Lions out of their comfort zone
Lions coach Johan Ackermann admitted his team will be out of their 'comfort zone' when they head to Pretoria on Saturday for a Super Rugby crunch match with the Bulls.
The Bulls are currently seventh on the tournament standings (on 29 points), just one point behind the South African conference leaders – the Stormers.
The Lions are eighth, a further three points behind.
It makes this trans-Jukskei derby a crucial encounter in the play-off race.
However, Ackermann said his team has not even begun to think about play-offs – as they face a "massive challenge" in the next six weeks.
They may be on a record five-match winning streak – which include wins over the Cheetahs, Sharks and Bulls.
However, Ackermann said past results will mean nothing in the weeks to come.
"We must enjoy the wins, because the players worked hard and put a massive effort in to achieve that," Ackermann told rugby365.
"However, it is important to stay humble and realise that for every game you have to work hard again and nothing happens by itself.
"Hopefully the confidence the players have gained will be a positive, but experience tells me you can ride on past successes."
He added that every team they will face in the next six weeks will bring a new challenge.
"They all have different strengths and different areas where they will test you.
"The biggest danger is that we will think we can do the same thing week-after-week," he said, adding that it is important to improve your own game every week.
Ackermann said the Bulls' strengths are their set pieces, they have strong ball carriers and they are also powerful in the aerial contest.
"Loftus Versfeld in itself is a tough challenge," the coach said, adding: "We've had a number of games on our home field, so our mental attitude has to be right.
"The last three weeks we were in our comfort zone."
He said they have not even begun to discuss the possibility of reaching the play-offs, even though they are just four points outside a top-six spot.
"The games ahead are massive," Ackermann told rugby365, adding: "We have to play the Bulls at Loftus, the Stormers at Newlands and the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein – that by itself is a massive challenge.
"You have to win those games if you want to have a chance of reaching the play-offs.
"Then we also have the Highlanders, one of the form teams, the Brumbies, currently top of the Australia conference and the defending champion Waratahs.
"That [play-offs] has not entered into the conversations in our camp.
"We know we are not in a position to think about it, as there is a hard grind ahead of us."
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
