Lions attack must roar past Nienaber’s Leinster defence

Instead of cowering in the corner and hoping for the best, the Lions must “fire some shots” and truly believe that they can beat Leinster in Dublin this weekend.

That was the rallying call from assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher from the Irish capital yesterday ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship showdown at the Aviva Stadium (6.15pm kick-off).

The Johannesburg side are riding high at the moment as one of only two unbeaten sides – with Leinster the other – in the URC this season with four wins, having seen off Ulster (35-22), Edinburgh (55-21), Dragons (23-19) and Zebre (10-9).

And they don’t have the worst records against Leinster either, having lost 21-13 in Dublin in 2022 and 39-36 in Johannesburg in 2023, and then won 44-12 at Ellis Park in April. So, no matter whether coach Leo Cullen has to leave out a few Ireland stars ahead of the November internationals or not, the Lions don’t need to be overwhelmed by whichever Leinster side run out this weekend.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen will be delighted with the fighting spirit shown in edging out Zebre by a point in Parma in terribly wet conditions, having also rested a few regular starters.

Now he can utilise his best possible team to cause what would still be an upset against the Irish powerhouses.

The likes of hooker PJ Botha, prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and wing Rabz Maxwane could all strengthen the visitors in what will be a true test of their abilities against a dynamic Leinster outfit.

But to do that, they will need to play their natural game instead of trying to avoid making mistakes.

“Just the growth of the team over the last few seasons, it would be a massive step forward for us (to win in Dublin),” backline coach Loubscher said yesterday.

“We are working hard towards that goal – just to keep the momentum, keep growing as a team and getting better every day. There is a feeling in the squad that we want to take it to the next level.

“If you look at stats, they love a fast start in the first and second half. They like to put on scoreboard pressure, so the important thing for us is to start well.

“The second thing is that you can’t go into this game with a mindset to keep them out defensively. They are just 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, and just in general – you can’t sit back and allow them to play.

“If you allow them to play and they get quick ball, they will stay on top of you. So, it’s important for us to start well.”

Loubscher will also test his coaching wits against a fellow former Springbok staffer, Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber, who guided the South Africans to last year’s World Cup crown in France.

So, can Loubscher’s attack unlock Nienaber’s famed defence?

“We all know Jacques’ CV and know what he’s achieved in his career. So, we are under no illusion that it will be tough. We will make our plans and look to create opportunities,” the former Bok fullback said.

“The last two games were not ideal situations or conditions, but we really want to improve, especially on attack – keep scoring tries and just have the mindset to have a go and keep attacking.

Emirates Lions captain Francke Horn led from the front, securing the Man of the Match award after guiding his team to victory over Zebre in Parma this past weekend! 🔥💪 What a performance from our leader! 🦁
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— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) October 22, 2024

“We are going to have a go. We want to go out and perform to the best of our abilities, and show what we can do on attack. There is a lekker buzz and energy in the camp, and Saturday is an ideal opportunity to show what we can do.

“I’m not going to say that we are happy with two wins and we’re comfortable... We want to keep going, and Saturday is a perfect opportunity to really show what we can do.”