How the Lions turned a tour into gold

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   https://supersport.com/rugby/united-rugby-championship/news/08dda9a2-be8d-45e9-ab46-a41b783f016d/deep_dive_how_the_lions_turned_a_tour_into_gold?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=ss-alwayson&utm_term=ss-int-ctw-oct-22&utm_content=other_web-alwayson_rugby&fbclid=IwAR0TOmw0MXvIN9-EEQTSp6Lv2pNRTUrIhd868I6udGfusDfA8KiQaR3VzH0

It is easy to jump on the bandwagon of the Emirates Lions success on tour as they returned home with three away wins while other teams have failed in the past and present, but what has made them such a tough side to deal with?

After all, the lack of superstars, the lack of Springboks and the lack of one discernable trait has made the Lions a hard side to track, a hard side to dissect and even more confounding as to why they are so successful.
Words like “gutsy” and “determined” are bandied about with the Lions and it's clear to understand why when you see their games. They are a side that literally never gives up. While they seem hopelessly outgunned at times, they find a way to stop the opposition and more importantly, they find a way to win.
At first, it was their defence that was praised, but last weekend against Edinburgh they missed 30 tackles - a stat that would have any decent defence coach crying in a corner. They were once again behind in the territory and possession stats and they found a way to win.
They confounded their critics and supporters alike with a performance that had you on the edge of your seat, but a performance that wasn’t dominant and moments in the game that kept them in with a shout.
It was the same in their opening tour win against the Ospreys - the Lions missed 22 tackles on the night, had 40 per cent territory and 43 per cent possession, but they hung in there to claim a famous victory.
And what really sets this team apart from previous Lions sides is their willingness to take those moments, to hit hard when it matters most, even though they are outgunned and shouldn’t even be in the contest.
A look at their statistics doesn’t bring too much light either - the round four statistics released by Opta show that Edinburgh’s main strike weapon - winger Darcy Graham - who scored against the Lions for the Scottish side, had a magnificent night on attack.
He was the round’s leading player when it came to metres made on attack (156) and beat nine defenders on an evening where he should have claimed a man of the match award.
In fact, if you look at the Lions' stats for their evening at the DAM stadium, it makes for even more compelling reading. They had 46 per cent territory and 43 per cent possession. They made 135 tackles, but missed 34.
They had only a 50 per cent kicking success on the night, with Gianni Lombard struggling with the wind at the stadium.
But that belies the work on individuals and the impact it had on the Lions game. While rugby is a team game, the Lions secret seems to be in the way they scramble, how individuals pick off the big moments and how the team’s determination plays a bigger part than set plays, patterns and a bigger game plan.
There are still too many moments when they drift in and out of games, allowing the opposition chance to strike and this may become costly against bigger teams in the competition, but for now, their grit has been something to celebrate, and Lions fans will know that hasn’t happened in a long time.
For instance, against Edinburgh, Francke Horn may not have been close to Graham’s stats, but when he had the ball, he beat six defenders and scored a crucial try for the Lions at a time they needed it most.
Henco van Wyk’s Superman impersonation in breaking a tackle, getting up and breaking another to run to score will be fondly remembered by the Lions fans, but the 91 metres made on the night isn’t anything to scoff about. Again, it is not close to Graham but certainly made a difference on the night.
On defence, while the Lions missed way too many tackles, 19-year-old Ruan Venter made 15 of his own, and many of them were dominant as he brought the physicality to the contest and the loose trio is growing nicely in terms of their work-rate. In the previous game against Cardiff, Sibusiso Sangweni made nine tackles, the most for the Lions on the night while Horn had a 100 per cent tackle success rate.
On attack, when they get it right, it functions off the ball-carrying ability and decision-making of Marius Louw, who has supplanted Burger Odendaal and become an integral part of the Lions attack. It wouldn’t be unfair to say Louw is probably the most important player in the Lions’ arsenal at the moment.
A big part of the Lions' success has been their discipline, and in the opening rounds of the competition, where teams have seen cards and penalties given out like candy at Halloween, the Lions have been skint in this regard. They conceded just 11 penalties in both the Ospreys and Edinburgh games, and just six against Cardiff, showing that while they may not be the finished article on defence, they don’t give away easy points to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Their big test will come against some of the bigger sides in the competition if they can keep up the same grit and determination while improving the aspects of their game that are lacking. They will need to do that to get dominance over the teams they face and will hope that the same individuals band into a group that can grow into a dominant team in the competition.
But already it is a massive step forward from last season where they lacked the same intensity when it came to the battles that mattered.
And for that, the Lions should be thankful. The challenge now is to take it a step further and ensure their heroics on tour are not in vain.

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Transvaal Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 30-Mar-2016 Status: Offline Points: 39116	Post Options Post Reply Quote Transvaal Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: How the Lions turned a tour into gold Posted: 13-Oct-2022 at 2:56pm
	https://supersport.com/rugby/united-rugby-championship/news/08dda9a2-be8d-45e9-ab46-a41b783f016d/deep_dive_how_the_lions_turned_a_tour_into_gold?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=ss-alwayson&utm_term=ss-int-ctw-oct-22&utm_content=other_web-alwayson_rugby&fbclid=IwAR0TOmw0MXvIN9-EEQTSp6Lv2pNRTUrIhd868I6udGfusDfA8KiQaR3VzH0 It is easy to jump on the bandwagon of the Emirates Lions success on tour as they returned home with three away wins while other teams have failed in the past and present, but what has made them such a tough side to deal with? After all, the lack of superstars, the lack of Springboks and the lack of one discernable trait has made the Lions a hard side to track, a hard side to dissect and even more confounding as to why they are so successful. Words like “gutsy” and “determined” are bandied about with the Lions and it's clear to understand why when you see their games. They are a side that literally never gives up. While they seem hopelessly outgunned at times, they find a way to stop the opposition and more importantly, they find a way to win. At first, it was their defence that was praised, but last weekend against Edinburgh they missed 30 tackles - a stat that would have any decent defence coach crying in a corner. They were once again behind in the territory and possession stats and they found a way to win. They confounded their critics and supporters alike with a performance that had you on the edge of your seat, but a performance that wasn’t dominant and moments in the game that kept them in with a shout. It was the same in their opening tour win against the Ospreys - the Lions missed 22 tackles on the night, had 40 per cent territory and 43 per cent possession, but they hung in there to claim a famous victory. And what really sets this team apart from previous Lions sides is their willingness to take those moments, to hit hard when it matters most, even though they are outgunned and shouldn’t even be in the contest. A look at their statistics doesn’t bring too much light either - the round four statistics released by Opta show that Edinburgh’s main strike weapon - winger Darcy Graham - who scored against the Lions for the Scottish side, had a magnificent night on attack. He was the round’s leading player when it came to metres made on attack (156) and beat nine defenders on an evening where he should have claimed a man of the match award. In fact, if you look at the Lions' stats for their evening at the DAM stadium, it makes for even more compelling reading. They had 46 per cent territory and 43 per cent possession. They made 135 tackles, but missed 34. They had only a 50 per cent kicking success on the night, with Gianni Lombard struggling with the wind at the stadium. But that belies the work on individuals and the impact it had on the Lions game. While rugby is a team game, the Lions secret seems to be in the way they scramble, how individuals pick off the big moments and how the team’s determination plays a bigger part than set plays, patterns and a bigger game plan. There are still too many moments when they drift in and out of games, allowing the opposition chance to strike and this may become costly against bigger teams in the competition, but for now, their grit has been something to celebrate, and Lions fans will know that hasn’t happened in a long time. For instance, against Edinburgh, Francke Horn may not have been close to Graham’s stats, but when he had the ball, he beat six defenders and scored a crucial try for the Lions at a time they needed it most. Henco van Wyk’s Superman impersonation in breaking a tackle, getting up and breaking another to run to score will be fondly remembered by the Lions fans, but the 91 metres made on the night isn’t anything to scoff about. Again, it is not close to Graham but certainly made a difference on the night. On defence, while the Lions missed way too many tackles, 19-year-old Ruan Venter made 15 of his own, and many of them were dominant as he brought the physicality to the contest and the loose trio is growing nicely in terms of their work-rate. In the previous game against Cardiff, Sibusiso Sangweni made nine tackles, the most for the Lions on the night while Horn had a 100 per cent tackle success rate. On attack, when they get it right, it functions off the ball-carrying ability and decision-making of Marius Louw, who has supplanted Burger Odendaal and become an integral part of the Lions attack. It wouldn’t be unfair to say Louw is probably the most important player in the Lions’ arsenal at the moment. A big part of the Lions' success has been their discipline, and in the opening rounds of the competition, where teams have seen cards and penalties given out like candy at Halloween, the Lions have been skint in this regard. They conceded just 11 penalties in both the Ospreys and Edinburgh games, and just six against Cardiff, showing that while they may not be the finished article on defence, they don’t give away easy points to keep the scoreboard ticking. Their big test will come against some of the bigger sides in the competition if they can keep up the same grit and determination while improving the aspects of their game that are lacking. They will need to do that to get dominance over the teams they face and will hope that the same individuals band into a group that can grow into a dominant team in the competition. But already it is a massive step forward from last season where they lacked the same intensity when it came to the battles that mattered. And for that, the Lions should be thankful. The challenge now is to take it a step further and ensure their heroics on tour are not in vain.