A different beast.
That's what the Emirates Lions are expecting when they get to Durban to face the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their rescheduled Vodacom United Rugby Championship match on Saturday.
The Lions handsomely won the opening salvo of the double header while the Sharks were blown off the park in an off-colour performance from the coastal side, but the Lions aren’t expecting any favours when they see them again this weekend.
The Sharks need to win the game to claim the bragging rights of the SA shield, and will take a massive step forward in their top four hopes in the competition, while if the Lions can do a double double - having won both derbies last season, they will move into the top eight and start their quest for a playoff spot for the first time in three seasons.
Former Springbok winger and current Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher said on Tuesday that he believes the Lions will encounter a very different Sharks side this coming weekend.
“The Sharks will be a different animal, and we have to prepare accordingly,” the former Bok assistant coach said.
“It is all about the first 20 minutes. They are going to be extremely physical, and we have to be ready for that.”
The Lions got onto the front foot early in last weekend’s game and made the Sharks play catch-up. When they have done that this season, they have almost been unstoppable, and they will be hoping for the same this weekend.
The 2pm kickoff though can be brutal in terms of humidity and hot conditions, and it won’t make play easy, but Loubscher, who played many a game for the Sharks, has an easy recipe for success in the heat.
“Kings Park can be a difficult place to play, especially at this time of the year when it is so hot and humid,” he said.
“You can’t let the Sharks get on top of you. If you go through their team, they have experienced players, good coaches, game-breakers that can turn opportunities into points.”
Loubscher believes the Lions will need something different this week if they are to come out on top.
“We need a new energy and a different mindset, while polishing the things that worked for us last week and fixing a few things we can do better.
“But we also need to be adaptable. The humidity makes the ball slippery, so while we pride ourselves on playing to our DNA, we have to take into account the conditions.
“Going back-to-back is tough, because you have to come up with new plans, and that is what we will do.”
The Lions will name their side for the clash on Friday.