Bulls take five points against Dragons | Post Match Press Conference

Mazatakus, congrats on the result. Let me just talk us through that performance. It was deceptively gritty, wasn't it? You know, you look at the final score and you think it was plain sailing, but it was anything but. Yeah, no, I 100% obviously I said that to the media after the match as well, TV and written media that I had to do interviews, I said first thing first is grateful for the victory the fact that we got the win and obviously got the bonus point but the scoreline doesn't really reflect the true match because we had to grind and we had to fight hard and obviously frustrated half time that the reality is we made a lot of hard work we couldn't put them away they didn't score, they defended well, they kept us out and then there was a feeling in the change room that it's going to take a grind and we must just have a bit more patience.

We almost lost a bit of patience. We kicked the ball away. We forced passes and the forwards felt that the dam will break but we just have to stay patient. They could feel it in the set piece and so on. So yeah, it was definitely not as easy as the scoreline but credit to the players, proud of how they stayed calm and showed a lot of fight.

And from your end, what did you sort of enjoy the most about the performance? The first thing, you know, was the back of forwards. I felt the forwards was tremendous. They showed a lot of fight. They got through a lot of work, especially early in the second half when we got a bit more direct.

Even the guys off the bench, you know, Jan-Hendrik, Marku, they all made a big difference in Pilo and those guys. and we had to adapt with Kanan coming off and then Sergio go off for a head knock and Ambrose had to play wing and he did well there. So, yeah, I'm very proud of the back-of-forwards performance and then obviously in general how we adapted with the players. Just last one for me, you spoke about Kanan taking that knock. just what's your, you went in obviously with a couple of injuries to your back line.

What is your injury situation? Yeah we been tested suddenly at the outside backs with you know it started with Stravino and Sebastian that out and then we lost Kirtley and Ceswell for this weekend and then Kanan felt his hammy just before half time so, you know, we were not confident that he can go out and play for one that he had a bit of the sore hammy and two you can now aggravate that and it can be even worse so we didn't want to risk that So he's the only real concern. Sim at the stage, there's bumps and bruises and guys that's got a bit of sore stuff, but not stuff that I think we're overly concerned. It's more Kanan's hamstring if he's going to be available. I don't know, but hopefully Cheswil has responded well to treatment as well as Curly.

So hopefully we get at least those two back just to strengthen our outside backs. Envia, jump in. Hello, Johan. Well done. A couple of things.

This two-week break you had in France now. Did it have any effect on the team? Were they a bit rusty? It took them a while, first half, and then second half they pulled away. Was that part of the reason?

It could be, Envia. Hello, Envia. It could be. I mean, obviously, we haven't played. And it's funny enough, you know, after the Glasgow game, and the boys obviously had training, but we had to travel in between either to France.

It was, not to use it as an excuse, but at 3 o'clock morning, we had to get up and go to the airport. And then we obviously lost a day or two there. And then we pushed the boys hard for a couple of days. And then we had a bit of free time again. and then we had to travel on Wednesday to Wales.

We left the hotel at 8 o'clock in the morning and only got at 6 o'clock in the evening, you know, because obviously you've got to travel through two airports, etc. So you can use everything as an excuse, but saying that, you know, it can be. But we have to give credit to the Dragons as well. You know, they come back from two good performances. I spoke to their coach afterwards.

They really wanted to do themselves proud because this was one of their last home games, if not their last home game. They've got Zebria away and then they've got the semifinals in Europe. So, you know, they had a tough side. And like I said before we played them, when you analyse them, they make the breakdowns messy. They are a good kicking game with thinners there.

They've got, you know, a good set piece. So you have to work hard. and that's why I think the frustrating thing was that we didn't build any pressure. We lost a bit of patience with ball in hand in that first half, but the moment we walked into the change room, there was no panic. Marcel you could see that they say that they feel things are going to happen that the momentum will swing as long as we stay in the fight And that's what they did.

So that's the reality of the games. We go in now, everybody is fighting for whatever reason, and we just have to make sure we stay in the fight for 80 minutes. A player that caught my eye, and I think he's been groomed to take over, from Wilk, who is Franca Kloppa. He had a good game. Yeah, Francois has been under the radar now the last couple of weeks since Wilco was not available he grabbed opportunity in that starting position and he's doing his thing he's playing well and he's growing so that's great so it's up to all the other tighties Mornay, Kuta and everybody else now to come along and to keep challenging each other and obviously Wilco is now back in the squad so that gives us a good thing that we've got all our tightets available for the next couple of games And lastly who would have thought at the beginning of the season that Marku would be your star hooker That's a nice surprise to have Yeah, again it's credit to Marku who's just an absolute team man He says he will play wherever we pick him and he understands his role of like a hybrid where he can play hooker, can play back row.

Last night we felt, you know, really, Marcel is playing well. We had Cameron who we wanted to get through 80 minutes so that he can get his first 80 minutes and we felt let's save Johan a bit and he showed his worth there at hooker and that's great to be in that situation. and like you said, we didn't think about that a couple of months ago when the season started and it's great that Marco has been so good to fulfil that role. Well done coach, great victory. Okay, thanks.

Any more questions or we're going to let the coach off easy? Clinton, I'll just quick end up one if I can. Go for it. Because Walden on the wind, maybe just you've mentioned it now in Envy's question, but maybe just a word on Marcel, because he really led from the front last night and certainly put in the captain's performance there. Yeah, no, I mean, you know, I can just credit Marcel.

He's been so good for us the last couple of weeks, not just on the field, but off the field, you know, just the way he led the team and the way he's training and challenging the guys and encouraging the guys. Sorry, I've got a bit of sinus. and yeah so you know last night it was just tremendous the work that he got through and the way he put his body on the line and really want you know led by example for us where we got back against the wall you know you need your leaders to step up and he did that last night so credit to him and he in good form and hopefully that will continue for the remainder of the season And then just not to take away from obviously the good performance, but it's strange how certain things just maybe can change again, that this is our try of theirs, came at a very crucial time in the game, and the bit of luck that went you guys' way, that doesn't always happen overseas. No, exactly, Brendan. And we probably didn't get the rub of the green in some other games, you know, that I can think of that we lost or, you know, didn't go our way.

So it was, you are 100% right. I don't think, hopefully, we would have still, you know, got the victory. But they decide that as long as there's an opportunity, they will stay in that fight. and that would have brought them back into six or five points or whatever and obviously that would have ignited the flame again from that side. So the fact that they stayed behind, I think, 19-7 or something like that and not 19-14 was a big, big, you know, fortune for us.

And again, like I said, it shows you how small the margins is in this games of us, you know, sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't. And that specific incident helped us to keep that margin and then they got the penalty that was obviously one that I thought, well, if there's a knock on, I didn't see anybody not lying there when he gave the penalty but they couldn't capitalize from there and that's the good thing, you know, that we didn't concede after that disallowed try. I just I'm just checking if there's any injuries or any worries after the game a little bit concerned about Kanan he felt his hamstring just before halftime and hence the reason with our lot of injuries out on the wing we didn't want to risk him further that's why we made the change halftime and brought Sergio in and so time will tell to see how serious that is but like I said to I can't remember who asked the question I said you know obviously we get challenged now with Stravino and Sebastian and then we lost Kirtley and Cheswell but Cheswell and Kirtley has responded well on treatment so hopefully at least they will be back for next week that if Kanan is not available we will have some options there. Thank you.

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