Lions forced to 'keep it simple'

 

With five key players training with the national squad until Wednesday, Lions coach Johan Ackermann said that they cannot afford to complicate things in their bid to sneak into the play-offs.

 

While this is already the Lions' best-ever Super Rugby season with nine wins from their 15 games, they are still in with a chance of making the knock-out stage for the first time if they get the better of the Stormers at Newlands next week.

 

But with Warren Whiteley, Lionel Mapoe Robbie Coetzee, Francois de Klerk and Elton Jantjies set to spend most of the week with the Springbok squad in Cape Town, Ackermann will be forced to adjust their training schedule in this vital week.

 

"Obviously it will influence both sides, but probably more us with our guys having to fly out on Sunday, and fly back on Wednesday and fly back on Friday again.

 

"So we will have to keep everything simple, the gameplan will be simple so when the guys join on Thursday they don't have a massive amount of info to take in.

 

"Somehow we must get them refreshed because they are going to train on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then come back, so we will manage that," he said.

 

The Lions coach rated their performance in the 27-22 win against the Waratahs at Ellis Park as one of their best this season, and added that if they can match that intensity at Newlands then they could well pull off a win.

 

"It must be one of the best wins of the year, the Waratahs will definitely be in the play-offs I believe and they are defending champions.

 

"They are a quality side and it is the first time in nine years that we have beaten them.

 

"The growth in the team from last year to now shows that hard work is worth it, but it is not done yet we have got one more.

 

"I think if we can play with the same intensity hopefully we will be in with a shout, the small little mistakes were still there if I have to be critical of the performance.

 

"As long as the players have the same attitude and hunger we will go down and have a good fight," he said.

 

Lions captain Warren Whiteley echoed those sentiments, and said that the confidence in the team means that they will be backing themselves to cause an upset at Newlands.

 

"This was a huge challenge for us, we have got a lot of respect for the Waratahs and what they have achieved. 

 

"It has definitely just upped our belief again, we set a standard because this must have been one of our best performances this year, and now we have got to keep this standard.

 

"There is great belief within the side, they [Stormers] are a quality side which we saw again against the Cheetahs, it is never easy down there so that is going to be another massive challenge for us," he said.