Lions have a plan to end drought against Sharks at the Tank

The Lions’ latest task in the United Rugby Championship will see them go to Durban’s King Park to take on the Sharks on Saturday (5pm). And what a big job it is!

The Johannesburg side last won at the Shark Tank in 2017 when they beat the Sharks 27-10 in a Super Rugby clash. This weekend presents a chance for them to snatch that losing streak in Durban, however, getting a win away against the Sharks is easier said than done.

Trips to Durban have been daunting for the Lions in recent seasons, with them going down 37-10 in their last match on the east coast. But, despite not having a good record in the fixture, the Lions’ coaching staff have an idea of how to pick up a win in Durban this weekend.

Playing at the Shark Tank

Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher painted a detailed picture of how they should approach the game if they hope to get a victory.

“When you go down to Durban a big part of your game is definitely your game management,” said Loubscher when speaking to the media.

“You want to make sure you hold on to the right opportunities in terms of possession, and if you’re not on the front foot and are in your own half, you have to make plans to get out of your half.

“That’s where our kicking game comes into play. The big thing there is to make sure you get that right. Play in the right areas, and when you get opportunities in their half, make sure you build scoreboard pressure,” he said.

With the Sharks yet to find their feet in John Plumtree’s second tenure, it does feel like this weekend is the Lions’ best chance of getting one over the Sharks in their backyard.

The Durban side are at the bottom of the URC table as they have failed to move through the gears this term. They lost 16-15 to the Stormers in their last outing but their performance was probably their best this season.

Quality Sharks outfit

Loubscher said the Lions will not pay too much attention to the Sharks’ performances from last weekend and their log standing.

“We don’t want to read too much into that game (against the Stormers) and where they are sitting on the log, which will be the biggest mistake,” he said.

“You look at that squad, there’s just quality across the park. Our job this week and big focus is to get our processes right and our performance right.

“If you go back to the Newcastle game (in the Challenge Cup), we got the right result but performance-wise, we weren’t happy with that. So, that will be the big focus for us and to make sure for 80-minutes we put a good performance,” said Loubscher.