Lions coach Van Rooyen praises Glasgow for attacking master class in the wind

The Lions were almost literally blown away in Glasgow on Saturday but the conditions were the same for both teams and coach Ivan van Rooyen regrets his team’s inability to adapt.

In the first half, Glasgow played with the gale force wind at their backs and scored six tries without reply. The half time score of 42-0 would be the full-time score as the Lions could not take advantage of the wind when they had it.

“It was probably the worst weather conditions we have ever played or trained in,” Van Rooyen said. “At stages the wind was up to 80km/h.

“They utilised the wind well in the first half and we could not do the same in the second half. They delivered an attacking master class in that first half and our defence was not accurate enough. We could not deal with their attack.

“The conditions were tough. They used the wind better and we could not adapt quick enough.”

The Lions were inaccurate most areas of the game and regularly conceded turnovers or penalties.

“We often gave them the ball for free and they made us pay. They are very good at keeping possession,” the coach said. “Their attack is the best we have played against this year. They definitely outplayed us on attack.”

The Lions on Sunday made the short journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh where they play a Challenge Cup match on Friday night.

“We will have a different mindset against Edinburgh because just the win is enough to advance to the next round,” Van Rooyen said. “Edinburgh have similar X-factor to Glasgow, so it is important for us to regroup quickly and learn the lessons.

“Scottish teams attack in a certain way. Their motion and last-second angle changes are very good. We took too long to adapt to that in the first half. There were a lot of learnings and we need to apply it against Edinburgh. Hopefully the weather will be better for this knockout game.”

The Lions next week return home and they have the comfort of playing their last four United Rugby Championship matches at Ellis Park. If they can cash in on home ground advantage, they might just sneak into the top eight.

“It is extremely important to get full points in those home games. Four wins is non-negotiable. Hopefully, 16 points will get us to the play-offs. It might or it might not and 20 points would be first prize. We are clear about what has to happen at home.

While the defeat to Glasgow was overwhelming, there were significant milestones for some of the players. Ruan Venter earned his 50 cap and Van Rooyen sung the 22-year-old’s praises.

“Ruan is probably the youngest Lion to get to 50 caps. It is a massive achievement. He is a youngster but a huge part of the team. He is a quiet guy in the team room but speaks extremely loud with his actions on the field and the way he plays.”

There was also a debut for wing Leighton Horn.

“Leighton could not have had tougher conditions in which to make his debut but he is a tough nuggety player with a good pass and kicking game, and he is fast. I’m happy for him to get his first cap.”