Coach preaches patience in Perth
FORCE WON’T BE SHORT ON MOTIVATION Lions’ breakdown needs some work ahead of the game.
The Lions might have to bide their time before they are able to land the killer blow in their opening Super Rugby tour match against the Force in Perth today.
The Lions are coming off a record of seven wins from eight starts, but Lions coach Johan Ackermann cautioned they might have to be very patient to get the result Down Under.
“Some of their few weaknesses are that they give you opportunities on attack and we’ve seen they have lost a few games at the death,” said Ackermann.
“So if we can maintain the pressure for 80 minutes we can be at the right end of the scoreboard with the bench hopefully making a difference in those last 10 to 15 minutes.”
Crucial to the Lions’ cause is how flank Kwagga Smith can challenge the Force’s Matt Hodgson on the ground, and Ackermann says it was one of their shortcomings last week against the Jaguares.
“Two aspects we focused on for the week was to recover from the travel and get them freshened up,” he said.
“And also the plan that we want to execute on the weekend and a big part of that is our breakdown which wasn’t good against the Jaguares.”
With the Rebels and the Brumbies also on their tour schedule, Ackermann said he had witnessed this week how the locals are being swept up to retain their Super Rugby status.
“It’s a team who won’t be short on motivation, they want to prove a point. They launched a big campaign where they want to fill up the stadium,” he said.
“They want to show Australian rugby ‘look, we are strong’, with thousands coming out to support their side. They will play with passion and are well coached if you go and look at their structures.”
Kick-off: 1.55pm.