Corniel Van Zyl has challenged Cardiff Rugby to improve their lineout performance after a difficult opening to their Investec Champions Cup campaign against Northampton Saints at the DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Cardiff were beaten by the reigning Premiership champions in their opening European fixture, with head coach Van Zyl acknowledging that his side struggled to cope with Northampton’s ability to capitalise on possession and turnovers.

While disappointed with the result, the Cardiff boss was encouraged by the contributions of several players who stepped into the side, including debutants Tom Manz and Sion Davis, as well as Semisi Paea making his first start for the club.

“I thought the boys had stepped in and made a real good impact in the game,” Van Zyl said.

“Think about Manzi, who made his debut, first game for Cardiff. Sion Davis made his debut coming off the bench here. Steff didn’t play much before today, he had a great performance. And then obviously Taulupe Faletau was back, that made a difference. Semisi Paea first start for Cardiff.”

Van Zyl was particularly pleased with the way his squad responded to the changes required to manage the team’s resources, with Cardiff having to adjust their selection ahead of a demanding period of fixtures.

However, he was clear about the areas that need to improve if his side are to compete more consistently against top-level opposition.

“I’m really proud of the boys, how they stepped up,” he added. “But there’s definitely no hiding about it. If you can’t win your lineout ball, you’re going to struggle against a team like the Saints with great turnover attack.

“So, yeah, that’s definitely something, whether it’s individually or collectively, we need to do better. I probably wouldn’t say it was a problem before, but definitely it stands out for the week ahead.”

The head coach also reflected on the challenges of European competition, where teams must adapt to different refereeing interpretations, although he stressed that Cardiff had opportunities to influence the outcome themselves.

Discussing a contentious moment involving a disallowed try, Van Zyl acknowledged his frustration but was keen not to use the decision as an excuse for the defeat.

“It’s just the beauty of European rugby. You get a ref that you actually don’t know nothing about, how to manage him, to work with him. He’s got his own view on the game, so that’s why he’s there,” he said.

“Probably not a lot to say about it. But I was obviously bitter. When he pulled back that try, it was tough.”

Ultimately, Van Zyl believes Cardiff must learn to build on positive periods of play rather than allowing their momentum to disappear so quickly.

The visitors created opportunities during the contest, but the inability to sustain their progress proved frustrating for the head coach, who wants to see greater consistency as the campaign develops.

“Yeah, we had our chances, so it’s definitely on us” he said.

“It is frustrating. As soon as we get a little bit of momentum, we lose it again. And ultimately, that’s how we need to learn as a team, to keep a few positives consecutively and not go positive and then negative straight away. So that’s part of it.”

With the European opener now behind them, Cardiff will turn their attention to their next challenge in the URC against the Hollywoodbets Sharks, with Van Zyl confirming that preparations will begin with a fresh assessment of the squad.

The coaching staff will monitor the players’ fitness following the trip to Northampton, while also assessing those who missed out through minor injuries and niggles.

“Ultimately, we start on Monday on a clean sheet. We’ll look at the bumps and bruises and then see what’s available for the Sharks,” Van Zyl explained.

“Obviously, there’s a few boys who didn’t play this week, a few niggles, so hopefully they can recover and be available for selection.”