Lions skipper Francke Horn will lead his team in an importnat two game URC tour against Cardiff and Glasgow Warriros over the next two weekends.
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Lions captain Francke Horn says his team can’t afford any more mid-game “slumps” if they are to have a successful United Rugby Championship (URC) tour, starting on Friday night against Cardiff.
In the Lions’ last game, they lost a cliffhanger to the Sharks 25-22, and Horn says they have identified where they went wrong.
“In our review of the Sharks game, we saw that there was a five to ten-minute slump before half-time where we weren’t in the moment,” the 25-year-old said.
“That obviously wasn’t good enough, and there were a few individual, basic errors at the end that cost us the game. But as teammates, we should back each other up and rectify each other’s mistakes. That is a crucial thing we must remember on tour.”
Horn added that the Lions’ game management could have been better.
“In a close game, we should be playing in the right areas of the field and putting pressure on the opposition to force them to make errors.”
The Lions have traveled to Wales with some welcome reinforcements in the fit-again trio of Henco van Wyk, Quan Horn, and Ruan Venter. They are influential players who can make a big impact.
“It is a massive boost to have Henco, Quan, and Ruan back for the weekend and the tour,” Horn said.
“They bring a lot of excitement and energy but also calmness to the team. They will be fresh, ready, and eager to get back onto the field.”
Sadly, in-form scrumhalf Morne van den Berg was an injury casualty at Kings Park and isn’t on tour.
Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg will miss the Lions match against Cardiff on Friday due to injury.
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“Morne has been playing some unbelievable rugby, but now a guy like Nico (Steyn) has to step in, and I know he will do his job. He also brings something different to the team, so I am excited for him to get his chance.”
Cardiff are sixth on the URC table and have been a bright spot in an otherwise struggling Welsh rugby scene.
“Cardiff have been playing some great rugby, especially at home, and they are a proud club with big support,” Horn said. “It is also noisy there, a hostile environment. It is a big challenge for us to play them there.”
The Lions are part of a major logjam on the URC table as the playoffs approach, making every point vital.
“Every game is important, but I think we can only take each game on tour as it comes, one game at a time. Everyone knows how many teams are tightly packed on the log and how crucial every single point is,” the captain said.
“We will go out with the mindset of getting as many points as possible and starting the tour on a winning note.”
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