Van Rooyen says ‘exceptional’ Lions have shown real growth

The Lions have continued to show progress and growth after stretching their United Rugby Championship winning streak to four matches with an impressive 15-9 win over Edinburgh at Ellis Park over the weekend.

It has been a complete turnaround following a five-match losing run at the start of the year, and two of their four victories have been achieved against top-five teams Munster and Edinburgh.

Heading into the Edinburgh match, the Lions had a mini-crisis as they lost two experienced players, captain Burger Odendaal and hooker Jaco Visagie, who were close Covid contacts and had to sit out the game.

Having lost regular captain Jaco Kriel to injury a few weeks earlier it meant the Lions had to back some of their youngsters and a completely new captain in Reinhard Nothnagel for the tough match.

But all those players managed to stand up and be counted, while Nothnagel led from the front with a strong performance which saw the Lions claim another positive result, thanks in part to a brilliant defensive performance that didn’t allow the visitors to cross the whitewash.

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“There is confidence and growth in this team,” said Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen.

“I think in every facet there has been growth. Our defensive effort in the last four games has been exceptional from the guys.

“A week like we had this week would probably have derailed us six to eight months ago and that is part of why I am so proud of the guys, especially their ability to adapt and get the job done in the end.”

The Lions now face a stern test as they prepare to travel to Durban to take on the Sharks this weekend.

It was their loss at home against the Sharks in mid-January that set them off on their previous poor run, before their recent turnaround, and they will want to show how much they have improved since then in what should be an entertaining clash.

“We need to focus on ourselves and really get deep into our plans, our structures, our execution and our decision making,” said Van Rooyen.

“It is less about the outcome of the game and more about personal responsibility and personal clarity in the role of what our expectations are.”

Following their clash with the Sharks, the Lions will have a weekend off before heading into their final two home matches against Connacht and Benetton. They will then conclude their first URC season against the Dragons in Wales in late May.