Eloff: Loss feels like a win

Eloff: Loss feels like a win

4 Oct 2008

Despite the result on the scoreboard, Lions coach Loffie Eloff admitted the Lions’ loss against Western Province felt like a win.

The Lions needed to restrict WP to a victory-margin of less than 19 points and keep them from getting a bonus point, and achieved both goals in the 14-6 loss at Newlands. A clearly relieved Eloff said despite the defeat, reaching the semi against the Sharks was the ultimate goal.

“It definitely feels like a win. It was a tremendous defensive effort and we showed great courage,” said Eloff.

The Lions mentor claimed his team didn’t want to make us of a conservative approach, but it was just the way the game evolved.

“Tactically, we didn’t play the way we wanted to. It’s scary if you look at possession, we didn’t have the ball. We weren’t focused on defence – I wanted the guys to go out with an attacking mindset and be positive, but we couldn’t do that without the ball,” he said.  

The Lions mentor said his team had always come with the intention of winning, but believes the resultant approach was necessary in the circumstances.

“Our goal was always to win. We did want to slow it down to keep the structure, but we did want to attack. It may have looked from the side that we just wanted to contain, but that wasn’t the case – we just didn’t have the ball and couldn’t do much from there.”

By Grant Ball


49 Comments

  • 1.Sun Wukong: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:46 pm

    Loffie is the dragon

  • 2.Sun Wukong: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:48 pm

    now that i have read the article, yeah yeah, you gave them the game plan and they executed, hope you have a more exciting and winning one next week

  • 3.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:51 pm

    So PDV was right after all.

  • 4.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:52 pm

    must commend the lions for not playing the spoiling tactics they employed against the stormers in the super 14

  • 5.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:52 pm

    #3 saru1983: lol

  • 6.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 20:59 pm

    #3 saru1983: ???

  • 7.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:00 pm

    #6 goyougoodthing2: he’s talking about PDV saying winning and losing are the same feeling. Eloff’s now saying something similar

  • 8.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:04 pm

    #7 Big Hit: Aha, the finger and pointing and going wild wild wild and then wilder than that :-)

  • 9.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:05 pm

    #8 goyougoodthing2: yep :) , I can’t wait until he comes up north, the pre-match hype is going to be hilarious

  • 10.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:10 pm

    #9 Big Hit: ***** walked this earth and John the Baptist lost his head but was still a good man. I may have my head but it could be said that there were those in the garden that knew the glory of the power of the finger.

    And I don’t walk on water but my players like wine and turning water into wine, well Januarie has asked me to do it and I say behold, the glory of the wine will help you win.

    And these NH whites, they took our game, rugby and said they invented it and I want to give it back to them with a hiding from the glory of the finger of the moon and wildness…

    Kinda like that… :-)

  • 11.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:13 pm

    #10 goyougoodthing2: you know its coming :)

  • 12.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:16 pm

    #11 Big Hit: oh yes, indeed. Another round of pin the tail on the fool… and that tail looks like a Springbok tail and that *** looks round lol

    And I will never be able to travel on my SA passport again… too embarassing… i’d rather use my kiwi one :-)

  • 13.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:16 pm

    #9 Big Hit: was watchin enter the dragon last night and bruce lee’s words to his student after smacking him against the head were” do not concentrate on de finger orr youll miss aall dat heavenly glory”

  • 14.Sun Wukong: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:19 pm

    #11 Big Hit: going to be interesting reading british sport pages, some really witty writers up there

  • 15.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:22 pm

    #12 goyougoodthing2: still tho, in spite of all his ‘snor-isms’, I’m not ruling out success for his team. There’s a hlluva lot of quality in there, even more so if he picks a few of the in-form sharks like Pienaar, Pietersen and Kanko

    #13 saru1983: you think PDV might try that manueovre on Martin Johnson? :)

  • 16.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:23 pm

    #15 Big Hit: he wouldnt be able to reach

  • 17.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:26 pm

    #15 Big Hit: I think he may be okay this year… but next year I think he will unravel…

  • 18.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:31 pm

    #17 goyougoodthing2: the British Lions coaches are the coaches of Wasps who have lost 6 of their last 7 games, with the 5m ELV wrecking their famed blitz defence. So its not looking great from their perspective either. It’ll be interesting to see how the next 12 months plays out.

  • 19.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:34 pm

    #18 Big Hit: But he has this ‘master plan finger of zen’ so I thought he knew his stuff… perhaps not… :-)

    Hope I am wrong

  • 20.Sheriff: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 21:51 pm

    No they played negatively. His instruction to them was in all likelihood something like this:

    “Boys Province must chase this game and that will make them desperate and reckless, let’s feed off their mistakes.”

    Next week they will need to play for a positive goal and I suspect are in for a big hiding.

    It’s simple really, some are more easily motivated by a negative goal.

    Might sound like sour grapes but I believe the outcome is fair, we had plenty of opportunities over the last 3 months or so to do the business.

  • 21.Sheriff: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 22:01 pm

    I miss that Harry the Monwabisi walker guy

  • 22.Insomniac: Reply to this comment
    4 Oct 2008, 23:59 pm

    da same semis as last year…
    last years finalists is the 2 underdogs…
    HOLDING THUMBS 4 THAT dream FINAL.
    BULLS vs LIONS.

  • 23.Insomniac: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 00:03 am

    Its da semis….And we all know what happenes to sharks when they swallow something to big….
    THEY CHOKE!!!

  • 24.james bond: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 00:13 am

    #22 Insomniac: Geluk Leeus. Sonder al die “glamourous” Bokke (wil jy ‘n Bok wees?) het julle die semi’s gehaal. Julle het ‘n goeie afrigter sonder tierlantyntjies en die span lyk of hulle vir mekaar speel. Rose was vandag weer bewerig. Hopelik speel hy Saterdag die game van sy lewe!!!! Wat is fout met die Pretoriusse? Daai twee van julle is darem maar pieperig. Sal Jaco nie dalk reg wees nie? Julle mis vir Alberts soos my span Bakkies mis. Sterkte en laat die Haaie stik in hulle eie arrogansie.

  • 25.Insomniac: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 00:21 am

    James Bond.
    Dankie man. Ek het vir jou n msg op die ander thread gelos.
    my droom finaal was die begin af teen julle!!
    stem saam oor Alberts en Bakkies.
    Andre sal reg wees vir s14. Jaco sal seker reg wees vir die semi…Fourie het sy posisie ingeneem, maar ek verkies hom langs Fourie op vleul.

  • 26.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 03:49 am

    lost is a lost? lost is unacceptable?

    :D

    actually, I make this exception.

  • 27.Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:23 am

    Net die sharks en bulle verdien om semis te speel. Die ander spanne is useless.

  • 28.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:43 am

    #27 Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Nou praat jy darem kak.

  • 29.K9_BaasPatrolliehond: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:47 am

    #27 Ek sê my sê, ek sê: F@k jou!!!!

  • 30.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:48 am

    Look to be fair, I would rather of had the Lions win with a bp so that they end 3rd and have to travel across the Jukskei. Recent history shows that the Sharks have a bit of a choking history in semis and finals. It will be easier tupset the Sharks in Deben thab the Bulls in Tswane.

  • 31.K9_BaasPatrolliehond: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:58 am

    Go Lions and go Cheetahs!!!!!! Nothing will give me more plaesure than a Lions/ Cheetahs final.

  • 32.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 07:59 am

    #30 Loosehead:

    you mean they chokers in big games? :D

  • 33.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 08:03 am

    #32 greatest13gerber: On recent form, yes.

  • 34.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 08:14 am

    #33 Loosehead:

    S14, CC

    recent form? I say they same as ABs

  • 35.Wezwp: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 08:20 am

    Anyone here knw what team gerber support

  • 36.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 10:26 am

    #35 Wezwp: Bulls

  • 37.SpringbokSarah: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 11:55 am

    They are so gonna get their *** kicked by the Sharks… GO SHARKS!

    man I’d never tought I’d EVER say that

  • 38.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 13:31 pm

    #37 SpringbokSarah:

    lets just wait and see

  • 39.So this is rock bottom: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 15:03 pm

    #37 SpringbokSarah:

    I hate this
    Your team loses out on the semi, so you latch onto the favorite to win the comp

    I bet we gonna see a lot of new Sharks supporters (who are actually WP supporters) on this site in the next few weeks

  • 40.Lions_Soutie: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 15:33 pm

    I’m happy my team is in the semis but frustrated they aren’t scoring tries. Who has noticed how often a player is in the way of the another when they are trying to pass the ball wide? It also seems the Lions, Cheetahs backs run from too deep

  • 41.SpringbokSarah: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 15:49 pm

    #39 So this is rock bottom: er no… I just think Rory, Frans and Brad are hot….

    #38 greatest13gerber: ok

  • 42.So this is rock bottom: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 15:53 pm

    #41 SpringbokSarah:

    Oh ok…didn’t mean to be rude

    Just hate when someone adopts another team and then celebrate “their team’s” victory…like that Richie7 blogger on here who is a Saffer but supports the AB’s

  • 43.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 17:02 pm

    #40 Lions_Soutie: I was disappointed that they didn’t go out to win yesterday… made for an unexciting match as an outsider…

  • 44.brentie: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 17:32 pm

    40 Lions_Soutie
    The Lions forward pack is taking far to much strain,they are not
    machines.Unfortunately they don’t have the luxury to rest some of
    their key players like the Bulls did.The fact that they kept the WP
    with 6 former Lions players at bay says much for the Lions resilience
    but that alone is not good enough to beat a springbok studded team.
    They are simply going to run out of steam because you can only
    take so many tackles before your body starts to protest.

  • 45.SpringbokSarah: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 18:20 pm

    #42 So this is rock bottom: it’s ok.

  • 46.dWeePer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 19:10 pm

    The lions won in terms of their goals. On the other hand the WP lost in terms of their goals. It was seen on their faces.

  • 47.SpringbokSarah: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2008, 19:43 pm

    #46 dWeePer: their faces looked constipated.

  • 48.Insomniac: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2008, 01:43 am

    Say what u want about da LIONS…THEY MAKE ME PHUCKING PROUD!

  • 49.King Shark: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2008, 06:32 am

    To all the WP supporters: You were shooting their loads, telling me the whole week last week that the Sharks are chokers and that we’ll lose to you in the semi’s. It seems WP first need to stop choking and reach the semi’s. Yes, that’s two chokes in row.

    *****.

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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