They may have been on the wrong side of the derbies against the Vodacom Bulls, but the Emirates Lions are hoping that hard work pays off and that it comes through in the next few weeks when they have back-to-back Vodacom United Rugby Championship derbies against the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
Scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys, who has been tasked with fronting up to the media on most weeks, believes his side aren’t far off from realising their potential, but still need to cut out mistakes that are costing them crucial moments in these big games.
The back-to-back derbies have become a focus point for many players and coaches, who talk about the attrition value of the games, how they’re tougher than others and how they have a massive influence on the season, and the Lions are no different.
The Lions' attack has come to the forefront in the past few weeks, especially after their win over the Stormers at home, but it failed against the Bulls and they weren’t able to convert their linebreaks into points.
Two disallowed tries didn’t help either and as Redelinghuys admits, it is the small stuff that is hurting the side at the moment. But it is unlocking the attack that the team possesses that is the key focus, and with so much fight in the squad, Redelinghuys believes it is a matter of time.
“We are also working towards where we want to go, so we are looking forward to this weekend and testing ourselves against them,” Redelinghuys said.
“We also feel that we are a dynamic attack, getting better. So, it’s going to be interesting (to see) how much ball is going to be in play this weekend. We need to finish those moments or opportunities: to win, or get the most points out of the game.”
A HAPPY CAMP
The Lions are wary of whatever side the star-studded Sharks will put out there.
“For us, looking from the outside into their way of playing, it doesn’t matter if they have a lot of injuries, or their Springboks are resting, it just looks like a bunch of guys that play really hard for each other,” Redelinghuys explained.
“In the game against the Bulls, they were 12 guys at a time, and just never stopped fighting. So, it just looks like their culture has grown over time. It looks like a happy camp, and that they work hard for each other.
“If you talk technically about the game, their attack is a lot more dynamic. I think their kicking game is accurate, and they really do well to play towards space, and defensively, they work really hard."
Redelinghuys knows the team needs to be better to get on the right side of the result.
“So, they are a much different team to last year, and we aren’t under any illusions there.
“The margins are so small in these derbies. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the results in the two Bulls games, and in the away Stormers game.
“So, we need to be better in the local derbies. We got the one win at home against the Stormers, and now need to be better in these next two games.
“It’s weird, these double-headers. It’s almost something we haven’t experienced a lot. Last year, we had the Bulls twice in a row, and this year, we’ve got the Sharks twice in a row.
“We just take it week by week. Obviously after the Bulls game, we had a lot of things that we had a look at to see what things we did well. Obviously there are always things that you can do better.”
The Lions will name their side for the clash on Friday.