Some may see it as a test of character, but the excitement in the Emirates Lions camp ahead of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Irish giants Leinster is all too palpable.
The Lions are, other than Leinster, the only other team that is still unbeaten in this year’s Championship, and their trip to Aviva Stadium has often been the burial ground for many teams’ hopes. In the past, very few people would have given the Lions any shot of an upset, they won’t just arrive as underdogs, but as massive underdogs in a game that few expect them to win.
But that suits this plucky group of players, who have so far exceeded expectations for this part of the season, and who know that while they are unbeaten after four matches, no other team in the URC will test their resolve in quite the same manner as Leinster.
The Irish side are notorious for their relentless attack, and have swamped so many other sides in the competition to the point where they are 20 points up before the teams have had time to settle on the field.
The Lions know this, and know going toe to toe with Leinster means they need to be exceptional in all areas, disrupt the opposition’s game and keep defence airtight for as long as possible.
Their attack has been sensational at times on the highveld, but the rain and northern hemisphere conditions made them look a lot less dangerous last weekend against Zebre.
'EXCITED TO TOUR'
Yet, assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher gave a hint of the excitement this week, saying the team is confident in Dublin and looking forward to measuring themselves against Leinster.
“Yes, as I said, we're very excited about the week,” Loubscher smiled.
“We want to build the momentum. From the last two wins, it's always nice to get out of the house. We're excited about our tour. We're looking forward to Saturday. Leinster, of course, top of the log. I think it's a great opportunity to show what we can do.
“We're going to play together again. And we're going to carry out our plan.”
Leinster or the Emirates Lions' #VURC unbeaten streak will end this weekend..
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 23, 2024
🍿 Saturday | 18:15 | Don't miss it! pic.twitter.com/c61Jmvxqv3
That simple, straightforward bit is understandable and typical of Loubscher. There aren’t frills and fancy words. The Lions know what they need to do and want to get on with it.
And Loubscher knows just how important it is to set the pace early on in the game.
“If you look at the stats, they love a fast start, whether that’s in the first or second half,” Loubscher said.
“They like to put you under scoreboard pressure, so the important thing for us is to start well.”
“You also can’t go into this match with the mindset of just keeping them out defensively, they’re good enough to score tries from everywhere. The important thing for us is to fire shots. We have to go out and force our game onto them from an attack point of view.”
Loubscher is all too aware of the influence that Jacques Nienaber has on Leinster’s style of defence, but that is a challenge he is relishing.
“Everyone knows Jacques’ CV, what he brings and his career. We’re under no illusions that it won’t be tough, but we’ll make plans on how to approach and prepare for anything,” he added. “It’s going to be lekker, and we can’t wait for Saturday.
“There’s always a desire to improve as a team. I’m not going to say we’re happy with two wins and we’re comfortable; we want to keep going. Saturday’s match is the perfect opportunity to really show what we can do.”
The Lions will name their team for the clash on Friday.