Fidelity SecureDrive Lions scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys believes the primary challenge against Leinster will be facing a deeply desperate, star-studded team looking to bounce back from their 41-19 loss to Bordeaux Bègles in the Champions Cup final defeat.
The Lions will be using Bordeaux’s blueprint, making massive defensive stops (Bordeaux forced roughly 250 tackles) and choosing the right moments to strike without over-committing to the breakdown.
“Without trying not to give away any tactics or anything, the contact situation is really vital against any team.”
“In any rugby game, the team that goes forward when contact takes place has a better chance. Whether it's attack, defence, or set-piece. And that's what we see with the Springboks, even with Bordeaux.”
“Bordeaux didn't come with a lot of fancy plays. They didn't come with fancy stuff; they were doing the small things right, and that will allow you opportunities.”
“Bordeaux managed to use their opportunities to score 41 points, where we could only score seven points against them (Leinster). So yes, converting those chances was a big focus point for us. When we do manage to create, which we can and did two weeks ago, now it’s about executing that and converting it into points.”
“We believe if we get that right, that will give us a good chance.”
The Lions have stayed in Ireland since their last pool match to adapt to local conditions and sharpen their tactical edge ahead of the kickoff.
“We had to make the decision: Are we going to fly back to South Africa, prep there and then fly in for this game, or are we going to stay in Ireland. We chose the latter, and I think it definitely gives us the best chance to be fresh, to be sharp.I think that's why the group decided that.
“If I look at the training sessions now, we are sharp. I think the biggest difference will be the fact that we've experienced that now for two weeks. We had a week to freshen up, gave the guys a couple of days off and prepped well.
“The last two days I would say have been sharper, also just not having to travel, than it was that first week. But the proof is always in the pudding, so we're giving ourselves the best chance, and hopefully on the day we'll see that.”