Seasoned Lions player Willem Alberts is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury, robbing his team of valuable forward experience. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The Lions are desperate to get that winning feeling back as they prepare to face the Bulls in their return match in the United Rugby Championship at Loftus on Saturday.
The Lions were soundly beaten by their neighbours at Ellis Park last weekend and face a massive challenge in trying to overturn that result in Pretoria this weekend ahead of their final local derby next weekend.
After beating the Stormers in Cape Town in December the Lions went into the recent run of local derbies with plenty of confidence and although they were beaten by the Sharks in their first match two weeks ago, they showed a lot of fight.
However, against the Bulls this past weekend the Lions were comprehensively outplayed and with just two more local derbies left and the Stormers coming to Ellis Park next weekend it is important for the Lions to get a positive result.
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Following the run of local derbies the Lions head over to Ireland to take on Leinster in what is expected to be a tough game against one of the competition’s top sides.
“Before we started these home games against the local franchises we wanted to start well because that would have set the tone for the local derbies,” explained Lions defence coach Jaque Fourie.
“So it was important to get a good start but unfortunately it didn’t go our way the last two games. But, we have to turn it around and in the two games we have left against SA teams we have to win at least one of them.
“So it is very important for us as a team, so we can go with a win in the pocket and a positive mindset to take on Leinster.”
The Lions will however be without the injured Willem Alberts, who left the field with a knee injury against the Bulls and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and will most likely also be without captain Burger Odendaal who went off concussed in the same game.
“Burger is probably touch and go for the weekend. With concussion there are so many protocols in place, so it will be tough for him to play this weekend,” said Fourie.
“We are giving him time to rest and we will only make a decision on his availability on Thursday or Friday.”
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