Coach Ivan van Rooyen says the Lions’ 29-18 win over the Scarlets at Ellis Park on Saturday was built on patience.
It was the Joburg-based franchise’s first victory in this season’s Vodacom URC after three losses on tour.
“I think at stages we managed to build some nice momentum against an aggressive rush defence,” Van Rooyen said. “Our attacking breakdown let us down a bit, to really capitalise on what we created, but mentally we were there for the full 80 minutes. I’m happy with the five [log] points.
“The leaders kept driving us forward. That’s the irony, even in the first three games, we never felt out of control or that we were getting punished. And we managed to win some of the big moments here.”
REPORT: Lions pounce for first win
Van Rooyen said the Lions’ set piece and defence showed improvement but pointed out areas that still need refining.
“We pride ourselves on our discipline and the amount of penalties we want to concede and the pictures we want to show to the ref. So we got a clean-up needed there. We managed to wear them out and get the result.
“When we got quick ball we managed to put them under more pressure. The half-time score didn’t reflect the opportunities we created and we knew going into the second half we could exploit that. Ulster are one of the form teams going into next week. They are looking really good.”
MORE: Sharks rocked by injury to Bok heavy
Captain Francke Horn described the result as a relief.
“We’ve worked hard the last four weeks. Obviously the results didn’t show it. So we are very grateful for the win,” he said.
Horn credited the team’s composure in the closing stages.
“It was nervy at the end, but the guys stayed calm, stuck to the plan and got the five points.
“It’s one step closer to where we want to be, it’s not perfect yet, but this will build confidence in the team going forward.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Cash praises Lions’ composure appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach Ivan van Rooyen says the Lions’ 29-18 win over the Scarlets at Ellis Park on Saturday was built on patience.
The post Cash praises Lions’ composure appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
