‘Put out your best team,’ Lions No 9 tells Leinster ahead of URC clash

Lions scrumhalf Morne van den Berg has called on the Leinster coaching team to field their strongest matchday-23 when the teams meet in a United Rugby Championship match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday (6.35pm).

Top of the table Leinster, unbeaten in their five matches in the 2024/25 season, face the second-placed Lions, who’re unbeaten in four matches. They have a game in hand after starting the season one week later than the Europe-based teams.

The Irish side have been known to field weakened, or second-string, sides are various times of the season and it is not yet known who the coaches will send in to battle this weekend.

Exciting opportunity

Earlier in the week, Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen said he and his charges were looking forward to finally facing Leinster’s A side, packed with Irish internationals, after only playing against a weakened team in past encounters since the South African teams joined the URC.

And on Tuesday, Van den Berg said: “I feel we’re in a good place at the moment and want to go up against the best side Leinster can put out.”

The scrumhalf, who made his Springbok debut this season, added: “This weekend is an unbelievably nice test for us to see where we are (in our development and growth).

“Right now the mood in the camp is good, and there’s a good culture as well that’s developed … touring has brought us together.

“Every day we’re working hard to be better. But we’re far from where we want to be, and can be. No one here thinks we’re the best in the competition or has any thoughts of going for the title.

“We’ll take on this weekend and then we’ll face the next hurdle.”

‘Fire shots’

The Lions have so far beaten Ulster and Edinburgh at home and the Dragons and Zebre on the road. After this weekend’s match against Leinster, they’ll have a month off, due to the November internationals being played in Europe.

Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher said the team were excited to “fire shots” at Leinster.

“Leinster like a fast start, whether it’s the first half or the second half … they like putting you under scoreboard pressure, so it’s important we must start well,” said Loubscher, who handles the Lions’ attacking play.

“You can’t go in with a mindset that you’re going to keep them out; they’re good enough to score tries from anywhere, so it’s important for us is to fire shots as well and try take the game to them and put them under pressure.

“You can’t sit back and allow them to play, because they’ll get on top of you. But what an opportunity for us. We’re all excited about the chance to face them at home.”