Van Rooyen finds hope in Lions' Leinster heartbreak

REACTION: The disappointment was written all over Ivan van Rooyen’s face after the Lions’ United Rugby Championship campaign came to an end against Leinster in Dublin, but the coach believes the pain of defeat should not overshadow a season of significant progress.

The Lions’ dream run ended at the hands of a clinical Leinster side, whose relentless pressure exposed a few uncharacteristic errors from the visitors and ultimately underlined the gap that still exists between a promising team and one of Europe’s established powerhouses.

“It was a little uncharacteristic from us,” Van Rooyen admitted.

“But they put you under constant pressure. It is unlike Chris [Smith] and Quan [Horn] to kick balls directly into touch, but once you allow Leinster into your defensive zone, their execution and the speed at which they play is incredibly impressive. Unfortunately, they capitalised on that.”

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A rude play-off awakening for Cash van Rooyen’s men

Link to the match report: https://t.co/uyOthtUhZ6

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The Lions arrived in Dublin full of confidence after securing their first-ever URC playoff appearance but found themselves suffocated by the defensive system masterminded by Jacques Nienaber.

“Their defence has improved a lot over the last six weeks in terms of connectedness and pressure,” Van Rooyen said.

“We created a couple of chances but didn’t finish them. Then when you make kicking errors, you’re just defending. If you allow them momentum over the first two phases, you end up chasing shadows because their decision-making and tempo are exceptional.

“There are good lessons to learn from tonight, but it’s obviously not lekker at the moment.”

While the result stings, Van Rooyen was quick to place the defeat within the context of a season that delivered several milestones for the Johannesburg outfit.

After all, this was a campaign that saw the Lions win the South African Shield, qualify for the URC playoffs for the first time and blood a new generation of talent capable of carrying the franchise forward.

“We’re into week 50 or 51 of the season, so first we’ll get some proper rest,” he said.

“Then we’ll review the season honestly, look at our strengths and identify what we need to improve. We’ll come back with plans for growth and progression and keep building.

“The undertone of this team is still very young. If you look at players like Batho [Hlekani], Hasheem [Pead] and Siba [Mahashe], there are a lot of players experiencing this level and this pressure for the first time.

“If you take tonight out of the picture, there is real excitement about this group, where we are and what is possible. But we also saw the next level tonight, and we aspire to get there.”

That optimism is fuelled by the increasing number of Lions players earning recognition at Springbok level. What was once a squad with only one or two players in national alignment camps has now grown into a group boasting eight or nine players on the radar.

“Through consistent performances, more players can get there,” Van Rooyen said.

“Two or three seasons ago we only had one or two players in the alignment camp and now we’ve got eight or nine. It’s fantastic for the players and for the union. The experience they bring back makes the whole group stronger.

“It does create different challenges because you have to manage workloads and opportunities, but those are good problems to have.”

Despite the heavy defeat, Van Rooyen believes the season has reinforced the identity the Lions are trying to build.

“The camaraderie, the care the players have for each other and how hard they’re willing to work for one another have all been major positives,” he said.

“Our alignment as coaches and players has improved. Our identity and how we want to play has become clearer. Our kicking game improved dramatically through the season and before tonight we were among the top attacking teams in the competition.

“It has been a season of growth, a season of firsts and a season that showed what this group is capable of.”

The challenge now is ensuring the lessons from Dublin become the foundation for the next step forward.