With conditions in Durban likely to play a massive part in Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby match between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Emirates Lions, it is imperative that the Lions get their game management right if they are to continue their upward curve for the season.
The Johannesburg side are sitting in 12th spot - on 19 points but with two games in hand after they postponed both of their festive derby games to January. If they had played both and won with a bonus point, they would be sitting in fourth spot - such is the congestion in the log at the moment.
With that in mind, and while they last won in Durban in 2017, Lions captain Marius Louw is confident his side can get the points on offer if they implement their game plan effectively this coming weekend.
The heat and humidity in Durban are a major factor and will make the ball slippery and handling difficult. But the Lions spent a few weeks in an off-season camp in Durban preparing for the season last year and believe they know how to handle the conditions well.
Louw is also a former Sharks captain and knows all about how the home side approaches these games, especially to maximise their advantage in the conditions.
“I think we all know playing this time of year the humidity is high - bordering on 100 per cent and a lot of guys have played at the stadium before, and are used to playing in that humidity. The past few weeks in Gauteng we have had a lot of humidity and a little bit of rain, so we are ready for what we are about to encounter,” he said.
“A humid day, slippery ball and while we’re all looking for that one game to sync things for a side, we need to focus on ourselves and how we manage the game.”
Louw added that it wasn’t always about what you did with the ball in these conditions, but rather how you use it - in other words - the areas of the field you play in that will matter this weekend.
“It all comes down to game management, making sure we play in the right areas of the field. The Sharks will also be trying to do that, also trying to get into the right areas of the field. That will give you confidence but if you make a lot of mistakes in your own area of the field, then your own confidence will start dropping.”
While the Sharks will be desperate with just one win in the URC this season, the Lions are in a totally different spot, well rested over the festive season and now looking to press forward to ensure they qualify for the Champions’ Cup next season.
Louw underlined this by saying the way his team plays, continuity is everything, and while he didn’t say it, it is something the Sharks have been missing.
“We’re very big on cohesion and consistency and what we have built over the last year and a half is something we pride ourselves on. We go a long way with each other and each guy has a role to play. We rely on every single guy in the team to make us better and that is how we grow as a union, healthy and hungry.”
The Lions have confirmed that Reinhardt Nothnagel and Ruan Dreyer are both back in training but unlikely to be part of the Sharks game this weekend.