“We've got ourselves to blame. We started well. We were in control. Our discipline and unforced errors allowed them to get in the game. They capitalised.”
He suggested his team tried to play too much inside their own half, which contributed to the high error rate.
“It was poor from our side.”
Bears flyhalf Callum Sheedy punished the visitors off the kicking tee, contributing 16 points.
“We want to take a lot of pride in the way we play,” said South Africa 'A' captain Thomas du Toit.
“I don't think we were clinical enough with ball in hand. It was individual mistakes that cost us this time.”
Scorers
Bristol Bears (26) – Tries: Gabriel Ibitoye, Yann Thomas. Conversions: Callum Sheedy (2). Penalties: Sheedy (4).
SA "A" (18) – Tries: Ntuthuko Mchunu, Sikhumbuzo Notshe. Conversion: Johan Goosen. Penalties: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).
SA ‘A’ clawed by Bears
Few positives for forthright coach Stick
South Africa "A" coach Mzwandile Stick found it hard to be upbeat after his team lost both their matches on their end of year tour in Ireland and England.
They lost 26-18 to Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on Thursday, a week after going down to Munster in Cork.
“It is hard to find any positives at the moment,” said the forthright Stick.
“I think there was damage for everyone who was involved,” he said.
“It is not just the pressure on the players. As coaching staff we also need to have an honest look at ourselves and say what we could have done better.”
He backed the players to learn valuable lessons from their experience.
“Sometimes you learn the hard way. Some of the youngsters who got this opportunity experienced something close to a Test match game. They have a lot to learn but I don't think it is going to damage their future. We may have lost but they have great potential. They are going to get better as human beings and as rugby players.”
On Thursday his team started well but lost momentum to be 13-6 down at the break. It was another disjointed performance from a team that had little time to find their rhythm.
Stick lamented his team not following through on their good work in the set pieces and the measure of territorial control they had in the first half.
“We've got ourselves to blame. We started well. We were in control. Our discipline and unforced errors allowed them to get in the game. They capitalised.”
He suggested his team tried to play too much inside their own half, which contributed to the high error rate.
“It was poor from our side.”
Bears flyhalf Callum Sheedy punished the visitors off the kicking tee, contributing 16 points.
“We want to take a lot of pride in the way we play,” said South Africa 'A' captain Thomas du Toit.
“I don't think we were clinical enough with ball in hand. It was individual mistakes that cost us this time.”
Scorers
Bristol Bears (26) – Tries: Gabriel Ibitoye, Yann Thomas. Conversions: Callum Sheedy (2). Penalties: Sheedy (4).
SA "A" (18) – Tries: Ntuthuko Mchunu, Sikhumbuzo Notshe. Conversion: Johan Goosen. Penalties: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).