Try GOLD - Free
Van Rooyen laments Lions' missed chances
The Star
|October 14, 2025
LIONS coach Ivan van Rooyen was left ruing missed opportunities after his side's United Rugby Championship loss to Benetton in Treviso, saying the result did not reflect the team's effort or physical dominance.
The South Africans were competitive for large periods of the match but were punished for costly handling mistakes and botched lineouts close to the try line, allowing the Italian outfit to claim a 41-15 win on home soil.
"I think it was a game of huge missed opportunities from our side," Van Rooyen said after the match. "A lot of the phases in the game we felt we were dominant - physically dominant - but we just couldn't convert it all."
Van Rooyen pointed to two tries that came directly from Lions errors, turning promising attacking positions into Benetton scores from long range.
"Two of their tries came directly from a skill error from our side and they ran 70 or 80m to score," he said.
This story is from the October 14, 2025 edition of The Star.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Star
The Star
‘Hey! You Ought to Forgive’: a guide to breaking cycles of hurt
IN HEY! You Ought to Forgive, author Mahlatse Nchabeleng addresses one of the hardest commands of the heart: forgiveness.
4 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Chiefs taking risk by keeping Nabi's former assistants despite struggles
YOU WOULD have expected the head honchos at Kaizer Chiefs to have learnt their lesson by now. But such is the questionable nature of management that they seem not to care anymore.
3 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Moody's, GCR see signs of recovery as South Africa's growth outlook remains stable
RATINGS agencies Moody’s and GCR Ratings say a positive trend is emerging in South Africa's economic growth trajectory, with both agencies maintaining a stable outlook as reforms begin to show progress and fiscal discipline continues to hold.
2 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
'Siyaya e-America' as brilliant Bafana end 23-year World Cup hoodoo
THE South African men's national football team, Bafana Bafana, enjoyed a rare favour from archrivals Nigeria last night as they ended a 23-year World Cup qualification hoodoo.
2 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Why South Africa needs to become an electro-state
THE world is entering a new energy era, one defined by technological mastery. In this emerging reality, the countries that lead will not be those with the largest fossil fuel reserves, it will be those that can produce, store, and use electricity efficiently across every sector of their economies. This is the beginning of the age of electrotech and the rise of what can be called the electro-state.
3 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
'Future effect' - the leadership trait that matters
Good leaders know how to cultivate team intelligence and collaboration
3 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Mental support for victims cannot wait
WORLD Mental Health Day, observed earlier this month, provided an annual reminder that mental health is not a secondary need but a cornerstone of human resilience and recovery.
2 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Let’s fix SAFA, the nation’s pride
WHEN FIFA, the world soccer governing body, docked Bafana Bafana three points for fielding an ineligible player, Tebogo Mokoena, in their March match against Lesotho, many South Africans were devastated because the country is known for its soccer fervour.
1 min
October 15, 2025
The Star
Arsenal eye chance to pull clear in EPL title race
ARSENAL have a great opportunity to cement their newfound status as English Premier League title favourites when league action resumes, with closest challengers Liverpool facing an extremely challenging run in their next five fixtures.
1 mins
October 15, 2025
The Star
Tharisa reports strong 4th performance with increased PGM and chrome production
THARISA, the mining company dual-JSE and London Stock Exchange listed mining company reported a strong fourth quarter performance after higher mining, milling, grade and recovery metrics boosted chrome and platinum production.
2 mins
October 15, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size