Why the Pumas unravelled

After a storming start to the season that resulted in their occupying second place on the log following a four-match winning streak in their first five opening games, the Pumas' Currie Cup campaign derailed spectacularly, with the team finishing sixth on the log.

This season had promised so much for the men from Nelspruit. They had put in some fine performances that were rewarded with impressive wins over the Sharks and Cheetahs. They had also turned their Mbombela home ground into a fortress.

But halfway into the season, it all seemed to go wrong, and the team ended up losing their final five fixtures.

It is something coach Jimmy Stonehouse believes was partly caused by distractions off the pitch.

"We had a problem fromthe unions and [with] the agents suddenly looking atthe players. As a result, the players lost focus," said Stonehouse.

"That was one of the main things we had to deal with, getting the players motivated to play again.

"You've got these opportunities from bigger unions coming your way. How does a guy from a small union handle that? It's a big jump in salary. So, that was one of the reasons that contributed to our poor second half of the season."

Being able to lure players away from smaller unions is not the only advantage bigger unions hold. The bigger unions' squad sizes were another area Stonehouse felt his team were unable to match, and that contributed to their loss of form.

"Coming into the second half of the season you're also playing against teams that can do squad rotations, which you can't because you don't have the same quality and depth in your squad. That, too, played a big role," the Pumas coach said.

Throw in the fact that the Pumas were in their first season back in the premier division after spending two years in the first division, then a play-off place may well have been considered a bonus for them.

"Experience is one of the biggest things, and that's why I said at the beginning of the season that you need three seasons to adapt from the first division to the premier division," said Stonhouse.

"It's sad that we didn't make the play-offs but you must remember that we lacked experience.

"We missed out on bonus points when we should have got them, and that is down to experience," he said.

TV Highlights

Today

Cycling: Tour of Beijing, stage 5 at 8.45am on SS6

Soccer: African Women's Championship, Zambia vs Nigeria at 5pm, Ivory Coast vs Namibia at 8pm, both on SS9; international friendlies, Japan vs Brazil at 12.30pm on SS5, Hong Kong vsArgentina at 2pm on SS7; Indian Super League, Delhi Dynamos vs Pune City at 3.30pm on SSSelect