopes had been high that a new-look EP side would collect a vital home win after they led 17-12 at halftime against a dangerous Falcons outfit at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday.
However, the Elephants fell short of their goals because of inaccuracy and poor discipline against a composed Falcons side who outscored them by four tries to two.
EP gave themselves a sniff of pulling off a late win when Maxwell Klaasen kicked a penalty in the 79th minute to reduce the Falcons’ lead to 29-23.
An undercooked EP side, who only played preseason games against the Border Bulldogs and SWD Eagles after they cancelled a warm-up against the Cheetahs, will have to go back to the drawing board before facing the Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday.
In their opening game, the Pumas were given a scare before they edged the SWD Eagles 28-26 at the Outeniqua Stadium in George on Friday. — Additional reporting by George Byron
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