Fidelity Securedrive Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen attributed the team's first-ever United Rugby Championship (URC) South African Shield title to a significant "shift in mindset" and mental resilience.
The Lions secured the silverware following a gritty 24–10 victory over the Stormers at Ellis Park, combined with the Sharks' 41–12 loss to the Bulls later that day.
Van Rooyen hailed the squad's mental strength, noting they have "grown a lot over the last month". He emphasised that the difference was not tactical but mental, with experienced leaders now driving the intensity needed for every "set" of play.
“I think we’ve grown a lot over the last month. Mentally, in the moment, the experienced leaders are driving hard and pushing what’s needed for the next set, what’s needed for the next five sets. I’m incredibly proud of our performance.”
“The last 20 minutes were an immense defensive effort. Going down to 13 players was tough. We had to understand what was needed, work rate and body height. I think our body height was a lot better in the last two weeks, and that’s why we managed to stop momentum a bit better.”
He praised the team's ability to find ways to "swing the game" in their favour under pressure, rather than just being "good enough in one or two moments" as in previous seasons.
“The biggest lesson we’ve learned the last two weeks is you have to find a way in the game,” he said. “It will never be perfect, but we managed to swing it the other way.
“We spoke during pre-season about needing to be better and more consistent against South African teams, as that’s where we felt we lost points in the past. So I’m very proud.”
Despite losing two players to the sin bin in the final 20 minutes, the coach lauded an "immense defensive effort". He specifically credited improved "body height" in tackles over the last two weeks as the reason for stopping opposition momentum.