“Their Effort And Care Was Special Today” – Ivan van Rooyen

 

A visibly relaxed Ivan van Rooyen said during the post-match media opportunity that the performance of the Emirates Lions, despite a difficult week was extremely rewarding for the coaches as well as the players.

The Emirates Lions delivered a gutsy performance to turn a 27-14 halftime lead into a well-deserved 35-42 win, ending a five-match losing run in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash against the Glasgow Warriors in Johannesburg on Saturday.

“The forwards and the inside backs had a massive work rate, and a massive effort today. At one stage, it felt like we were playing with about 10 or 11 forwards: just carrying the ball up, trying to get us momentum and trying to get us quick ball," van Rooyen said.

“I was immensely proud of that. That’s why I say when you lose your outside backs especially, there is a lot of work that needs to happen on the inside to be okay defensively and on the attack."

“Massive effort from the guys, and I’m really proud of that. There were one or two good discussions in the week around that, and the only way we can talk and show how the guys care is between the four white lines.

“So, I’m really proud of the guys. Their effort and care were special today. So, very proud of them, and obviously relieved to win at home against a quality Glasgow team that last lost about 10 games ago.”