With Ruan Venter sidelined, the spotlight falls on Junior Bok powerhouse Batho Hlekani. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
With plenty of uncertainties still swirling around the United Rugby Championship final standings as the tournament comes to the close of its regular season, the Lions know one truth: beat Munster this weekend, and they will qualify for the play-offs of the competition for the first time.
The recent 31-7 loss to Leinster, without collecting any log points, has kept the door open for the teams below the fourth-placed Lions to usurp them and possibly drop them out of the Top 8. It will, therefore, be a nervy week for the Lions and their supporters as they prepare for Saturday’s clash at Thomond Park (kick-off 8.45pm), but if results go their way and the Lions do their part, they will certainly make the quarter-finals at the end of May.
"We are 100% focussed on this weekend," captain Francke Horn said on Tuesday. "With the permutations, we can literally still play anyone still (in the quarter-finals).
"We felt we played some good rugby against Leinster but also played some uncharacteristic stuff. We would like to fix that this weekend and get back to winning ways playing our style of rugby."
And therein lies the tale of the tape regarding how the Lions will approach their clash against the Red Army.
In Dublin this past weekend, the Lions were unable to manage the aggressive line speed of Leinster, battling to break down a stubborn defence. It was clear from the start of the match that the Lions would employ a more measured approach reliant on tactical kicking.
Although the Lions had 41% possession during the clash, they kicked only five times less (35-30) than the defending champions. It was a gameplan that did not pay dividends on the day as Leinster were equal to the task in nullifying that particular approach.
Moreover, when compared to their gameplan against the equally highly-rated Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park in mid-April, where the Lions only had 37% possession, they only kicked on 16 occasions but still went on to beat the former champions 54-12.
Indeed, it seemed that the Lions opted for an overly tactical approach against Leinster compared to the style of play they had previously seen them score over 30 tries in six matches. Of course, conditions in Ireland are vastly different to the firm-footed surrounds of Doornfontein, but it seems that the Joburgers made an ill-conceived decision to step away from what had previously been working for them with aplomb.
In Limerick this weekend, the Lions will still need a solid kicking game — the slower fields and weather demand it, especially when light rain and cold are predicted for matchday. The game against Munster will arguably require a more balanced methodology.
On Tuesday, Lions assistant coach Wessel Roux alluded to a change in tactics.
"Leinster are a really good side in the air," said Roux. "If you don’t kick 100% on point, then you won’t get the scraps back.
"We planned for a kicking game and we wanted to get some reward from it, but things didn't happen as we hoped for. With their rush defence and quality of their defence, it put us under pressure in more areas of the field.
"It was difficult. We have discussed it this week. Munster are a bit of a different side."
Meanwhile, Roux could offer no update on the severity of utility-forward Ruan Venter’s injury. The Springbok left the field this past Saturday with a knee injury and returned to South Africa for treatment a day later. Despite the setback, Roux was positive that there was enough back-up within the touring squad to cover for Venter’s absence.
Said Roux: "I think it is a relatively serious injury. Luckily, we have enough forwards here, so it won’t be necessary to bring anyone in from SA."
Venter’s non-availability could see Batho Hlekani promoted into the starting XV, with Siba Qoma on the bench.