Scrumhalf Nico Steyn says the Lions are keen to rediscover their attacking identity in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener against two-time champions La Rochelle.
The Lions face a tough assignment in France in their first match in the competition, with Steyn urging his teammates to put last weekend’s heavy defeat to the Bulls behind them and focus on what they do best.
Ivan van Rooyen’s side were thrashed 57-15 at Loftus Versfeld in the URC, but Steyn insists they cannot afford to dwell on that result.
“We can’t look back at last week’s game and hammer on it the whole time – we need to put that behind us,” he told a media conference on Wednesday.
“We know La Rochelle are a strong French team, we know they’ve got a heavy pack, so for us it’s just about getting back to the Lions way, moving the ball and getting back to our strengths.”
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La Rochelle won the Champions Cup in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and currently sit fourth in the French Top 14 after winning four out of six matches.
Despite the challenge, Steyn believes the Lions can make the most of their European tour if they play closer to the potential they know they have in the group.
“I don’t think nerves will be a big factor. For us it’s just about pulling together as a group and a tour is always nice when the vibe is good and the prep goes well,” he said.
“If we can rectify the mistakes from last weekend, get our minds right and execute our plans, it’ll be a great tour.”
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Steyn said the Lions were amped for their Champions Cup debut, but stressed the importance of turning that energy into a strong performance.
“There’s big excitement in the squad, it’s massive. But we’ll just make sure we go into this game with a helluva confidence and try to get the result on our side.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Nico: We’re ready to do it the Lions way appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Scrumhalf Nico Steyn says the Lions are keen to rediscover their attacking identity in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener against two-time champions La Rochelle.
The post Nico: We’re ready to do it the Lions way appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
