Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher and scrumhalf Morne van den Berg say the Lions are relishing the challenge of a top-of-the-table Vodacom URC clash in Dublin on Saturday, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
Fresh off a narrow win over Zebre in Parma last week, the second-placed Lions are unbeaten this season but Leinster, sitting seven points clear at the top of the URC table, will be a different test at the Aviva Stadium.
Speaking in a teleconference from the Irish capital on Tuesday, Loubscher emphasised the need for the Pride to start strong against Leinster. “If you look at the stats, they love a fast start, whether that’s in the first or second half,” he told reporters.
“They like to put you under scoreboard pressure, so the important thing for us is to start well.”
“You also can’t go into this match with the mindset of just keeping them out defensively,” Loubscher added. “They’re good enough to score tries from everywhere.
“The important thing for us is to fire shots. We have to go out and force our game onto them from an attack point of view.”
With former Springbok boss Jacques Nienaber part of Leinster’s brains trust, Loubscher acknowledged the challenge of facing a team guided by such an experienced coach.
“Everyone knows Jacques’ CV, what he brings and his career. We’re under no illusions that it won’t be tough, but we’ll make plans on how to approach and prepare for anything,” he added. “It’s going to be lekker, and we can’t wait for Saturday.”
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Aiming to finish their European tour with a third successive victory, Loubscher stressed that Ivan van Rooyen’s charges aren’t content with just two wins. “There’s always a desire to improve as a team. I’m not going to say we’re happy with two wins and we’re comfortable; we want to keep going.
“Saturday’s match is the perfect opportunity to really show what we can do.”
Van den Berg can’t wait to face Leinster, even if some of the club’s key players don’t play. Reports suggest that several Ireland internationals and even two-time Bok world champion RG Snyman are likely to be rested ahead of the end-of-year Tests.
“I would prefer playing against a full [Leinster] team. As a rugby player, you want to play against the best in the world,” the two-Test Bok halfback said.
“We feel we’re in a good place at the moment and we really want to go against the best side.”
Despite the Joburg outfit’s impressive form, Van den Berg remains grounded about the franchise’s title chances. “To think of a title is a bit premature, as it’s only been four wins and we’re still far from where we need to be,” he explained.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in the Lions camp sitting here saying we’re the best team in the competition or we’re going to win the title. We’re taking it game by game, and this weekend’s match is a great test to see where we’re at.”
Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
