Scrum can't be Lions' banker
REACTION: The Golden Lions will have to raise the bar considerably when they face the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup Final.
The Cheetahs will host the Final on Saturday after demolishing the Sharks to win 51-30 at the weekend.
The Lions used their set-piece superiority set up a 34-19 victory over Griquas in the other semifinal in Johannesburg.
They tormented Griquas in the scrums to lay the foundations for an impressive victory.
However, coach Ivan van Rooyen admitted they have plenty of work to do ahead of the trip to Bloemfontein.
He spoke of the need to improve the finishing ability and some poor decision-making.
While a solid scrum gave them a good base, he felt they need to be more diverse.
“In the last year or two there hasn’t been much attacking rugby from scrums,” Van Rooyen said.
“It is good for the outside back to get the ball with a bit of space.
“We created a fair bit.
“However, it is about polishing the finishing‚ and decision making. It is something we will work on.”
The coach said they know they can get up over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, having beaten them 24-22 in a league match last month.
“They are a very good team, a tough team,” he said about the Final, adding that they will restart their training process on Monday.
“It is an amazing opportunity for us.”
In the semifinal, the Lions squandered a number of scoring opportunities.
“It was a typical‚ nervous semifinal‚” he said.
Another area that may also require some revision this week is his team’s discipline.
“You can always work on discipline‚ especially at ruck time. It is a coachable thing‚” Van Rooyen said.
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