Johannesburg — The Lions find themselves battling on two fronts this weekend when they endeavour to maintain their recent momentum and tackle the Challenge Cup and Currie Cup at Ellis Park.
The Fidelity ADT Lions are first up in the elite domestic competition at 3.30pm on Saturday when they face the Sharks, while at 6.30pm, the Emirates Lions host French Top 14 powerhouse Racing 92.
Both teams come off important victories that they must build upon to keep the positive vibes flowing through the corridors in Doornfontein.
The Currie Cup team finally claimed a first victory this season when they beat the Griffons. It was a laboured display at times – one that eventually ballooned into a 41-26 thumping of the Welkom-based side.
The franchise team, meanwhile, kept their hopes alive of a possible United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off spot with a fine 32-28 victory in Treviso.
Strangely, betwixt and between game plan and fate, both matches took on a similar pattern at the weekend.
Both Lions teams were slow to start, scrapping through the first 40 minutes, imposing their style of play in the next 20, and then finishing strongly in the last quarter during their respective victories.
That shape of events has haunted the Currie Cup side in their three matches in the tournament, and captain Jaco Visagie explained on Tuesday how the team managed their way out of that rut when 23-12 down to the Griffons at half-time.
“I wouldn’t say that there was a massive change (in game plan),” Visagie said.
“I still feel we lacked in the first half, which was our problem in the first two games. At half-time, we came in and we said, ‘Listen guys, we really need to be better’. The half-time chat against the Griffons was the turning point for us.”
Though it took some time to convert that pressure into points in the second half, when the Lions finally clicked, they smashed through a valiant Griffons effort to score 29 points to three.Visagie believes that it won’t be long until the Currie Cup team replicate that effort on a consistent basis.
“There is definitely a lot of potential and I think, something that always comes up in the Currie Cup – if you look at a team like Griquas or the Pumas – is that they spend the whole year together,” Visagie said.
“We have guys that were with the URC and then they come down. There are a lot of changes.
“We have a very nice atmosphere in the Currie Cup – the guys are excited to come in every day and get better. We are not far off at all.
“It is more of a technical thing – we aren’t starting well, and we are playing in the wrong areas. That comes with more game time.”
The Sharks, meanwhile, will travel to Johannesburg on the back of a scrappy win over Western Province.
Visagie was frank regarding what his team will require to beat the Durbanites for a second consecutive win.
“I watched that game against the WP and as a player, it was a frustrating game to watch,” he said.
“There was a lot of stop-start. The key for this weekend will be to pick up the tempo and keep the ball.
“There were so many turnovers and so many set-pieces from knock-ons (in the Sharks v WP game). It was just scrappy, and I think our game looked the same …
“At the moment, I do feel the Currie Cup is a bit slower. We need to pick that up. I feel that if we can get the same mindset as we have in the URC, we can definitely put them under pressure this weekend.
“If we want to play a fast-paced game, then we must eliminate the errors. We are making too many, especially when holding onto the ball.
“If we can build pressure by keeping the ball phase after phase, then eventually they won’t be able to keep up.”
Currie Cup coach Mziwakhe Nkosi will name his match-23 for the Sharks clash on Thursday.
The team to face Racing 92, meanwhile, will be revealed on Friday by coach Ivan van Rooyen.
IOL Sport