With all the negativity surrounding their home base of Ellis Park, the Emirates Lions have made it clear that their mission is to be “a beacon of hope” for their fans as they continue to impress this season.
Ivan van Rooyen’s side came from 18-3 down to shock the Hollywoodbets Sharks with a 20-18 win in Durban, their first since 2017 at the ground, and moved into 11th position with a game in hand on the URC log. They continue to be on course for a top eight spot.
In the EPCR Challenge Cup they are two wins from two, including a vital away win at Perpignan to set them up nicely for the playoffs. While this weekend they face another tough task in heading to Montpellier to face the French Top14 outfit there, the team that will depart will be one built on confidence and belief in each other.
“Life is difficult in general for all of us. If we can be a beacon of hope and we can give people some hope, then we will all be thankful,” Van Rooyen said after the victory.
The Lions have built their campaign on grit and determination, on a lack of big names but a willingness to grind out a result. They are a side that look as if they are comfortable with each other and happily play for each other, surprising those with bigger budgets and more stars in their team.
“In the week, we did mention that there is an opportunity to get a result. The last time we won here was in 2017 in Super Rugby,” Van Rooyen said.
“To give ourselves a chance we felt like we had to be a collective in the way that we played and executed the plan.
“It speaks to the group’s belief, the character and the fight that we want to be proud of and we want to represent. I’m really proud of the effort.”
Van Rooyen reiterated the mental toughness of the side was one of their biggest assets.
“We always talk a lot about toughness, togetherness and tempo, how we want to play and what we stand for, what we are fighting for and working for,” Van Rooyen said.
“Sometimes this takes a little bit of time and experience, so seeing the guys’ willingness to fight for each other and put their bodies on the line to get a result is awesome to see,” he said.
Captain Marius Louw spoke of the game of two halves and how the adjustment at halftime helped the Lions get back into the game.
The captain, Louw, admitted the Lions allowed the Sharks too much time and space in the first half.
“The biggest thing was we allowed them to run at us, and we didn’t get off the defensive line,” Louw said.
“They got a lot of momentum off nine and just got numbers on us and played out the back and got on the outside of us. That happened about two, three times like that in a row and if you’re scrambling back like that, they’re a good attacking side and you will suffer.
“In the second half, territory played a big role and then our defence was a lot better. We got off the line, we tackled them back, and we knew that when we started tackling them back they’d start kicking the ball back at us.
“That’s exactly what happened or we got a penalty, and that’s how we got back into the game.”
The Lions head off to Montpellier this week and a victory, or even a few bonus points, should be enough to see them into the playoffs of the Challenge Cup.