‘Stormers can tear you apart so we have to be ready,’ says Lions boss Van Rooyen

The Lions are preparing for a massive response from the Stormers when they welcome them to Ellis Park for their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby on Saturday afternoon.

The Cape Town side were flying high in the URC in early January, sitting top of the log after eight straight wins after a dominant start to their campaign, but that came to a screeching halt with back-to-back derby defeats against the Sharks.

That has seen the Stormers slip to third on the table, four points off Leinster in second and eight off Glasgow Warriors at the top, with a game in hand on both, and they will thus be desperate to get back to winning ways and move back up.

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen is keenly aware of the challenge that his side will face, as it is similar to the one they expected from the Bulls at the end of last month, when they came to Ellis Park looking for a big performance, which they delivered by hammering the Lions 52-17.

“We are expecting something similar to what we felt going into the Bulls game. They wanted to make a statement that week and that’s why we were so disappointed (with our performance),” explained Van Rooyen.

“The Stormers, after playing the Sharks twice, didn’t get the wins there. We know how proud they are, we know the quality they have, and if you are not 110% ready for them, they can absolutely tear you apart. So we have to be ready.”

SA Shield

The Lions will go into the match with a spring in their step after picking up a solid bonus point win over the Sharks this past weekend to get themselves back on the winning track.

It also puts them into the running to clinch the SA Shield, and a win over the Stormers could see them secure it, if the Sharks lose to the Bulls at Loftus, but Van Rooyen says they aren’t focusing on that at all.

“I think the difference for us (against the Sharks) was staying in the moment and following our process. We now have to do the same thing with the Stormers (who pose a similar threat),” said Van Rooyen.

“Let’s be honest, we haven’t won a lot of silverware recently. So yes, it is an opportunity for us. But the moment you spend any time on that you will take away from what performance we need to produce.

“So it’s really nice for us to have this opportunity. But our complete focus will be on our process and what we need to do.”

Lions captain Francke Horn echoed his coach’s sentiments, admitting that the whole team are fired up and eager to prove a point against the Stormers, but that they could not be swept up by that and had to still put in a solid performance.

“It’s an SA derby, the SA Shield is on the line and all of that stuff. I don’t think there is a single player that isn’t excited for the game. But with that excitement must come accuracy, being clinical and playing in the system,” added Horn.