Flanker Izan Esterhuizen said the Lions are preparing for Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup match against the Dragons at Ellis Park with renewed focus.
“We deserved a lot of love after the weekend’s performance,” Esterhuizen said at a press conference on Tuesday, referring to the Lions’ 28-5 loss to Montpellier last week.
“We must work together. Despite all the traveling we had done while training, I could see that everyone was hungry. We’re motivating each other, we have the will to win and we have the mindset that we’re going to win this weekend.”
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The Lions’ playoff hopes hang in the balance after a loss in round three, leaving them with a 1-2 record and fifth place in Pool 2. A win against the Dragons on Saturday is non-negotiable to secure qualification.
“We have to go for the win,” the 23-year-old added. “We are at home. We have to track them down, make them work and take home bonus points.”
Forwards coach Barend Pieterse emphasized the team’s positive mindset and said the performance against Montpellier had galvanized them.
“The mood in the camp is really good after a brief and tough review of ourselves this week,” Pieterse said. “We need to get points, but I think it will be difficult if other teams keep winning.
“At this point all we can do is focus on ourselves and win.”
As lineout coach, Pieterse acknowledged the poor performance from set-pieces and labeled the miscommunication “unacceptable”.
“Last weekend’s lineup was unacceptable,” he said. “The loss of communication between the hooker and receiver at the lineout is inexcusable.
“Against the Stormers, we shot ourselves in the foot by getting a red card. You can plan and prepare all you want, but you can’t prepare to play for more than 60 minutes without a lock. As a result, the team balance was good, so there were 21 lineouts and we only lost two.”
Photo: Valentine Chapuis/Gallo Images
