The Lions are wary of a Vodacom Bulls side riding a wave of renewed confidence ahead of their Jukskei derby at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Captain Francke Horn has sounded the warning, saying they’re acutely aware of the threat posed by a Bulls outfit fresh off back-to-back comeback wins in Europe against Pau and Edinburgh.
“We are under no illusions about what kind of Bulls team will pitch up here at Ellis Park on Saturday,” Horn said after Tuesday’s training session. “They’re boasting winning momentum again after their two victories in Europe.”
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While the Bulls arrive in Joburg with confidence restored, the Lions return home from tour having had to settle for two draws. But Horn insists the results don’t tell the full story, especially after banking valuable Vodacom URC points against the Ospreys.
“Unfortunately, we had to settle for two draws on our tour. But despite those results, I believe we’ve still built good momentum over the last month’s matches and picked up important URC log points,” he said.
The edge to this derby is sharpened further by history. The Lions stunned the Bulls at Loftus earlier in the season, a result Horn believes will not be forgotten by the Pretoria-based outfit.
“Both teams will be desperate and the Bulls will want to remind themselves of what happened a few months ago in our previous meeting,” he explained.
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Still, Horn says the Lions’ focus remains firmly inward.
“We’ll have to be ready for that, but we don’t want to focus too much on what they want to come and do. We want to dictate matters with our game plan, and I think fireworks can be expected.”
Focus
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