Lions in battle of the poachers with Jaguares
Statistics do not lie‚ but they can be bent to the truth you wish to seek. Or something to that effect‚ reckons Lions defence coach Joey Mongalo.
He is no philosopher but he pleads for context when presented with numbers short of delivering a complete picture.
“Context in the figures is always good‚” he said when reminded that eight-time Super Rugby champions the Crusaders are set apart from the Lions by their unremitting defence.
“We are still top-five in fewest tries conceded. It is not great‚ but we have the desire to defend better than we have.
“In the context of the competition and how the team have changed‚ then it is a work-on for us. We are not disgruntled with the progress we’ve made since the start of the competition.
“It takes a while to get the combinations right.”
The Lions play the Jaguares in a Super Rugby quarterfinal at Ellis Park on Saturday, and although their execution has let them down at times‚ the South Americans have struck a splendid balance between rumbling forward play and exploring wide open spaces.
“They have the most carries and passes in Super Rugby‚” Mongalo noted.
“You expect them to keep the ball quite a bit.”
In Nicolas Sanchez they have a flyhalf that feels the pulse of the game‚ while out wide Emiliano Boffelli and Bautista Delguy have wreaked havoc with defences.
“It’s the tempo they play at‚” said Mongalo.
“They thrive on quick ball‚ also their unpredictability. You are never at rest until you have the ball in your hands. They are very dangerous from turnovers,” he said. But so too are the Lions. You do not get to finish the league stages as joint top try scorers without the ability to make the opposition pay when they squander possession.
“We are very fortunate to have guys like Malcolm [Marx]‚ Ruan [Dreyer]‚ Kwagga [Smith] and Harold [Vorster].
“We have quite a few guys who can poach the ball on the deck. We have to make sure that we give them opportunities to do exactly that. We pounce on turnovers,” said the coach.
The Lions are wary of the Jaguares. Mongalo believes they are a much better team than the one the Lions had beaten at Ellis Park in February.
“They were able to get more continuity‚ even though they lost those Tests [as the Pumas in June]. Winning away from home would have done wonders for their confidence. They’ve been here for two‚ three weeks, so they should have acclimatised.”
Saturday’s clash is not the only thing on Mongalo’s mind. The coach‚ you may recall‚ has been accused of sexual assault in Australia.
The case emanates from the Lions’ tour of Australasia earlier in 2018‚ but the wheels of justice are turning slowly.
“It is all still sensitive. The law has taken its course. It is going through the process it has to go.
“I’ve got an idea [where proceedings are]. We’ve got a legal representative on that side. We will announce it as soon as we know‚” he said.