Fourie: Lions going for the jugular

03/01/2024 01:12 AM

Jaque Fourie has urged the Lions to attack from the off in the hunt for their second win of the year against the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions will look to bounce back from successive defeats to the Vodacom Bulls when they host the Sharks in a Vodacom URC derby.

Also on offer for the men from Johannesburg is a rare double against a South African rival, having beaten the Sharks in Durban in early January.

That was the Lions’ first win at Kings Park since 2017, but it remains their only victory of the year, as they have lost four games in a row in all competitions since.

“In the first 20 minutes, we have to start better and keep possession of the ball,” Fourie was quoted by Netwerk24.

“We have to nip any attacks in the bud immediately to prevent our opponents from gaining momentum. We also have to make sure we play three, four or more phases with the ball.

“We showed in the first game against the Bulls [at Loftus Versfeld] that we can do it all. Our challenge now is to play well for 80 minutes and take the lead as soon as possible.”

While a missed long-range penalty in overtime was all that separated the Lions from a win at Loftus Versfeld, they were convincingly beaten in a 25-10 loss at Ellis Park.

“We expected more from ourselves, but that’s just how rugby goes – up and down,” Fourie said.

“We have to keep the ball, we have to play as the situation dictates and if the situation dictates we have to run with the ball, we have to do it.

“If the advantage line is full of defenders, we have to look for space behind this line with kicks.

“We have put a lot of emphasis on this in training for the last two weeks and must now start applying it in matches.”

Photo: Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images

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