Lions primed for top of the table clash against Leinster

The Lions are primed and ready for their huge United Rugby Championship (URC) top of the table clash against Irish powerhouse Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday evening (kick-off 6:15pm).

Pace setters Leinster have finished top of the URC table in every season to date, and are again leading the pack with a full house of 25 points after winning all five matches so far with bonus points.

The Lions are the only other unbeaten team left in the competition and have surprised many with their impressive start, which sees them on 18 points thanks to a perfect win record after four games.

However they now face what could be their toughest match of the season against the Irish giants on their home turf and wing Edwill van der Merwe believes they just have to enjoy the occasion.

“This has been a massive week for Lions rugby. We happen to be number two on the log. So it’s number one against number two this weekend. It’s going to be massive and we just have to enjoy it,” said Van Der Merwe.

“Coach Cash (Ivan van Rooyen) has been reminding us that we don’t have to make the occasion bigger than it needs to be. Leinster is one of the top (franchise) sides in the world and we want to measure ourselves against the best. So we are very excited.

“It is also the first time that all of us are playing at the Aviva, which is an iconic stadium. So there won’t need to be any extra motivation for the match.”

Strong team

The Lions have named a very strong team for the game, with exciting flyhalf talent Kade Wolhuter returning from injury and big prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye back after missing out on their last game due to concussion.

They have also named some top impact players on the bench, with rising loose forward talent Renzo du Plessis, as well as a trio of backline stars, Sanele Nohamba, Marius Louw and Erich Cronje, all ready to fire.

It is the Lions final tour match, with them having beaten Dragons in Wales and Zebre in Italy, and they will want to just put in a good account of themselves against Leinster.

“It has been a great tour so far. The players have been spending a lot of time with each other, getting to know each other, and that relates to the results we have been getting on the field,” explained Van Der Merwe.

“In terms of the log we are happy where we are, but we don’t think too much about it. It’s too early (in the season) to be looking at that.

“As a team we just want to keep improving. Our big focus this weekend is to finish our opportunities when we get them. Because we know against a team like Leinster you might only get one or two (chances) and you have to capitalise on them to score points and put them under pressure.”