Lions might need Alberts for Stormers clash
SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen knows that his team will have their work cut out for them ahead of their clash against the Stormers.
The Lions picked up their first win of the season against the Reds (27-20) on Saturday, but they still struggled in several areas of the game against one of Australia’s weaker teams.
“That was a good fight,” Van Rooyen told reporters after the game.
“There is a lot we can fix and work on attack and defence. I think it’s a step forward from last week.”
He added: “They [Reds] are a good set-piece team, especially the scrums. They also scrummed well against the Wallaby front row last week [against the Brumbies]. We need to fix it and work on it.”
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The Lions struggled to build phases on attack against the Reds and it’s something they will need to work on ahead of their clash against the Stormers.
“The conditions were quite wet. They [Reds] are a disruptive team – they come hard at the breakdowns as well, but we still need a bit of continuity on attack.
“We need to get momentum, we need to get our rhythm on attack going,” said Van Rooyen.
The Stormers will be heading to Johannesburg with a big pack and the Lions might need some extra help in the form of Springbok Willem Alberts.
Alberts is one of the Lions’ new recruits this season, but he has not featured for the team yet.
“We will see how he [Alberts] goes on Monday and Tuesday [in training].
“It will be nice to be able to select him just with his experience and physicality. He might help against the Stormers pack.” the Lions coach added.
