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Johannesburg - Lions flank Jaco Kriel says the team will prepare for their match against the Cheetahs like they’re facing a New Zealand team.
The Johannesburg side recently returned from a three-match overseas tour, where they won two of their three fixtures in Japan and New Zealand. The victory over the Chiefs in Hamilton was the most notable result as it was the Lions’ first Super Rugby win there in the competition’s history.
However, the Lions were disappointed following their 34-15 loss against the Highlanders in Dunedin last weekend. And Kriel said the players are determined to return to winning ways.
“Overall, the tour was great. We came home with valuable competition points, which creates a lot of confidence,” Kriel told MyPlayers. “However, we were very disappointed with our last performance. As a group, we have put the result behind us. We know we can do better and we are focused on improving for the next game.”
Kriel added that the victory over the Chiefs has sparked something special in the Lions squad.
“That win proved to the players, especially the younger guys, that if we all stick to the collective game plan, we will achieve success. We know we have the ability to get the desired results. We just need to continue working hard, remain humble and stick to our structures.”
The Lions will tackle the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on Saturday in the annual Super Rugby “Cats” derby.
Kriel believes the Bloemfontein will provide a massive challenge, especially with ball in hand.
“The Cheetahs are a quality side, one that likes to throw the ball around. We have prepared for the match as if we’re playing against a New Zealand team because they play a very similar style of rugby,” said Kriel. “They have many players with X-factor, so we need to deliver a solid performance.
“As a team, we’re excited to be at home again. We can’t wait to play in front of our home crowd.”
Teams:
Lions
15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnal Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Dylan Smith
Substitutes: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg
Cheetahs
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 William Small-Smith, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Neil Marais, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Charles Marais
Substitutes: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Johan Coetzee, 19 Francois Uys, 20 Hilton Lobberts, 21 Boom Prinsloo, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Fred Zeilinga
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