Odds stacked against Lions ahead of URC opener
Is it Last Chance Saloon or Hail Mary for Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen as his charges get ready to launch their United Rugby Championship challenge against Cardiff in Wales this weekend?
Van Rooyen not only has the statistics stacked up against his side in this competition, but he will have to get his charges mentally prepared after their heartbreaking loss in the Currie Cup Final last weekend.
On top of that, the Lions have a host of injuries to contend with at the start of their campaign. That includes flyhalf Chris Smith, who made a massive impact for the Lions in the Currie Cup, captain PJ Botha, Jaco Visagie, Morgan Naude, Reinhardt Nothnagel, Rabz Maxwane, and Erich Cronje, to name but a few.
Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg will join up with the team following the Springbok Test against the Pumas in London in two weeks.
Utilising the URC players in the Currie Cup can backfire, and that starts this weekend at Cardiff Arms Park when he will no doubt be fielding the same team that lost to Griquas in the final.
On Wednesday, after arriving in Dublin, Van Rooyen once again stated, just like previous seasons, that they are aiming for the Top Eight.
That bold statement is further compounded by the long injury list, as around 15 players are sidelined at the moment.
“One of our main priorities is Top Eight.
“The last three seasons, we’ve missed it with one position or a couple of points. But as a whole, to get into contention for the play-offs,” Van Rooyen said when asked about the goals for the new season.
“Unfortunately, we’ve picked up a handful of serious injuries in the Currie Cup, and that is a challenge for us.
“Losing a couple of props and hookers, but then we are excited about the new recruits that joined us.
“And unfortunately, Eduan Keyter picked up a niggle after his first outing,” the coach revealed.
The Lions will face Cardiff, Benetton, and Zebre on their three-week tour before heading home.
They will be buoyed by their favourable record against Cardiff, winning three of the last four clashes. They narrowly lost 17-20 last season in a match they will admit, with frustration, they should have won.
“It is tough to tour first, with a couple of injuries, but we need to find a solution, and we need to find a way to get a result.
“[We have] three very different tests for us in the first three games. So it’s tough to tour first, but it’s also nice to tour first because you get to spend a lot of time together
“A successful tour [for us] on the field, the goal will always be to see if we can get three victories. But I think if we can get away with three victories, hopefully get a bonus point or two, it will set us up for a decent start to the season.
“Cardiff beat us there last year; we were disappointed with the result. We felt we were not quite there last year against them, so it’s important to start well.
“They’ve got a good defensive system, and we expect that they will attack a bit more and play a more expansive game.
“It’s always physical there, the conditions are quite tricky – wet and windy – so it’s a great first test for us.”
