Saints' poor away form a 'mental issue':

Published on Monday 29 December 2008 08:50

New South African lock Juandre Kruger believes Saints' poor Premiership away form is starting to become a 'mental' problem.

Saints are unbeaten at home in the Premiership this season, with the run stretching to 26 games in all competitions.

But on the road it is a different matter and Saints' split personality reared its head again on Saturday as they slipped to a 25-14 defeat at Bath.

The win sent Bath top of the Guinness Premiership, while Saints had to come to terms with a sixth successive defeat in the league away from home.

Kruger, who scored his first try for the club at The Rec, said: "It is maybe just a mental thing. It shouldn't be something different. It is still four posts, four lines and another pitch to play on. We should be winning away from home and hopefully we will do in the future."

But Kruger dismissed any idea that Saints need to change their preparation to get over their travel sickness in the Premiership.

"Everything is perfect," said Kruger, who joined Saints from Blue Bulls at the end of the Currie Cup season.

"We have got all our plays and we know where we want to attack. It is about being clinical, it is about getting points when we are in their half. We wanted to change the away record this week, but it didn't happen this weekend, we will regroup and look at what to do next week again."

Saints were within touching distance of a losing bonus point until two second-half Michael Claasssens tries put Bath out of reach. And Kruger feels it was just individual errors that was the difference between the two sides. Bruce Reihana dropped a pass that led to huge pressure and a try and Saints hardly managed to take a re-start.

"There were just a few individual errors," said Kruger. "That's not Bruce's standard, Bruce is better than that.

"We shouldn't make individual errors and just give the other teams points."

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Saints' poor away form a 'mental issue':

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