Lions have future in own hands ahead of tour, says van Rooyen

Thanks to a vital win over Connacht, the Lions have put their future firmly in their own hands as they prepare for tough matches on the road against Irish powerhouses Leinster and Munster, says coach Ivan van Rooyen.

The in-form Lions stretched their winning run in the United Rugby Championship to an impressive six matches thanks to a clinical display against Connacht at Ellis Park in Johannesburg last week.

The winning streak has pushed the Lions into third place on the URC log as the business end of the competition approaches.

Denying Glasgow Warriors opportunities to launch deadly attacks from lineouts helped the Lions thrash the table-topping Scottish outfit 54-12 at Ellis Park, coach Ivan van Rooyen said. An energised Lions side entrenched themselves in the United Rugby Championship top eight with a memorable display against the log leaders. The Johannesburg side ran in eight tries and avenged a chastening 42-0 away defeat against Glasgow in 2025. “I very clearly remember the 42-0 defeat last year,” Van Rooyen said. “Glasgow were just way too good for us on that occasion. They taught us a lesson in tempo, quick-ball and pressure. So, I’m really extremely proud of the hard work and the effort the guys put in.” “If you’re going to give them entries there, it’s impossible to defend all of their options. “My takeaway is just a really proud defensive effort. It helped us that we had an extra week of preparation [the Lions were not involved in the Champions and Challenge Cups],” Van Rooyen said. “We did not want to give Glasgow penalties, and we were determined not to give them attacking lineouts, because from that platform, they are deadly. “They are almost impossible to stop when they attack you in your 22. The moment you switch off, they will exploit you because they are so good at attacking space,” Van Rooyen said. “My main takeaway is that I am really proud that we executed our game plan and stopped them from playing their natural game. Glasgow are the quickest team in the tournament in scoring points in the opening 10 minutes. We stopped them from doing that. In fact, we turned it around,” he said. Van Rooyen says his team are facing huge challenges in their remaining United Rugby Championship clashes. “Connacht are a side who have just beaten the Stormers and are the in-form team with several straight wins. “It’s going to be tough. Connacht are a very physical team and they also like to play high-tempo rugby,” Van Rooyen said. “We have reviewed Connacht as coaches and again, it’s another tough challenge.” Lions captain Francke Horn said his team would be taking it game by game. “We know where we want to be, but we don’t want to look too far ahead because you can lose focus on the game at hand,” he said. “This last week it was only about Glasgow; this week will only be about Connacht.” Glasgow coach Franco Smith has praised the Lions for a standout performance against his side. “Well done to the Lions. They used their time away from rugby so well [while other teams were involved in the Champions and Challenge Cup competitions],” he said. “They looked so fresh and quick. They’re a well-coached side, well-drilled as well. They came with a good plan and they put us under pressure and asked questions. “What makes the Lions so good is the fact they’ve got Springbok-like players who aren’t Springboks. These types of players are the most valuable players. They’re the guys who are good enough to be Springboks but aren’t Springboks. They make the difference at club level. “The Lions are a good team at home at Ellis Park and they play so well there.” Weekend URC fixtures Friday: Edinburgh v Sharks. Saturday: Stormers v Glasgow Warriors; Lions v Connacht; Scarlets v Bulls. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“We’re keeping ourselves alive, which is the nice part,” Van Rooyen said. “Connacht are such a tough team to play against. They don’t go away. They’re physical. They’re fit.

“Now we’re touring. It’s a tough tour — Leinster, then Munster — but as we’ve been saying, at least it’s still up to us.

“In the last three seasons, we hoped for one or two results from other teams. Currently it’s up to us to decide where we are, and the feeling is different than the last two or three years.

“I think we’ve grown a lot. The last two or three years it was just not good enough and hopefully this year it will be different. Two seasons ago, when we thought we had secured a top-eight spot, we slipped up in crucial games at home. We lost the last couple of matches and didn’t make it.

“However, I feel there has been plenty of growth since then. This time around, the feeling is a bit different, looking at where we are in our campaign and where we are heading. There is a sense of relief, yes — but we are not in the playoffs just yet.”

Van Rooyen said the transformation of his team had been significant this season.

“Six months ago we were spiralling and I was asked how we were going to regain control. In that regard we’ve grown quite a lot. Our decision-making is better. Our ability to transfer pressure onto our opponents has improved.

Good decision-making coupled with a measured game plan worked wonders for the Stormers when they powered their way to a 48-12 win over Glasgow Warriors, coach John Dobson said. After crashing to 33-24 to Connacht in their previous United Rugby Championship clash, the Stormers returned to winning ways thanks to a six-try blitz at the Cape Town Stadium. The mood surrounding the Connacht clash had been sombre after the death of long-serving team manager Chippie Solomon. “I think we could focus a bit more on the rugby this week,” Dobson said. “If you’re saying we played conservatively, then yes, probably. It was more like playoff rugby.” “Last week we were desperate and forced things, shovelling inferior ball. “This week we applied pressure. We knew we could put some pressure on set-piece wise and that was effective. “We didn’t need to create the magic against Glasgow, so that helped. “I thought the decision-making was excellent.” Dobson said criticism of the Stormers after the Connacht loss had been unjustified. “We got a lot of criticism for the Connacht performance,” he said. “But to understand what this team was going through, or what Chippie meant to us and to this organisation, and to expect those guys to perform normally is a lack of humanity in my mind. “We wanted to put in a proper performance against Glasgow, so to have done it like that and in the manner we did, it’s a really happy change room at this stage, and we can build on this.” Dobson said the debut of 18-year-old Markus Muller with 14 minutes to go had been special. “That noise (from the crowd) was so cool,” he said. “It makes me proud of the crowd because it shows they’re informed and enthusiastic. It was brilliant. “He’s the happiest kid. I think his hand is sore, but he’s the happiest kid in the world down there at the moment. “Personally, I would have liked to give him five or 10 minutes more. But we were down to one back at one stage, so we didn’t have the flexibility.” “He didn’t have much ball in hand, but his defence was really, really good. He stayed alive in the system and handled it well. “It’s important for us to show there’s a pathway. If you come through the system, you’ll get an opportunity. “That’s critical for what we’re building.” The win was marred when Cobus Reinach left the field in the 60th minute with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. “He’s in a brace and hasn’t been scanned yet,” Dobson said. “But I don’t see that being a quick turnaround. “It looks like a ligament, possibly medial. Hopefully it’s not an ACL, but it’s serious enough to keep him out for a while.” Captain Ruhan Nel said the Stormers had been fired up for one of the biggest games of the season against the United Rugby Championship log-leaders. “You could feel from the start of the week the boys were ready to get back to business and the energy shifted,” he said. “It was about doing something for ourselves. “We embrace criticism after the Connacht defeat, but there was a lack of understanding about what we went through. “I feel like there was a lack of respect, a lack of understanding towards the team and what we went through. “That also was part of the motivation this week that put a bit of anger in us. That added motivation.” Other URC scores: Edinburgh 33 Sharks 28, Lions 33 Connacht 21, Scarlets 21 Bulls 23. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“Some elements of our game are developing consistently, and over the last three years it just hasn’t been enough. But this year is different. The more clear you are about what you want to do and your identity, the easier it is.

“A lot of the time, you want to look at the outcome but you must look at the process and what made the difference or what had the effect. I think the coaches and the players are really aligned about what we want and what we need.”

Delighted Lions captain Francke Horn said committed defensive work had been vital in the win over Connacht.

“Connacht are a good team, especially on attack,” he said. “We knew we were going to have to defend multi-phase. There was a stage on our tryline where we defended for three to four minutes, and we managed. It was a massive defensive performance for 70 minutes.

The calamities within the Border Bulldogs’ campaign in the Super Cup competition have sparked a rallying call from the union for support ahead of another potential tough clash against the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday. The Bulldogs have become the whipping boys of the competition, losing all seven of their matches, many by big margins, leaving detractors wondering if the team is good enough. While the gap between well-resourced professional teams and semi-professional sides has been identified as one of the reasons for the hapless display, the Bulldogs have not fared any better against their equally struggling counterparts. This was displayed by their 71-14 loss to their provincial neighbours the EP Elephants, who shipped in 11 tries to two scored by Simthembile Zozi at the Madibaz Stadium in Gqeberha last weekend. The loss followed their 74-5 hammering by the Boland Kavaliers, piling the pressure on coach Dumisani Mhani to stop the rot. Mhani, whose hopes of turning the tide with the return of Varsity Shield players appear to be fading, has been searching for the right combination, to no avail. While they are underdogs in away matches, the Bulldogs have not fared any better at home, demonstrated by big losses in their two games against the SWD Eagles and Airlink Pumas. The Eagles handed them a 57-22 defeat at Hudson Park in KuGompo City, when they capitulated in the second half, while the Pumas turned them into puppies with a 94-5 drubbing at the Sisa Dukushe Stadium in Mdantsane, where they will welcome the Cheetahs on Saturday. Border Rugby Union president Zuko Badli admitted that the results had not met the standard the union, players and supporters expected. “Border Rugby acknowledges the frustration and disappointment felt by our supporters following the recent performance of the Bulldogs,” he said. Badli said the union and coaches were taking steps to address the situation, which included a review of on-field performances while strengthening key areas within the squad. While the team has shown a commendable fighting spirit, reflected by its ability to cross the try line in all matches, the fitness levels are cited as the biggest weakness, with Mhani admitting that they were currently a 40-minute outfit. This has been attributed to poor conditioning, with the team conceding the majority of points after the break. Though he is understood to have raised the matter in review meetings, Mhani has declined to comment about it in public. Badli said players’ fitness was one of the areas receiving attention. “The review includes reinforcing discipline, fitness and structures required to compete at the highest level,” he said. Facing the Cheetahs, who are coming off a surprising 43-36 loss to Valke in Johannesburg at the weekend, will be a tall order for Mhani’s troops, with another potential big loss predicted. Badli called on supporters to stand behind the team and offer a 16th player while the union was addressing shortcomings behind the scenes. “Your support, both in the stadium and beyond, remains a vital source of motivation for the team and the players. “Difficult moments are part of any sporting journey, and it is during these times that unity matters most. “The players are determined to respond with a performance that reflects the pride and fighting spirit of Border Rugby.” After the Cheetahs, the Bulldogs will be left with one game, against Valke, to turn their fortunes around. Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phone. Daily Dispatch

“Two tries at the end left a sour taste, but it’s good to win and get five points to stay alive. With a yellow card, they scored just seven points, and we scored points ourselves.

“The maturity of the win, I think we’ve grown a lot.”

Remaining Lions fixtures: May 9 versus Leinster; May 16 versus Munster.