Chastened Lions are still on track
SKIPPER ORIE: WE’LL GO BACK AND HOPEFULLY FIX THIS
All the 50/50 calls went Province’s way, wails Van Rooyen.
The Golden Lions will need to rediscover their hunger and intensity to get their campaign back on track, captain Marvin Orie has stressed, after they were handed their first defeat of the Currie Cup season on Saturday.
The convincing 65-38 scoreline against Western Province exposed several flaws in their system.
The battered Lions were still second in the table with 16 points, however, one point behind the Blue Bulls with a game in hand, while the unbeaten Province outfit had 15 points and two games in hand.
“They came out with a lot more intensity and energy than was the case maybe with us, compared to the previous game against the Cheetahs when we had a lot more urgency in the initial stages of the game,” Orie said.
This weekend’s away clash against a tough Sharks side in Durban will be followed by two byes for the Lions before their next game on October 12, against the Pumas in Nelspruit, while no Currie Cup action is scheduled for October 6.
“There’s a lot of emphasis in South African rugby lately on the attack and giving the ball a bit more air, like we saw with the Blue Bulls game against the Pumas, which was also a high scoring game,” Orie said.
“But for us, we have to look at our defence and go back this week and hopefully fix that.”
Despite the huge 27-point deficit, the damage should have been controlled in the first half, according to Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen.
“All the 50/50 calls went their way. I’m not saying we had a problem with the decisions, but with key moments in the game, like their intercept.
“Tactically they played well. We made some crucial errors in vital areas of the field and they were very clinical when taking those opportunities.”