'It was probably our best 40 minutes‚ those first 40 minutes' - Ackermann

The gauntlet was thrown down at the Lions players when they returned from their unbeaten three-match tour of Australia last week.

Their coaches wanted them to further up the ante‚ in particular the intensity in the game‚ and the result was a resounding 51-14 denouncement of the Bulls.

To suggest the Bulls were blown off the park may be slightly off the mark. For that they need to be on it first.

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The Lions played at speed‚ intent and accuracy with which the Bulls are unfamiliar against South African opposition and the result was the most comprehensive beating they had ever suffered against their trans-Juskei rivals.

“We challenged the players in the week to lift the intensity‚” noted coach Johan Ackermann.

“It was probably our best 40 minutes‚ those first 40 minutes‚” the coach said about a first half in which the chasm between the two teams could not be more glaring.

The win meant the Lions are still in hot pursuit of the table-topping Crusaders and Ackermann needs no reminding that it was the level they produced in the first half that should become their default for the remainder of the competition.

“That is what we are going to need from now on to compete in the rest of the competition.

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"There is work to be done and we are going to need to play for 80 minutes in every game for the last part of the season.

“We can debate the second half. We are not happy with the second half.”

Ackermann lamented the missed opportunities in the second half when they had the Bulls under the cosh but could only add 12 points to their first half tally.

Captain Warren Whiteley also enthused about a 'complete first half performance'. “It was phenomenal‚” Whiteley said.

They ticked all the boxes they needed except perhaps in defence where they let in two soft tries for Jan Serfontein and Jesse Kriel.

“We exited very well and got into Bulls territory and then pressurised them from there.”

The Lions also delivered some well weighted contestable kicks which led to tries for Ruan Combrinck‚ Kwagga Smith and Ruan Dreyer.

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The Lions play the Kings at Ellis Park next Sunday and Ackermann is expecting a stiffer challenge than the one they just faced.

“They are going to be the opposite. They are going to be tough and they play with a lot of self belief. That is going to be a massive challenge.

“We are going to keep our routine‚ except move everything by a day‚” he said about playing on the Sabbath. “It will be a challenge for both teams.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport