Free State Cheetahs director of rugby Frans Steyn paid tribute to his players for their fighting performance in their Currie Cup semi-final against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Though the Lions came out on top 43-34 in a high-scoring affair, it looked like the Cheetahs might have had their number in the early stages of the contest.
In fact, the Cheetahs were out to a 14-0 lead after just 10 minutes played and the Lions did not hit the front for the first time until the second half.
The Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok Steyn, however, hinted that his side’s game plan was not good enough to beat the Lions.
‘Never safe when you go up on the Lions’
“We went into the game with a lekker plan and we were feeling good. It’s something we coaches need to sort out, I don’t think it’s the players,” said Steyn.
“It’s never safe when you go up on a team like the Lions.”
A former Cheetahs player himself, Steyn empathised with his troops following their loss.
“The players did everything they could. We came up to fire shots and I think we did. We knew it was going to take a massive performance to beat the Lions here.
“It’s never nice losing a semi-final. Everybody always thinks they have a chance to win. We have games coming so we need to work hard to get to a place where we take our opportunities. It’s a building process.
Steyn though, said he was still proud to be a Cheetah.
“People forget how good this Lions side has been through the Currie Cup.”