Durban Lions coach Swys de Bruin backed returning captain Warren Whiteley’s decisions after his charges squandered a position of promise to crash to a first defeat in 21 conference matches against the Sharks on Saturday. The Lions took a 21-11 lead into the break and despite considerable huffing and puffing short of the Sharks goalline in the second half‚ the visitors could not blow the house down. Instead the Sharks grew with confidence in their obdurate defence and made the Lions pay for not kicking at goal with kickable penalties. "We were scrumming them at that stage‚" said De Bruin about the ascendancy the Lions enjoyed in that facet, which guided Whiteley’s decision to scrum rather than kick for goal. The Lions also preferred to kick for touch at times. "They didn’t go for the maul either‚" De Bruin said about the Sharks. "They were on a warning for a yellow at the next one. I back Wazza [Whiteley] for his calls. Most of the 20 wins [the consecutive ones they had in the confer...
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