Lions to call the shots in their lair

Lions coach John Mitchell has plenty of respect for what the Sharks are capable of, but his focus ahead of the Currie Cup Final this weekend is firmly on his team and how they can impose themselves on the defending champions.

The Sharks team that will run out at a sold-out Coca-Cola Stadium on Saturday is full of stars and has a proven pedigree having won two of the last three Currie Cup competitions, but they will come up against a settled Lions team that will be high on confidence in front of their home crowd which should make for an absolute cracker of a final.

Apart from the fact that both teams have a Kiwi coach there are not too many similarities between them.

The Lions have had the luxury of continuity this season and Mitchell’s young team has produced consistent form in the Currie Cup while the Sharks had their depth seriously tested before the Springbok cavalry arrived a few weeks ago, and it is those experienced campaigners who will carry their hopes of winning consecutive titles.

The playing styles of the two sides also contrast quite drastically. While the Sharks rely on the physicality of their big ball carriers to get them on the front foot before going wide the Lions favour mobility and look to attack space with most players in the team able to compete well for the ball on the ground.

When quizzed on how he sees that clash of styles playing out Mitchell was reluctant to speculate, preferring to focus on his team and their goal of controlling the contest on Saturday.

“They have got their style and we have got our style. We believe that we can go to all areas of space and that is what we encourage our team to do and our attacking framework suits that.

“They are a good side so at the end of the day we are just focusing on our own performance. We are very respectful of their experience and their ability, but it is more important to focus on what we have got to do so that is the way we will carry out our routine and processes,” he told this website in an exclusive interview.

While the Sharks have far more experience in playing high stakes knock-out rugby the Lions have their own strengths such as youthful exuberance and a fierce determination to end their 12-year trophy drought and Mitchell believes that it will be down to which team is more committed on the day.

He said: “Nothing really changes at this time of year, you have got just about everything built and you have been through so many different situations it is just a matter of getting up for the match and we believe in what we do and so do the Sharks.

“That is why we are both in the final so it is not about anything in particular that is going to be the point of difference.

“Experience is important and it is one of the strengths that they have but it is no use us worrying about what we don’t have it is more about concerning ourselves with what we do have and maximising that,” added the Lions mentor.

Another talking point ahead of the final is the fact that the Sharks dismantled the Lions 53-9 in Durban just two weeks ago after Mitchell opted to rest a number of key players as his charges had already secured top spot on the standings.

Sharks boss John Plumtree has dismissed the relevance of that result and Mitchell seemed to be singing from a similar sheet as his good friend and rival on Saturday when questioned on the psychological impact it may have.

“Its gone, you can read whatever you want into that but this is another week and a different situation. They are a good side and they played very well that day so they deserved to win so they got the result,” he explained.

It has been a while since Coca-Cola Park was sold out for a Currie Cup match and Mitchell cannot wait to be a part of what should be a spectacular occasion, joking that the last time he saw the stadium packed to the rafters was “when I played against Transvaal in 1993”.

“It is what you come to expect on the last day of rugby in the year, it is a wonderful privilege and honour to be the two teams that are playing on the last day of what you would call the oldest provincial competition in the world,” he said.

By Michael de Vries