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Lam lays down law to sloppy Blues
By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - Stuff Last updated 12:18 12/04/2010
Pat Lam refuses to concede the Blues' Super 14 semifinal hopes are over and called special one on one meetings with his players on Monday to try to get the campaign back on track.
The Blues' rollercoaster season hit another low last weekend when they lost at home to the Stormers, leaving them eighth on the table and eight-points off the play-offs pace with five rounds left.
They host the Western Force this Saturday before a difficult three-match road trip to South Africa and finish the round-robin with a May 15 date with the Chiefs at Eden Park.
"We have to win every game," conceded Lam. "We draw the line now ... we are on a down and we have to get back up.
"But I'm very confident. I think even in this latest game we did some things that other teams might struggle to do and that's a good sign."
But it's the bad things his players are doing too frequently that are frustrating Lam. He was an angry coach at training on Monday and the individual meetings later in the day clearly promised to include some harsh words.
Lam felt the time was right to pull in the players individually to get some clarity. Individuals had fallen out of the system with some decision-making and these sorts of mistakes had cost them their fourth loss in eight matches.
"Some guys might take one minute, some guys might take longer," Lam said of the meetings.
"As you go through the review you have to ask some serious questions of some guys and also teach them and coach them.
"It's all about truth - that's what we are about. And it's a two-way thing, it's not just the coach talking, it's the player as well.
"I'm gutted with the performance (against the Stormers). It's as simple as that. It's another game which we blew and made easy for the opposition. That's four losses that easily could have gone the other way if we applied ourselves as a team.
"I don't want to paint everyone with the same brush because there are guys out there that were going hard at the end of the day.
"But errors - I'm not talking handling errors, I'm talking structural errors - allowed the intensity of the other team to come through."
On a weekend when just the Crusaders stood out amongst another disappointing Kiwi effort, Lam said it was too general to question the mental toughness of the New Zealand players as a whole.
"Across the board we have young teams experience-wise," he said of the New Zealand franchises.
"As coaches it's about growing that. I think it's dangerous to say we (the Blues) weren't up for it because some players were.
"Part of the growth of this team is to make sure that we play as a team and it's a week to week thing."
Lam has been loyal with his selections over the last month but there could be some changes for this pivotal match against a Western Force side buoyed by their win over the Highlanders.
Lam's biggest worries on the injury front lie with his front row after John Afoa was a late withdrawal against the Stormers with his back injury, complicating the propping area with fellow All Black Tony Woodcock (neck) already out
Charlie Faumuina's sternum injury early in the match meant the Blues were down to their wider training group stocks in this crucial area.
Lam was hopeful Woodcock could be ready to return. He trained strongly today as did midfield back Benson Stanley, another late withdrawal against the Stormers because of headaches.
Faumuina didn't train and must be rated doubtful.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/s...o-sloppy-Blues
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