The Lions have looked to the Springboks to help them start their URC campaign with a win over Cardiff.
Losing the Currie Cup final and immediately departing on a three game tour for the start of the United Rugby Championship (URC) season would be tough for any team, and the Lions are looking to take inspiration from the Springboks when they take on Cardiff at Arms Park on Saturday (kick-off 8:45pm).
The Lions were stunned by the Griquas in a Currie Cup final they were expecting to win comfortably, to pick up their first bit of major silverware in a decade, but they were instead beaten after the fulltime hooter for the second straight year in the competition.
Last year, after the Sharks had done the same thing, the Lions could at least start their URC campaign at home, which led to them clinching two big home wins, followed by two tight wins on the road for a four game winning start to the competition.
But this season they begin their campaign away from home, starting in Cardiff, followed by a trip to Italy to face Zebre and Benetton on consecutive weekends.
Speaking at a press conference earlier in the week, Lions loose forward WJ Steenkamp said that the team was massively disappointed with their loss against the Griquas, but took heart from the way the Boks have bounced back from losses this season.
Rugby Championship drove us
“Monday we got together as a team. What we saw in the Rugby Championship from the Springboks and Australia, that drove us this week, in how they got it right to turn things around,” explained Steenkamp.
“The Boks lost at Eden Park, and the following week they put up a record score against the All Blacks. Australia did the same against the Boks (at Ellis Park).
“That’s international teams that could get it right in a week, and we used that to drive us this week. We want to replicate what the Boks did, and hopefully we can do it.”
Scrum guru Julian Redelinghuys said that they were also hoping to get things right in Wales this time round, after they slipped up last season in a game they should have won, which in the end proved costly as it set them back in the race for the top eight in their end of season run.
“We aren’t looking to set the record straight (from last season). But away wins are so valuable in this competition. So that is our focus right now, to try and pick up as many wins and points on the road as we can,” said Redelinghuys.
“It would be massive for us if we could come away from this tour with a couple of wins. We will have to do whatever we can in prep and on the day to win these games. So that’s what we are trying to achieve.”
