Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher and scrum-half Morne van den Berg say the Lions are relishing the challenge of Saturday’s clash with top-tier Vodacom URC in Dublin. Devin Hermanus.
The second-placed Lions are unbeaten this season after a narrow win over Zebre in Parma last week, but Leinster, seven points clear at the top of the URC table, will face another test at the Aviva Stadium.
Speaking in a teleconference from the Irish capital on Tuesday, Loubscher stressed the need for the Pride to start strong against Leinster. “If you look at the statistics, they like quick starts, whether it’s the first half or the second half,” he told reporters.
“They like to put pressure on the scoreboard, so the important thing for us is to start well.”
“We can’t go into this game with the mentality of just trying to stop them defensively,” Loubscher added. “They are good enough to give it a try anywhere.
“The important thing for us is to make shots. We have to force them to play our game from an attacking standpoint.”
With former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber part of Leinster’s brain trust, Loubscher acknowledged the challenge facing a team led by an experienced coach.
“Everyone knows Jacques’ resume, the accomplishments he brings and his career. “I have no illusions that it won’t be difficult, but I will have a plan for how I will approach and prepare for anything,” he added. “I guess so. delicious“I can’t wait for Saturday.”
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Loubscher, who is aiming to end the European Tour with a third successive victory, stressed that Ivan van Rooyen’s charge is not satisfied with just two wins. “There is always a desire to improve as a team. I wouldn’t say we are happy and comfortable with two wins. We want to continue.
“Saturday’s game is the perfect opportunity to show what we can do.”
Van den Berg cannot wait to face Leinster even though some of the club’s key players will not feature in the match. 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 prefer to play against the whole (Leinster) team. As a rugby player you want to play against the best in the world,” the Two-Test Bok halfback said.
“I think we are in a good position at the moment and we want to face the best teams.”
Despite the Joburg side’s impressive form, Van den Berg remains grounded in the franchise’s title chances. “It’s a bit premature to think about the title, because we’ve only got four wins and we’re still far from where we need to be,” he explained.
“I don’t think there’s anyone sitting here in Lions camp saying we’re the best team in the competition or that we’re going to win it. We are taking it one game at a time and this weekend’s game is a great test to see where we are.”
Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile (via Getty Images)
