VIDEO: Lions' 'belief bottle' is full ahead of Cape Town trip
SPOTLIGHT: The Lions believe they have turned a corner after their excellent win against Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park over the weekend.
Ivan van Rooyen’s side staged a dramatic second-half comeback to create the biggest upset of the weekend as they overcame a red card and two yellow cards in the first half to outscore the Scottish outfit six tries to three for a memorable 44-21 victory.
With that bonus-point win the Lions are ninth in the United Rugby Championship standings with 49 points. They are level on points with Edinburgh (seventh) and Benetton (eighth) heading into next week’s final round.
A win against the Stormers in Cape Town in Round 18 will see the Lions qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time.
However, they were also be helped by the fact that Edinburgh and Benetton will face each other on the same day, which means a couple of losing bonus points could also see them book their place in the top eight.
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“Technically, we will stick to the process, which is the comfortable answer,” said Van Rooyen.
“The Stormers have exceptional x-factor and if you play to that they can punish you.
“We have to look really closely at how we can put them under pressure in terms of the way we play.
“It is a derby, and we must win to get into the top eight. I can’t think of a better occasion than two South African teams who are willing to punch until the end.”
Van Rooyen believes the way they beat Glasgow has sparked something within the squad.
“I think a performance like this is probably the corner that has been turned,” said the coach.
“I think the last couple of games we got the points and we put up a good effort.
“To see this fight and in front of the home fans – it was probably the last home of the season.
“There were some significant milestones for this game and to see it happen like this makes your heart full.”
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Willem Alberts, who was captain for the match, said a week off ahead of the final round will do his team a world of good.
“In professional rugby, you welcome a week off because it is training and it’s playing games full on for the whole year.
“To get a week off and spend some time with family and then regroup for a final match and getting the bodies fresh is a positive for me.
“This [the win against Glasgow] was a great game to fill up that belief bottle.
“It was just a great match”
By Annemie Bester and Warren Fortune
@rugby365com
* Picture credit: Suresh Rajcoomar
