Lions utility back Richard Kriel played a pivotal role on the attack and defence for his side against Glasgow. last weekend He expects Connacht to bring a different challenge on Saturday afternoon.
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They did their job well and prepared adequately for the challenge of the Glasgow Warriors, but the Lions are expecting an entirely different game from Connacht in Johannesburg.
Following a runaway 54-12 victory over the United Rugby Championship (URC) log leaders, Ellis Park will welcome a desperate Irish club looking for a second consecutive victory on South African soil. Connacht upset the Stormers this past weekend and will look to give their hosts a run for their money on Saturday (4pm kick-off).
While it was a comfortable victory over the Warriors, the Lions are bracing for a tough outing against a side still chasing a Top 8 and play-off spot.
According to utility back Richard Kriel, they will take confidence from the Glasgow victory, but they cannot rest on their laurels thinking that the route to the play-offs and Saturday will be easy.
“I think we’re just taking it game by game, to be honest,” Kriel, who commanded the No 12 jersey, said.
“We did our job and we prepared well for Glasgow, but this week it’s Connacht — a completely different challenge. Our full focus is now on this week. Next week, the focus will be on something else. So, we take it game by game and then perform at the weekend.
“They play two different games,” Kriel said, referring to Glasgow and Connacht.
“One is Scotland and one is Ireland, so just the DNA of what they do is totally different. We have been preparing well this week. I think it’s going to be a good game this weekend. If you want to go in depth, there are a lot of differences between the sides, like their attacking structure, with one playing flatter and not as deep.
“Glasgow try to hold you up in the tackles, Connacht try to tackle you and disrupt your breakdown. It’s a couple of small things, but we’ve been preparing for that.”
According to winger Kelly Mpeku, they have learnt a few things about the Irish side from their match against the Stormers. One thing that stands out is that they do not go away for the full 80 minutes.
There was a stage in the second half where the Cape side led 24-14, and a 10-point lead normally means the Stormers will bury their opposition, but three tries in the final 15 minutes saw the Irish side fight back.
“They play a lot flatter than Glasgow, so our defence must be on it,” Mpeku said.
“We need to work hard on defence and for each other. They’re a quality side — I mean, they came back from, I can’t remember what the score was against the Stormers, but they’re obviously a good outfit.
“So, we need to stay focused for 80 minutes. I think our impact players off the bench need to come on and do a job for us because they definitely never go away.”