Kings must stop giant Lions back
THE EP Kings must tackle giant Lions centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg as though he was a forward if they want to stop the rampaging back in his tracks at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tomorrow.
That is the advice Kings head coach Barend Pieterse has issued to his players ahead of their Currie Cup Premier Division showdown (kickoff 5.10pm).
“I tell them every week that you must tackle a guy like Rohan as though he is a forward, because he does not run like a normal back.
“It will be a physical battle but the guys are up for it, especially after the Sharks game,” Pieterse said.
“Luckily we have guys like Berton Klaasen and Waylon Murray who are physical enough to take on any centre in the Currie Cup.
“So I am not that worried about that.”
This year was a breakthrough Super Rugby season for Janse van Rensburg and he tormented rival defences, scoring 10 tries in 17 games.
Weighing 109kg, he has proved a difficult customer for defences worldwide and will start from the bench tomorrow.
Though they are in sixth spot in the Premier Division standings, the attack-minded Lions have scored more tries than any other side this season.
Their tally of 35 tries in six outings is an indication that the Lions are not afraid to give the ball air as they seek to impose themselves on opposition defences.
On Saturday, the Kings leaked nine tries as they crashed to a heavy 53-0 defeat, which left them entrenched at the bottom of the log with just a solitary point after six outings.
The Lions were beaten by the Cheetahs in their last game and this has left them desperate for a bonus point win in Port Elizabeth.
So far the Kings have conceded 42 tries, which means they have had their tryline breached on an average of seven times each time they took to the field.
“During the whole season we gave away tries, but some of them were really, really soft tries,” Pieterse said.
“I think if you watch any game, teams will give away soft tries.
“We want to get better and we are not going to be that team just trying to keep the score low.
“We are going to be that team that are really going out to win the game and put up a good performance. But we need a good defence system if we want to be competitive,” Pieterse said.
The Lions team:
Sylvian Mahuza, Koch Marx, Jacques Nel, Howard Mnisisi, Antony Volmink, Jaco van der Walt, Dillon Smit, Ruaan Lerm, Ruan Ackermann, Kwagga Smith, Bobby de Wee, J P du Preez, Julian Redelinghuys, Malcolm Marx, Dylan Smith. Replacements: Robbie Coetzee, Ruan Dreyer, Fabian Booysen, Cyle Brink, Ross Cronje, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Andries Coetzee.