Lions must raise game for Durban rematch

Ricardo Loubscher says that while the Lions won’t change their plans for the URC rematch against the Sharks in Durban this week, but they will go up a level in intensity.

A near complete performance from the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday earned a bonus-point 38-14 win against the Sharks, making it three wins in a row for the Pride against their Durban rivals. Loubscher expects the Sharks to bounce back at Kings Park.

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“It will be a tough and physical game when we head to Durban,” Loubscher said in a press conference on Tuesday. “It’s tough to play teams back to back because you want to come up with new plans.

“If you go through the Sharks squad, they have lots of experience and gamebreakers that can turn any opportunity into something, but our mindset is to stick to our game plan, go with our DNA and play the way we want to play.”

Durban is a sea level which removes the altitude factor from the rematch, though sticky conditions are notorious for influencing matches at Kings Park

“It will be vital for us to adapt, humidity is a problem down there,” added the former Springbok fullback.

“The Sharks are going to pick up their game on Saturday,” said Lions flanker Jarod Cairns. “We also know it’s going to be humid, we know it’s going to be hot, so we are prepared mentally to go down there and play in a bit of an oven.”

The Lions remain in playoff contention in ninth place on a congested table, one point below Connacht with a game in hand, but Loubscher is adamant that log permutations would not impact the Lions game management.

“There are quite a few teams around us so any points are vital, but we won’t be distracted by bonus-points or the table,” he said.

The trio of Quan Horn, Henco van Wyk and Etienne Oosthuizen all missed last week’s match with injuries and have been ruled out of making a comeback on Saturday as the Lions attempt to stretch their streak against the Sharks to four wins.

“We feel we can be more consistent and we know we have to be better this weekend,” said Loubscher. “We can’t go into this game at the same level and expect the same result.”

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