Coach Ivan van Rooyen says the Lions’ 43-33 win against the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus was the result of a month-long drive to reach a new competitive level.
Reflecting on the performance, Van Rooyen said the result was built on physicality, clarity and a willingness to adapt under pressure.
“I’m really proud of the effort. We worked hard the last month to get at a level where we hope we can compete,” he said. “Our last win here was in 2023 with a really special performance, so I’m happy for the win and happy for the guys who’ve worked really hard.”
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Much of the preparation focused on matching the Bulls in the contest up front.
“If you’re not physically up against the Bulls or your set-piece is not functioning, they’ll probably tear you apart,” he said. “A big focus point for us was physicality and set-piece.
“Our general defence and work rate were good, but conceding four first-phase tries isn’t good enough. That’s something we need to fix.”
Van Rooyen acknowledged the danger posed by the Bulls’ back three and said the Lions specifically aimed to stop them launching from deep.
“If you’re just going to kick it long against Willie [le Roux], he’s going to punish you. Same with Stravino [Jacobs], same with Sebastian [de Klerk],” he said. “We had to make a plan to see if we could catch them under pressure while we were going forward.”
The Lions were also willing to adjust their approach if the game demanded it.
“We wanted to play a little more ball in hand, which offers more opportunities,” Van Rooyen said, crediting his playmakers for identifying the right pictures at the right time.
“Before the game, I said to [flyhalf] Chris Smith, welcome to your old house. His calmness was good today. Credit to Chris, Nico [Steyn] and Quan [Horn], the comms between us and them about what pictures we were getting and how to apply pressure was excellent.”
A fast start was crucial, and Van Rooyen said it was something the Lions targeted all week.
“If you give the Bulls a good start, everything feels like it’s working for them,” he said. “We put massive emphasis on starting well, getting more positive actions than the Bulls and manipulating situations to find that point of difference. The good start helped us apply pressure and convert.”
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Looking ahead to the EPCR Challenge Cup and a demanding travel schedule that includes matches against Benetton and the Newcastle Red Bulls, Van Rooyen said the win at Loftus must be followed by careful squad management.
“It puts stress on the squad. Four of our next six games are away. So it’s important for us to manage bodies and loads. At home we want to keep momentum, and away we need to find ways to win.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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