Lions have the right 'attitude'
The Lions won’t die wondering when they take on Western Province in the second of the two Currie Cup semifinals in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Despite the 53-9 hammering at the hands of the defending champion Sharks in their final league match last weekend, and the prospect of facing up to a Springbok-laden Province outfit, Mitchell is confident the Lions could reach their first final in four years.
Although the Lions finished top of the standings, they have just a handful of players with major finals experience – the likes of Springboks Wikus van Heerden and Bandise Maku (both with the Bulls), CJ van der Linde (with the Cheetahs) and Butch James (with the Sharks) having featured in Super Rugby or Currie Cup play-off matches.
Looking across the pitch, so to speak, 12 of the 22 WP players that will feature for the visitors on Saturday played in the Currie Cup Final against the Sharks last year.
Mitchell, however, is adamant that experience – or their lack thereof – will not be an issue come the weekend.
“At the end of the day you can’t do anything about that situation [the stats],” Mitchell told this website in an exclusive interview.
“All you can do is look after your own performance, feed off the excitement and keep things as normal as possible.”
The Lions’ former All Blacks coach said that while game strategy remained “important”, it would come down to “attitude” and the “will of the group” on Saturday, rather than focusing on the experience of individuals.
Asked about his team’s attitude and their determination to play an expansive game, regardless of the situation, he felt that it was something they needed to embrace.
“They do have an ambitious mindset and at times that can be their downfall,” Mitchell said, “but they will have a crack and they will certainly not die wondering.”
The Lions mentor said his team, having finished top of the standings at the conclusion of the league stages, had presented themselves with the opportunity to be at home in the play-offs.
“It is now time for us to accept this positive challenge,” he said, adding that they would certainly raise the bar come the knock-out stage of the Currie Cup.
“This is certainly more than just another game,” added Mitchell.
“It has been 12 years since the Currie Cup has been in Jo’burg [having reached the final just twice, 2002 and 2007, since beating the Sharks in the 1999 final].
“We have not had it [the trophy] for a while and it is not an easy thing [competition] to win, so when the opportunity presents itself you have to make the most of it.”
By Jan de Koning
