Mann takes positives out of Ross Sutherland's basement battle defeat in Banff
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Ross Sutherland head coach John Mann says he was feeling more positive after last weekend’s match against Banff than most games this season – even though his side were cut adrift at the bottom of the league table.
In last place, the Stags were one point behind Banff in Caledonia North Two going into the match, but lost 19-14 as the gap stretched to four points.
Mann’s optimism comes from a sense that in possession, it was some of the best play he had seen from his team all season. The issue was that the Stags just did not have enough of the ball.
“I wish we had filmed the game, because I reckon we would have had 30 per cent maximum possession,” Mann explained.
“When you’re defending for more than two-thirds of the game, it’s eventually going to tell.
“You can only defend against bigger boys for so long.
“I think we held up seven tries, which was a good effort, but we didn’t have enough ball.”
Read more in today's North Star.
