Whiteley : Lions must keep their heads up

Despite being the last placed team in the Super Rugby standings Lions captain Warren Whiteley has praised his players for pushing the Stormers through to the final whistle.

Given an opportunity to go for posts and secure a draw at the end of the game, they opted instead for a potential five-pointer, which reaped no reward.

“I think it’s just the nature of the team. We’re here to win and I think that’s the bottom line,” Whiteley said.

“It’s tough to lose like this but I think through these times you’ve just got to stay positive.

“Perhaps discipline let us down a bit but I think there was no lack of effort tonight. The guys put 110% in and I’m really proud of them.”

The Lions were set to leave for the start of their Australasian tour next week, and Whiteley insisted they remained confident about their chances of bagging points Down Under.

“It’s really easy to put our heads down now, but we’re going on tour and it’s really important for us to keep our heads up and get a win.”

The Lions travel to New Zealand now where they face the Blues at North Harbour.