Lions set to turn it back on against Falcons in Challenge Cup

With them back on home soil for their Challenge Cup clash against the Newcastle Falcons at Ellis Park on Saturday, the Lions are set to revert back to their regular attacking play style as they target another big win.

The Lions have played two very contrasting game styles so far this season, choosing a more pragmatic game style for the wet and windy European conditions and a more expansive one back on the sunny Highveld.

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In their four away United Rugby Championship (URC) matches this season, all which were played in Europe, the Lions only managed to score seven tries over those games.

However in their three home URC games the Lions have run in 20 tries, showing just how different their home and away styles have been.

One try

That was evident once again over the past weekend in their Challenge Cup match in France, where despite clinching a decent 28-12 win, the Lions only scored one try.

It was also a second string side that they sent over for the game, as they left the entire starting 15 that helped them thump Dragons 49-24 a week earlier back in SA, so they put a premium on building early scoreboard pressure and securing the win.

“We had a look at Perpignan and it was the right game plan against them. You must call it winning rugby and not ugly rugby,” explained Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher.

“The French teams like to counter attack and we focused on our game management to turn them around and use our defence as a weapon. Luckily we got a good result and the plan to send a different squad worked well for us.

“So credit to the boys. We basically had two, or three days to prep and the guys must take a lot of credit for gelling as a team. We didn’t have a lot of time because of the travel to get a result. So we’re happy with that.”

Fresh starting 15

With a fresh starting 15 having enjoyed a weekend off and not had to deal with tough travel implications of flying back from France and playing again on a Saturday, they will be fired up to produce another scintillating display against the Falcons at Ellis Park.

Loubscher, who was one of two key coaches also left back in SA to help the starting group prepare for the Falcons match, admitted they had done their research into their English opposition and that they would be playing the game that they are known for against them.

“If you look at their (Newcastle) games, you will see a different team in terms of profile. When you look against a team that has a power game, they struggle. But for us it is more about putting them under pressure, forcing mistakes and then playing according to our DNA,” said Loubscher.

“We have different styles when we are overseas, but when we are at home we want to play a certain style of game.”