Lions put their focus on fun
As the Lions try to outmanoeuvre their three New Zealand rivals and claim the Super Rugby crown, they can look to their departing coach for inspiration.
Johan Ackermann took charge of the Johannesburg team in 2013 and has led them to unprecedented heights in the past two seasons, but is off to coach Gloucester in the English Premiership.
The Lions finished second after the round-robin last year, then lost to the Hurricanes in the final, but this year they finished first, and could host the final, should they get past the Hurricanes in the semifinals on Sunday (NZ time).
Before Ackermann arrived, the Lions had finished in the bottom three for 11 seasons in a row, and in 2013, they were dumped from the competition and replaced by the Southern Kings. Since returning the following year, they’ve finished 12th, 8th, 2nd, and 1st, and their coach has played a big part in getting them there.
Ackermann has told the Telegraph that the key in turning their fortunes around was allowing the team to play with the freedom they set themselves the goal of playing ‘‘the most exciting brand of rugby in South Africa’’.
‘‘The focus was on scoring tries, not winning. All 15 players to make that happen need to work on their skills and have fun.
‘‘You cannot rely on just a couple of X factor players. Your props need to be able to run the ball as well as your backs. You might design a set play where a prop would have a key pass, and that shows a lot of trust in your players.’’
The Lions have certainly scored plenty of tries - a competition-high 81 last year, and 84 this year, a mark that is second only to the Hurricanes’ 93.
They will have to get past the Hurricanes if they are to win the title this year, and they will have the added motivation of doing it for their departing coach, who told the Telegraph that the timing feels right for him to move on.
‘‘You can argue that we haven’t won anything yet, but at the same time I could not be leaving the Lions in a healthier position for the next man to take them even further.
‘‘I also think a new voice will challenge the players even more, just as being a new voice myself at Gloucester will get me excited again and challenge me as a coach. Being taken out of your comfort zone is a good thing.’’