Lions prepare for a different game in Durban

In stating the obvious, Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher highlighted the need for his team to improve on their performance that yielded a 38-14 victory over the Sharks at Ellis Park last weekend.

The teams clash again in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this weekend but this time the Sharks will have home ground advantage. They are yet to lose at home in the URC this season.

“It will be a different game,” said Loubscher in the knowledge the Sharks are unlikely to be as passive as they were for large chunks of last weekend's clash. He tried to put his finger on why the Lions held such a distinct advantage. “The timing was perfect for us. We had been training well. Everything just turned out nicely for us.”

Though the Lions won convincingly in Johannesburg, playing back-to-back matches presents a challenge for the coaches.

“It's tough to play back-to-back,” said Loubscher. “You have to come up with new plans. After last week's game we expect a tough, physical game in Durban. We have to make sure we fix our mistakes. Look at what we can do better.

“We have to bring new energy, bring a different mindset and make new plans.”

Though they encountered wet conditions due to the storms over Gauteng last weekend, the Lions are again preparing for a greasy ball.

“The biggest factor will be the conditions,” said Loubscher. “In Durban the humidity factor is big. We have to adapt. We want to go with our DNA but on the day you have to adapt to the conditions.”

Lions loose forward Jarod Cairns echoed those sentiments. “It will be a challenge. We try to prepare for everything. It will be humid and hot and not like here. We are prepared mentally to go down there and go into a bit of an oven.”

There is little doubt the Sharks will be better than they were last weekend. Exacting revenge will not be their only motivation. The Bulls' home defeat against the Stormers last weekend has opened the door for the Sharks to grab the SA Shield in the URC.

They will consider it a nice addition to the Challenge Cup and Currie Cup titles they've bagged over the past year.

A win will also bring the Sharks within striking distance of the third-placed Bulls on the points table. They will covet a higher finish as the team that finishes fourth is destined to meet Leinster in Dublin in the semifinals providing both teams win their quarterfinals.