The Western Drive might have received two of their opening three video games, however coach Simon Cron is way from happy with the character of their performances.
The Drive bounced again from their mauling final week to supply a gritty, come-from-behind 21-18 win over Moana Pasifika at HBF Park on Saturday night time.
Bryce Hegarty’s penalty straight in entrance of the posts after 80 minutes had elapsed got here with two Drive gamers within the sin-bin to seal an essential, morale-boosting victory.
It was a scrappy efficiency from the Drive, as kicking errors and self-discipline points plagued them, and Cron mentioned he and the gamers had been removed from pleased with the sport.
“We did a variety of issues that we should not have, and we may have utilized much more stress and constructed into that recreation rather a lot higher,” he mentioned.
“We discuss rather a lot about being course of versus consequence pushed – so ignoring the rating, process-wise when it comes to catch-pass, operating strains, not off-loading, not chipping the ball away, the gamers ranked themselves on-field fairly low in that space post-game.”
The Drive had been down a strive contained in the opening 60 seconds, however a Folau Fainga’a strive minimize the deficit to 15-13 on the break, earlier than George Poolman’s five-pointer helped set-up Hegarty’s late penalty.
Moana’s quick and bodily method posed various challenges for the Drive within the first half, however Cron mentioned he was pleased with how his aspect tailored after half-time.
“The pleasing factor was the protection within the second half, the boys acquired off the bottom, acquired off the road quicker, had on the ball contact as a result of they’re huge our bodies, which allowed us to maintain management of the sport,” he mentioned. .
A sequence of late penalties went the Drive’s means and enabled them to drive up the sector from their very own 22 to win the sport and Cron was glad the workforce stood tall in these ultimate moments.
“We have talked beforehand about constructing good on good, so we went good on good on good there, and that is what received us the sport,” he mentioned.
It will likely be greater than a month earlier than the Drive play in entrance of their followers, with a punishing three-game journey to New Zealand – starting with the Highlanders subsequent weekend – and a recreation in opposition to the Waratahs in Sydney on the agenda.
“We have to practice higher Tuesday and repair the issues, et into Thursday, be capable to do it quick and provides ourselves a possibility to play the Highlanders – hat’s the primary recreation for us and it begins now, with restoration,” Cron mentioned .
