Loffie’s Lions believe
9 Oct 2008
Despite the loss to the Sharks two weeks ago, Lions coach Loffie Eloff says his team will go into the semi with the belief they can surprise the hosts.
The Lions head to Kings Park with four Springboks in their squad, with only Jaque Fourie currently involved in the national set-up. Conversely, the Sharks are littered with game breakers from 1-22, which includes 15 Boks and French international Freddie Michalak.
To say the Lions travel to Durban as underdogs would be an understatement of immense proportions.
Although the Lions were downed 34-20 at home in the penultimate round of the league stages in the Absa Currie Cup, Eloff feels there was enough in that showing to give his team the hope they can cause an upset. The Lions led 13-10 on the hour-mark until Earl Rose gifted the Sharks 14 points in three minutes, while his team-mates also began to slip off tackles.
“That match didn’t give us ultimate confidence but it did give the players the belief that it’s possible to beat the Sharks and compete with teams full of Springboks,” Eloff told keo.co.za.
Eloff has drawn last year’s World Cup as inspiration for the less-fancied sides to surprise their more illustrious opponents. “Semis are very different and anyone can win it. The dynamic shifts in a once-off match and puts much more pressure on sides knowing you could get knocked out.”
In play-off situations defence is highly integral in a team’s success. Eloff is content with this aspect of their game, but admits they can’t defend for most of the match – like they did against Western Province – and must do some attacking of their own.
“We had a fair amount of ball against the Sharks in Jo’burg, but we must get our hands on the ball more often than we did last weekend. From there we want to attack from the right areas,” he said.
Playing in Sharks territory will be key, but Eloff acknowledges tactical kicking hasn’t been the best aspect of the Lions’ play. Any aimless use of the boot will be punished by the Sharks’ counter-attack, while Frans Steyn’s long range drop-kicking needs no elaboration.
“We’ve possibly kicked too much in the past, and haven’t been as good tactically as we could have. You don’t want to kick for the sake of it and give the ball away,” said Eloff.
The Lions have talked a good game in terms of not making mistakes and having the correct tactical approach to play-off rugby. Saturday will prove whether the players can put these elements into practice out on the Kings Park pitch.
By Grant Ball
17 Comments
9 Oct 2008, 08:35 am
May the best Dreagon team win on Saturday
9 Oct 2008, 08:35 am
Surely a sloooow dragon…
9 Oct 2008, 08:37 am
Do they believe they going to keep the scoreline at less than 50points?
9 Oct 2008, 08:45 am
Don’t believe it’s going to be big scores on both games. Winner takes all , every panalty counts.
9 Oct 2008, 08:48 am
Tight first half
Good night Lions second half
9 Oct 2008, 08:53 am
Teams that talk the most are generally the teams that are crapping themselves and are trying to use every opportunity to build themselves up.
Clearly the lions are a bit concerned
9 Oct 2008, 08:58 am
Its true what loffie says about the world cup! Argentina beat them twice in front of their own people.
the Lions must stay positive and come out firing on saturday….putting al the pressure on the sharks.
9 Oct 2008, 09:17 am
CC Final;
Durban, Sharks vs. Cheetahs, you heard it here first.
It will be parent club against feeder club.
9 Oct 2008, 09:20 am
#8 ruggaluvva: the Namibian, Sharks & Wallaby supporter: Mmmm Maybe you are right here.
9 Oct 2008, 09:37 am
“Loffie’s Lions Believe” In what? A miracle?
Maybe Loffie should rather say, “I have a dream!”
9 Oct 2008, 09:41 am
Sharks will beat the Lions *sigh* . But we all know that the Sharks get stage fright in finals
9 Oct 2008, 10:04 am
#8 ruggaluvva: the Namibian, Sharks & Wallaby supporter:
You are the fifth person to tell me the Cheetahs will win, so I did not hear it first from you. Pasop julle maar vir die LEeus…moenie choke nie…
9 Oct 2008, 10:23 am
#12 Supa Die Bloubul:
Lions will be dangerous but I dont fear them, rather I fear we wont play to our potential so they are a non-entity to me. The Cheetahs on the other hand have the personnel to actually squeeze out a win at Loftus.
Since youv’e heard the prediction before, let me sweeten it by saying, “Cheetahs by 6″
9 Oct 2008, 10:26 am
#13 ruggaluvva: the Namibian, Sharks & Wallaby supporter:
hehe – I think completely different. IMO Shakrs and Bulls will take it, but if there is an upset, it might be the Lions. The lions are very unpredictable with Earl Rose at 10. He might throw another game away, or he might win it for them like last year. The Cheetahs are more limited, I dont see them all of a sudden coming out and playing good rugby.
That said, I still feel Sharks and Bulls will make it.
9 Oct 2008, 10:30 am
Ja right Loffie…..yap yap yap
Maybe some of the Lions supporters are listening
9 Oct 2008, 11:47 am
#13 ruggaluvva: the Namibian, Sharks & Wallaby supporter: I can say Bulls by 50. It doesn’t make it neccesary true. If the Bulls play to their potential, the Cheetahs doesn’t stand a chance. Same with the Sharks, if they play to their abbilities the Lions doesn’t stand a chance. But it doesn’t help if you try to sound clever and make silly predictions to something like the future who you know as little as anybody else on this site about.
9 Oct 2008, 18:28 pm
Well for years I believed in the tooth-fairy but that didn’t exactly go the way I had planned
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