A tough ending explained [Joe Wheeler]
I know you want to know what the hell happened at the end of that game against Taranaki.
First though, I want to make an apology to all the fans of the Makos for how we let that game slip away after being ahead when the final hooter sounded.
We're not making excuses and we should have finished it off better. We should have won that game and the senior leaders, including myself as captain on the day, are taking it on the chin and learning from it.
The backs thought we still had time on the clock and that we had to hold the ball and run down the clock because the stadium clock showed 2 minutes to go. We were not 100 per cent sure if we had heard the final hooter or not. I checked with the ref and he said yes but when our halfback also asked, he did not get a clear answer.
The result, where Taranaki won a penalty and then scored a converted try to win the game 31-30, was hugely disappointing. We blew that game and we all know it.
We're judged on results and we got one point when we should have got four.
But in terms of how we actually played the first 80 minutes of the game, we are pretty satisfied. There was a major momentum shift in the first half and we played patient rugby and didn't try to force anything, which is something we had been guilty of in earlier games. We've learned that if we just stick to our jobs and trust the system, then it is hard for teams to keep up with us.
It was a real honour and exciting to be named captain for the day. I was lucky that I got that chance last season too, so I tried to take it in stride.
Sometimes I got a bit frustrated and perhaps I wasn't assertive enough at times. I also made a couple of mistakes in the lineout calls, which is my job, so perhaps I was guilty of having too much on my mind.
Tomorrow we play Southland, at home in Invercargill. They'll be cock-a-hoop after their last-minute win over Northland, and although we beat them twice last season, they are a different kettle of fish at home. They are a tough side, a proud side and they have quality players and plenty of experience.
In this competition, momentum is crucial.
We've got two away games so we need to get back on that horse as soon as possible and get four points from the Southland game and then turn around and do it again four days later against Wellington.
Despite the ending, we made great strides in that game against Taranaki and now we have to take that performance and grow it every week. That's the new standard and to go backwards would be unacceptable.
Keep it long and keep it on.
