Corniel van Zyl was left disappointed as Cardiff suffered a tough defeat against the Vodacom Bulls in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Despite making a bright start, with Harri Millard scoring inside the opening two minutes, the Blue & Blacks were unable to maintain their early momentum as the hosts responded with 40 unanswered points.

And Van Zyl believes the difference was small margins exacerbated by the unique challenges of playing at Loftus Versveld. 

“We expected a lot of transition in the game, either from kicks or just general turnovers, which was the case,” Van Zyl reflected. “But they were just one or two metres ahead of us, one split second quicker in their reactions, and that ultimately made the difference.

“They found space around the contact area, put us under pressure and scored a few tries. It’s disappointing because that’s how we planned to play, but we were just slightly off – and at this level you pay the price.

“It’s a different environment, a different place. You end up doing things you don’t normally do due to the high altitude. That’s something that’s always a challenge for us as a coaching team, and as players to adapt to.”

Discipline proved costly for the team, with a first-half yellow card for Alun Lawrence compounding Cardiff’s problems, as being reduced to 14 men presented a challenge at a crucial stage of the game.

“We don’t target specific games to win, we try to put our game on the pitch, fight for the jersey and enjoy it. We know what we need to improve, and we’ll take that into next week. We probably didn’t do that consistently today, but we’ll keep working.”

“The yellow card was massive,” he admitted. “It’s something we pride ourselves on not giving away, but it happened and they scored twice off the back of it. That really put us under pressure.”

Cardiff’s task was further complicated by early injuries to key personnel, specifically lock George Nott and scrum-half Aled Davies, as their changes disrupted the rhythm and leadership on the field.

“Losing George (Nott) early on and then Aled Davies was tough. They’re key players for us, they drive standards and the way we play, so that had an impact.”

With another important fixture against the Hollywood Sharks in Durban on the horizon, and pressure building in the race for the play-offs, Van Zyl emphasised the importance of staying focused in the weeks ahead.