Bok coaches to help Lions get back on track?
SPOTLIGHT: The Lions will be out to “find that balance” in their game when they come up against Cardiff in a United Rugby Championship clash in Johannesburg on Sunday.
And maybe the Springbok coaching team can help them achieve that goal.
The Bok coaches are in Johannesburg for an “alignment camp” this week and are working closely with the Lions coaches.
The Lions are currently winless in 2022 and are searching for that spark to turn their fortunes around.
“It is lovely to have the Springbok coaches visiting for two days,” said Lions backline coach Ricardo Laubscher.
“It is all about just building relationships and sharing knowledge on both sides in terms of feedback on some of the players.
“It’s lovely to have a different voice talking about the same thing and to get a bit of confirmation in terms of what we want to achieve, but also those one or two ideas that can make a difference.”
Laubscher added: “It’s not so much about them [Bok coaches] trying to tell us what to do. It’s more about getting a better understanding from our side of what is working for them and just maybe tap into that.
“It’s a simple thing like what is your week like and what is a normal day looking like if you are in a Springbok set-up.
“There is a lot of chat about details from the team meetings – reviewing those sessions and just getting feedback.
“Obviously, you can’t copy and paste. We are working with different systems and we are in a different phase.
“But it is nice to have that confirmation on whether we are on the right track or maybe get ideas we can add to our week or just in terms of our planning and where we can be better.”
#SPOTLIGHT: He will have a huge target on his back #URC #BULvMUN https://t.co/m4H0wFlQIw
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The Lions can take a lot of heart from their last URC encounter against Irish giants Leinster in Dublin.
Fans and pundits were expecting the Lions to get smashed in that encounter, but they produced a gutsy performance away from home to only go down 13-21.
Laubscher will be hoping his team will build on that performance when they face Cardiff.
“We spoke about our game management and obviously our kicking game,” said Laubscher.
“We are going to stick to our DNA and hold onto the ball, but also to find that balance.
“We felt against Leinster, especially that first 10 minutes, we just overplayed a bit between halfway and our own 10 and they [opposition] want you to go there so they can force mistakes.
“Cardiff on the other hand are sitting with a flyhalf that kicks well for polls, so you don’t want to give them those opportunities to get in our half with silly mistakes in the backfield.
“We have to play the game in the right areas. I know it’s a cliche, but if they start dropping players to cover our kicking game then there must be space somewhere and we need to exploit it.”
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#ICYMI: Springbok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies has opened up on his decision to stay in with Stormers and not chase the money overseas. #URC https://t.co/BuaFVd1rTq
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