Lions’ assistant coach Jaque Fourie believes his team is “100% better” on defence than a year ago.
Fourie, a much-celebrated former Springbok midfield marauder, is in charge of the team’s defence and is clearly taken by the advances made by the team under his guiding hand.
Having slipped a few tackles early in their game against the Dragons the Lions called on resolute defence late in the game to shut out the Welsh team in front of their home crowd in their 28-27 win.
While Fourie was satisfied with the Lions’ intensity and physicality in the collisions it is their better grasp of the system that has seen them move forward.
“We are 100% better than last year. The guys are understanding it properly. The way we as coaches want them to understand it,” Fourie explained.
He laid bare their areas of focus in coming to grips with the opposition. “Twenty percent of the game is set piece and 80% unstructured. We are spending a lot of time on unstructured defence and 20% on vacuum defence like lineouts and from there just defending what is in front of you. Going up making tackles and slowing their ruck ball down,” Fourie said.
He believes the manner in which victory was achieved in Swansea has potential long-term benefits for the team. “We did well to pull that one through and it will do wonders for the character of the team.
“In saying that we had a lot of opportunities and we conceded easy tries. We will work on that this week and get it right for the weekend.”
The Lions meet Cardiff on Friday night and will have reason to go into that clash with a spring in their step. Cardiff have underperformed over the past few seasons and their more recent form is inconsistent at best. They won their opening game but conceded more than 50 points last week against Glasgow Warriors.
“It’s our second year so we expect a little more overseas,” said Fourie. “We know we need points overseas. We missed out on two games overseas last year and cost us a place in the quarterfinal.”
A second win on the road will be manna for the Lions who next week travel to Edinburgh. Though Mike Blair’s team is one of the dark horses in the competition they face the longer travel time after their commitments against the Bulls and Stormers. Those fixtures will be taxing on any team. The Lions may be in better physical shape for that clash, especially when one factors in their rotation policy.
They played different halfback combinations in their first two matches and the latest pair, Sanele Nohamba and Gianni Lombard, delivered a competent display against the Dragons. The combination of Morné van den Berg and Jordan Hendrikse started the campaign in pole position.
“Everybody puts up their hand for selection,” Nohamba noted. “The coaches back whoever they have to back, as they try new combinations. Gianni and I, we were very happy. We just backed each other up and trusted each other’s calls and everything took off from there.”
Nohamba joined the Lions last year as he tried to rebuild his career after falling out of favour at the Sharks. “I felt I needed a new start. I’m still learning and trying to grow.”
Nohamba and Van den Berg will contest a starting spot, not that the former seems too bothered. “We are not really competing. It is more about helping each other. We share information. Make each other better. The coaches then see which combinations work for them. I’m just focused on the Lions, nothing more.”