Lions ready for URC after Currie Cup heartbreak: ‘No mental issues’

They haven’t had much time to dwell on it, but the Lions have had to get over their Currie Cup heartbreak quickly as they prepare to open their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign against Ulster at Ellis Park on Saturday.

A last gasp 59m penalty after the fulltime hooter from former Lions star Jordan Hendrikse clinched an unbelievable 16-14 win for the Sharks in the Currie Cup final over the past weekend.

But with them kicking off their URC season just a week later, this Saturday, the Lions have had to move on from that disappointment very quickly, as they welcome the Irish giants to Johannesburg, and assistant coach Barend Pieterse said that the team had responded well this week.

“It’s always going to be a tough mental block for the guys, especially after that game and how it finished. But we haven’t been in this situation before, where you play a Currie Cup final on the weekend and then you have to prepare for the first week of URC,” explained Pieterse.

“We gave the players off on Monday and did all the planning, and Tuesday when they came in everyone, the guys that played and the guys that are new to the group, showed no bad vibes or mental issues.”

Tricky start

The Lions face a tricky start to their URC campaign, against two teams that will likely be challenging for a place in the top eight come the end of the season, in Ulster followed by Edinburgh.

But they have the advantage of playing against them at home before heading off on a three game tour to the UK and Italy, so they will be eager to get their campaign off to the best possible start and take plenty of momentum overseas.

“Everybody is just excited to get the season up and running. We especially want to build on the momentum that the Currie Cup side has built over that campaign. A lot of those players are also in the group,” said Lions eighthman and new Lions captain Francke Horn.

“So we are really looking forward to taking another step forward and playing to the best of our ability. We obviously want to start the campaign well, especially at home.

“Last week there were a lot of fans (at the Currie Cup final), so we hope to see a lot of fans out on Saturday again. We want to feel that support and reward them by playing some attractive rugby.”