Lions' defence coach Fourie expects much more muster from Munster

Lions defence coach Jaque Fourie expects Munster to be an even tougher nut to crack on Saturday than they were for the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld last weekend.

The Lions take on the Irish outfit, who are third on the United Rugby Championship (URC) points table, at Ellis Park in an early afternoon kickoff on Saturday.

While last Sunday's win over Cardiff was a step in the right direction for the Lions, Fourie contends they have to be better against Munster.

“Munster is a different beast. We all saw what they are capable of against the Bulls,” Fourie said. “They are a side that if you don't do your basics right they will punish you. They are a team that plays for 85 minutes. As we saw against the Bulls they came back quite strongly.

“If you look at their stats they come back at teams in the last 20 minutes in the first and second halves. Like all the Irish teams, they are well structured and play a fast-paced game.”

Though Munster are missing a large chunk of their side to national duty in the Six Nations, Fourie believes there won't be a drop in performance. “Their B team is as good as their A team because they understand their structures. They won't skip a beat. They are a formidable, well-coached side.”

Fourie expects the Irishmen to lift their intensity in their second week on the highveld. “I don't think altitude is going to be a big problem for them. We will have to be at our best.”

Though Saturday's game has an early 2pm kickoff, the visitors are unlikely to be drawn from their comfort zone. The game is set to be played in moderate weather which will come as a huge relief for the visitors.

While statistically the Lions boast the best discipline in the competition it has not helped them plug all the holes in defence. Fourie pointed out that they still occasionally drift from the script. He wants his players to be more aware.

“That has been our problem the whole season. In defence you need to scan and then react to what's happening in front of you. You can have systems in place but it is down to the individual player to see what is happening. We are slowly but surely getting there. We are not there yet.

“We are scoring great tries but we are also conceding some soft tries.”

Fourie, who cut a sure, muscular presence at centre in more than 50 Tests for the Springboks, was careful not to overstate the value current national team midfield bruiser Damian de Allende brings to the Irish side.

“He is a good player, we all know that. In this competition, however, you come up against international players week in and week out. If you want to be the best you have to face these guys. These are the players you want to play against because that is the only way you are going to get better.

“I hope he is playing,” he said of the player who came off the bench at Loftus.