FILE - Lions head coach Ivan Van Rooyen as picked Kade Wolhuter at flyhalf for their match against Leinster. FILE - Lions head coach Ivan Van Rooyen as picked Kade Wolhuter at flyhalf for their match against Leinster. Picture: Marty Melville / AFP
Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher says they need to be accurate and disciplined from the start in their top-of-the-table United Rugby Championship clash against Leinster on Saturday.
Leinster and the Lions are the only two unbeaten teams left in the competition, but the Irish team top the standings after getting five winning bonus points from their five matches. The second-placed Lions have played a game less than Leinster, but find themselves seven points off top spot after only managing two bonus points in their first four matches.
“They like to put you under scoreboard pressure, so the important thing for us is to start well,” Loubscher said ahead of the match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
“You also can’t go into this match with the mindset of just keeping them out defensively,” he added. “They’re good enough to score tries from everywhere.
“The important thing for us is to fire shots. We must go out and force our game onto them from an attack point of view.”
Playmaker Kade Wolhuter returns to the starting XV for the clash after missing out on their previous tour matches due to injury. After joining the group earlier this week, coach Ivan van Rooyen had no hesitation to start the former Stormers man at flyhalf.
The Lions also boast a new centre pairing, with Rynhardt Jonker and Henco van Wyk combining on attack. Amongst the forwards, tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye returns after the concussion he suffered against the Dragons two weeks ago.
Lions team for Leinster:
15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (captain),7 Jarod Cairns, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Reinhardt Nothnagel, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Heiko Pohlman, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Erich Cronje.
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