MIKE Rush paid tribute to his side’s defence after the 18-18 draw at Hull FC – but was tight-lipped about some of the decisions that may or may not have swung the game.
Saints had to withstand 45 sets to 23 in the match and at times four sets in a row.
“It was one of those games,” the Acting Head Coach said. “I don’t think I have, even at all the age levels I have coached, had a team that has had to defend so much for such long periods of time.
“I think we had 12 sets in the second half, you normally average 18-22 sets. The Opta stats will come out and it will look like a one-sided game. It will show Hull had all the ball and we had a good hour and 20 minutes practising our D.
“It was better than last week for sure. If you have to defend 45 sets in two halves… but I am still critical of the tries we did concede. We are never 100 per cent happy but it was an improvement on recent events.”
Several calls went against Saints in the game which left the coaching team and the players frustrated. But Rush admitted he couldn’t say much.
“On the calls… like I have said, I don’t have enough money to pass comment. I have three kids to feed at home and a wife that likes shopping, that’s as much as I can give you on Thierry.
“The penalty on the end – we were frustrated we hadn’t had the ball. The temptation was to run it and chance our arm and be the gamblers that you want to be. At the end of the day, Hull are a just above us in the league and I don’t think we could let them go further above us by running that risk. It was a sensible decision for Wello.
“At first a few of the players wanted to run it; it’s up to them on the field, but I think they made the right decision taking the point.
“But I was more than frustrated at the end. He’s called a knock on, not against us, and we’ve kicked the ball [but it was called back] I just don’t know what’s going on there really…”
