Lineen blasts 'appalling' players

Glasgow coach laments 'missed opportunity'

By Simon Dilger   Last updated: 11th October 2008

Lineen blasts 'appalling' players

Lineen: Scathing

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Glasgow boss Sean Lineen has launched a scathing attack on his side after they squandered a 10-0 away lead to lose 32-22 to Newport Gwent Dragons in their Heineken Cup clash on Saturday.

The Kiwi coach described the performance of his players as 'appalling', adding that they would have to improve drastically for their next game against Toulouse.

"We were never there. That is the top and bottom of it," he said.

"The Dragons took their tries well, and it was the same against Connacht in the domestic league. "

"We took our foot off the gas when we were up 10-0 away from home. Then they [Connacht] got back into the game and scored four soft tries.

"That was, individually, an appalling performance from each and every one of them - and I think they have to take a long, hard look at themselves this week.

Beasted

"We have to come back fighting against Toulouse. It was a real opportunity down here, and we didn't do it.

"We beat these a couple of times before. To be up 10-0 and then to back off, which is what happened, is not on."

Lineed singled out flanker Kelly Brown, whose first half sin-binning sparked a turnaround in fortunes for the home side.

"Kelly Brown has got to hold his hands up, because it is not good enough," he said.

"We always get a yellow card down here. The forwards got 'beasted' and the starting XV to a man were not good enough.

"It did not look like a Heineken Cup performance, and we missed a fantastic opportunity. We missed Dan Parks - there is no doubt about it."

Accuracy

Dragons' coach Paul Turner said his side improved as the game progressed but there was still more to do.

He said: "We started off like a house on fire, and I felt it was a week where we coached pretty well and knew where we had to play against Glasgow.

"We could not finish off at the start and all of a sudden we were 10-0 down - and you have to build your innings again.

"I felt it was another game where we grew up and we built that innings. The theme of the week was accuracy. We did that.

"But I'm a little disappointed where, at two scores ahead, we did things where we lost the ball in possession and gave them a sniff.

"It would have been nice to have had a 5-0 win (with a bonus point), but that was building blocks out there again."