Lions to open Currie Cup against Sharks with confidence and unfinished business
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The Lions will have to grapple with a dichotomy of sorts when they kick off their Currie Cup campaign this weekend: confident that they will do well, yet desperate that they must.
It was heartbreak in the final of last year's competition when the Joburgers stumbled at the death against the Sharks — losing the title on the last play via a penalty. They face the defending champions in their opening match at Ellis Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with the memory of that pain still whispering through the halls of Doornfontein.
Recent shortcomings in the United Rugby Championship (URC) have not eased the pressure of expectation. And with nearly a decade having passed since their last piece of silverware, it's understandable that the team will privately acknowledge the importance of a positive outcome in the coming weeks.
The Lions head into the tournament with a healthy mix of senior squad members and junior rookies. On the field, they will be led by the affable Jaco Visagie, while Mzwakhe Nkosi returns to direct proceedings from the touchline.
There has been enough time, too, to consign last season's disappointment to the record books. There should, therefore, be more than enough belief and confidence to repeat their run to the final — and perhaps quash the growing exasperation of a support base hungry for success.
The Lions are not deaf to those frustration.
'Being a Joburger myself, you do feel it,' Lions coach Nkosi admitted on Thursday. during a media briefing at Joburg Stadium.
'I think I was the first to feel it last October (after the final loss to the Sharks). There's a real desperation within the Lions Rugby Company — firstly, to bring some success and sustain it; and secondly, to get our hands on some silverware.
'We came really close last season, and hopefully we can build on that. The long and short of it is, only one team can win — whether that's in the URC with 18 teams or in the Currie Cup with eight.
"It's a challenge, but myself included, we're all desperate for sustained success. And we have to give it our best shot.'
Visagie was distraught after last year's final, but as he prepares to lead the team once again this season, he remains optimistic that another exciting Cup run lies ahead. And there is no reason to doubt that confidence.
After all, the Lions racked up an impressive 437 points last season — 53 more than their nearest rivals, the Bulls. They played an enterprising brand of running rugby: fearless and ruthless. Most importantly, their squad for the tournament has a familiar look to it.
'We've got a very good team dynamic,' said Visagie. 'We almost have the same group this year, so the belief is there and the brotherhood is there.'
'We'll have the same approach as last year,' he added.
'The systems we put in place obviously worked. We lost only two matches — both to the Sharks — and those structures were solid. We just need to believe in them again.'
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