If the Lions want to become a serious threat in the United Rugby Championship, they must show a new-found maturity in their match against the Stormers at Ellis Park on Saturday (2.30pm kick-off).
That is the opinion of their vastly experienced backline coach, Ricardo Loubscher.
The former Sharks and Springbok fullback said that the days of playing pretty but losing rugby are gone, and winning must be the priority.
“I would rather win by one point (by playing a balanced game) than play attractive rugby and lose the game, if that makes sense,” Loubscher said on Thursday.
The Lions are 13th on the URC points table, but have played two fewer games than their European counterparts and one less than their South African rivals.
The Lions have had a fortnight’s break since losing at home to the Bulls, and they have four local derbies in front of them – the Stormers on Saturday, home-and-away fixtures against the Sharks, and a return game against the Bulls.
This provides a good opportunity for the Lions to climb the points ladder, but Loubscher worries that this might be difficult if his team doesn’t show greater maturity in their game management.
While they boast some top attackers such as Edwill van der Merwe and Henco van Wyk, the likes of Quan Horn and Morné van der Berg will need to use their boots too.
“We had a nice start against the Bulls, which was good because they always target a strong start. So, we were happy with the first half, but we made a few costly errors in the second half,” Loubscher said.
“We tend to be a team that always has a go, but I think we must be smarter with our game management and hold on to the ball at the right times, and make sure we also play the tactical kicking game,” he explained.
“Sometimes you can drown yourself by just having a go from everywhere,” Loubscher added. “The big focus this week has been on making sure that our game management improves.
PJ Botha is hier om te bly en gereed om hierdie Saterdag vir die Emirates Lions uit te draf! 🦁🔥#ForOurCity
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) February 13, 2025
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“The two-week break gave us the chance to have a good chat about how we want to play and what is needed to achieve our goals.
“We are a side that creates opportunities, and we score tries, but we tend to lose our intensity.
“We have spoken about having the right mindset after we score a try, and that is to score another. We can’t slack off. We must keep up the energy.”
Loubscher said that game management includes discipline, an area where the Lions have shot themselves in the foot by giving away penalties and turnovers.
“When you watch rugby now, it is evident that if you make mistakes between the two 10-metre lines, you put yourself under pressure because it is around 35 metres to the tryline – and these days, kickers can put the ball deep into your 22, and all of a sudden you are under the pump.
“So, it is vital for us to manage that part of the field by holding onto the ball at the right times. It is a big responsibility on our outside backs, our game-drivers to make the right calls.”
Preparing to disrupt the Storm. ⛈️
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🆚 DHL Stormers
🗓: Sat, 15 Feb
⏰: 14:30
🎟️: https://t.co/ljJc58n6Bh
🏟: Emirates Airline Park#LIOvSTO #ForOurCity@vodacom #URC | #HitsDifferent
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Loubscher said the Lions had noted how the Bulls forwards outmuscled the Stormers in the set-pieces last week, and he expects a backlash from the Cape pack.
“Like any South African team, the Stormers pride themselves on their set-piece, and I was a little bit surprised to see how that went. The Bulls did well to get momentum from the set-pieces and the Stormers will want to do it to us.
“Rugby starts with the scrums and lineouts. Our boys understand it and are prepared for it.”