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Dobson: ‘We were well beaten’

PUBLISHED: August 23, 2015


DHL Western Province head coach John Dobson offered no excuses after his team’s 29-47 loss to the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday night.

The Bulls, who consolidated their position at the top of the Absa Currie Cup log in the process, scored five tries to two as they handed DHL WP a first defeat of 2015 – the Men from Cape Town having led by 16-15 at half-time.

And new coach Dobson, who had guided his team to wins over Griquas and the Cheetahs in Week One and Two, offered no excuses in the aftermath.

“We were well beaten,” Dobson told the www.wprugby.com website.

“We came here to play rugby, but we didn’t. Once the Bulls had momentum it was hard to stop them and, quite frankly, it was an embarrassment to Western Province Rugby the way we played.

“Not one of our players enhanced their reputations,” he added.

A yellow card to DHL Western Province winger Dillyn Leyds was the undoubted turning point in the match.

Leyds was yellow carded in the 60th minute for taking out a Blue Bulls player in the air, having scored a valuable intercept try 15 minutes earlier.

Dobson commented: “The Bulls attacked brilliantly down the left-hand side and exploited the one-man advantage. Perhaps, as the coach, I should’ve made a plan but I didn’t.

“It was definitely the game changer and, like I said, it was very tough to stop them when they got the momentum.”

The DHL Western Province coach will, as always, release an injury report on Monday. Province will head to Bloemfontein for their next encounter – against the Cheetahs on Friday, August 29.