The Vodacom Bulls XV left themselves with too steep a mountain to climb at Loftus Versfeld, falling 62-52 to the Toyota Cheetahs despite a monumental second-half fightback.
While the 114-point spectacle thrilled neutral fans, Bulls head coach Phiwe Nomlomo was left licking his wounds, pointing directly to a disastrous opening 40 minutes as the reason his side walked away empty-handed.
The Bulls looked unrecognisable in the opening stanza, copping massive defensive setbacks and conceding seven tries to head into the sheds trailing 47-17. At one stage, the deficit ballooned to a staggering 42 points (59-17), effectively burying the game before the referee blew for halftime.
"We weren’t as accurate as we wanted to be during the first half. It looked like we lacked energy, which is unlike us, so those things were quite concerning. The game was nearly done in the first half. We did well to claw back as well as we did, but it remains disappointing."
If the first half was a nightmare, the second half showed the immense character brewing within this youthful Bulls squad. Changing their mental approach entirely, the home side came alive, turning the match into a breathless encounter by putting 35 points past the Cheetahs in the second period.
"In the second half we changed it all together; that’s the part; it’s a mental game," Nomlomo explained. "The shining light is how we expressed ourselves during the second half. We had a lot more intent; we were direct, moved the ball well and looked after our breakdown."
However, the coach noted that the turnaround was a case of too little, too late: "All of a sudden, we handled everything we wanted to in the game, but 40 minutes later."
Even amidst the frantic comeback, Nomlomo lamented a crucial missed opportunity late in the game when the Cheetahs' discipline crumbled, leaving the visitors temporarily reduced to 13 men.
"When they had 12 guys on the park, and we had 15, I just wish we had been braver to then play," said Nomlomo, highlighting a lack of clinical execution when the tactical advantage was entirely in the Bulls' favour.
The coach also pointed to systemic issues that have plagued the Bulls' campaign, notably a heavy injury toll that has prevented selection continuity: "We haven't been able to field the same 23-man squad back-to-back all season, hindering our ability to establish a clear identity early on."
The defeat marks a worrying five consecutive Currie Cup losses for the Pretoria-based franchise. Rather than hiding behind the youth of his squad or the injury crisis, Nomlomo took the blame.
"A loss comes down to one person, the head coach; that's a tough part. There'll probably be sleepless nights for a while, but we'll get over it."
With the pressure mounting and defensive leaks needing urgent plugging, Nomlomo and his coaching staff face a defining week on the training paddock to ensure that the energy shown in the second half is replicated from the very first whistle in their next outing.