VIDEO: 'See you at Ellis Park'
The Lions, still smarting from the ‘big one’ that got away, promised the Bulls a hostile reception when the two sides meet in a United Rugby Championship crunch match next month.
Johan Goosen kicked a late penalty from inside his own half to send the Bulls into the URC top four at the halfway stage – recording thrilling 30-28 win over the Lions in Pretoria at the weekend.
Jordan Hendrikse had a chance to snatch a late win for the Lions with a late long-range penalty, with time officially up on the clock.
However, his attempt drifted wide, leaving the men from Johannesburg heartbroken.
Lions captain Marius Louw said it was ‘definitely’ a missed opportunity.
“We are under no illusion that this was a big one for us,” he said of the Loftus loss, adding: “In three weeks’ time we go at it again.”
The Lions host the Bulls in the return match at Ellis Park on February 17.
The Lions skipper said his team was still to ‘reactive’ at rather than being proactive, an issue they have worked hard on.
“Once we cleared our heads and regained our composure, we started controlling things.
“[When we were] behind the poles, [after a Bulls score], we were much better and managed to regain control.”
(WATCH as Lions captain Marius Louw and coach Ivan van Rooyen look forward to the next two crucial rounds of the United Rugby Championship….)
With the Bulls (February 17) and Sharks (March 2) travelling to Johannesburg in the next two rounds, the Lions have a chance to close the gap on the two top South African teams.
Coach Ivan van Rooyen described them as a ‘must-win’ fortnight.
“If we can get eight to 10 points out of those, it will leave us in a position where we go on tour that you want to stay in the fight and get as many points as possible,” he said of encounters with Connacht in Galway and Ospreys in Swansea in March.
“It is big,” Van Rooyen said about the next two home games.
“If I’m really honest, I think we probably can be better at home as well.
“It’s a nice challenge for us to have the Bulls who are flying high and the Sharks that has drastically improved in the last four to six weeks, to have them at Ellis Park.”
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* Picture credit: @LionsRugbyCo
