The Lions will be looking to put in another strong forward driven performance against the Sharks in their derby in Durban on Saturday.
The Lions forward pack will be gunning for another dominant performance when they take on the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions forwards laid the foundation for their backline to run rampant during this past weekends 38-14 hammering of the Durban franchise at Ellis Park and they are eager to replicate the trick on their home turf as well.
Lions loose forward Jarod Cairns says that the team is well aware that the Sharks will be desperate to bounce back from their dismal previous showing, and that they will have to step up their game if they want to do the double over the Coastal side.
“The Sharks will go back to the drawing board and pick up their game. They will bring it on. It is a SA derby and we can expect a very tight game,” said Cairns.
“Our forward pack has come in this week with the mindset of ‘let’s get the dominance again.’ Let us get the go-forward, let us get the best base for our backs to play off. We want to be physical and get the momentum for our backs to do what they do best.”
The conditions in Durban at this time of year are often tricky, with it extremely humid, which will make it tough for the Lions to stick to their usual attacking game plan.
They will however take plenty of confidence out of their performance in the wet over the past weekend, and will have to be even more physical this time round.
Durban humidity
“The humidity down in Durban makes the ball slippery and it will be challenging although playing in the rain last week wasn’t ideal but we handled it. Mentally we have prepared for the change in temperature from Joburg to Durban. We are ready to play in an oven,” admitted Cairns.
“We love the physical contest. We play rugby because it is a physical game and to be successful you have to dominate the other team. When we get the physical side right it allows us to play the expansive game that we love.”
For Cairns personally it has been a breakout season for the 21-year-old, as he has become a regular feature for the senior team, although often from the bench, with players such as JC Pretorius, Ruan Venter and Francke Horn ahead of him.
He is highly regarded as he is extremely versatile and can play across the back three, which makes him very useful in games off the bench.
“It is a competitive environment. We all love the competition at training and push each other to be the best. It has been fantastic to get game time in the URC. If Francke pushes me, I push him, if JC pushes me, I push him. We get the best out of each other,” said Cairns
“Being able to play six, seven and eight is a big aspect of my game. I like being versatile but ultimately it about getting on the field and enjoying the game.”
