Former Springbok centre and Lions assistant coach Jaque Fourie says while appreciating the magnitude Saturday’s crunch match, he has encouraged his side to not make it bigger than what it already is.
“We still want to focus on what we want to do, and it is important that we don’t make it bigger than it is. It is already a massive occasion, the Bulls against the Lions is always a big occasion. So we don’t want to blow it up too much.”
“If you have to hype your players up for the Jukskei derby, or any South African derby I think you are in the wrong sport. So we know what we need to do, the importance of the game and what we want to achieve from it."
“It is going to be a good task for us on Saturday. But I think coming from the Dragons match, the guys can take plenty of confidence from that performance into the Bulls game.”
The physicality of both sides remains a talking point whenever these two giants meet, and Fourie is under no illusions as to what the Johannesburg franchise will be up against come 14:45 tomorrow afternoon.
“We know what to expect from them and what they will bring. They bring physicality with their pack of forwards and when they get go forward and get in behind you it becomes a tough day. So we know what we have to do to counter that,” he concluded.
“It’s about being clever. You have to do the small stuff well at lineouts and scrums. It’s important to get the ball through whatever means. We need to secure our lineouts and get on the front foot at the scrums,” explained Fourie.
“Then when we get in behind them it’s the same for them, they need to stop us. A lot of our game plan is on the front foot. As soon as we get ball on the front foot and in behind them we need to keep them there on the back foot the whole time.”
