Post game reaction: Australian Affiliated States v BARLA Lions
BARLA Lions Head Coach Gary Hewer gives his reaction to the 28-20 loss to Australian Affiliated States.
He said, "It was a narrow defeat and a very hard one to swallow. We put ourselves in the position, twelve minutes to go, 20-18, to go and win the game. I thought we worked very hard to get in that position, stopped in the arm-wrestle, but a fundamental error cost us at that time.
"The Aussies went in front again and held on to that until really late on, when they scored again to make it 28-20."
Hewer continued, "I'm gutted for the lads because I thought the effort from all of them, to stop in the game for so long under the conditions against a very well drilled, mobile and physical Australian team, its a credit to our lads.
"I genuinely believed that when we got so far into the game we could have brought it home but it wasn't to be. I'm proud of the performance, disappointed that individual errors cost us the game, if I'm honest.
"The game is tough and you've got to break it down in terms of where we've lost the game and it isn't process, it's individual, it's fundamental, which is hard on those players, but that's rugby."
This was a better performance than the opening tour game "The stats were slightly increased. Our yardage percentage went up to the early seventies and our good ball was round about 75 but there's still room for improvement at international level, the small percenters do cost you at key parts of the game."
Gary also praised the performance of Craig Savage. "Craig Savage was outstanding and with the greatest respect to him, he has the potential to step up a level and potentially go into the pro game, if that's what he chooses. we played him at nine and he organised and controlled the game an when we put the interchange in we brought him back on at loose as well. He had a great all-round performance."
Dave Parkinson
Media Manager
