Johannesburg - There will be no room for rotation or experimentation in the coming weeks for the Emirates Lions as they strive to finish off the regular season of the United Rugby Championship (URC) within the top eight.
This is according to Ivan van Rooyen, and the head coach admitted that he and his team will be endeavouring to select his strongest possible matchday 23 in their last six matches in the URC, as the Joburgers look to close out the season on a positive note.
The Lions are currently in 13th spot in the standings of the tournament, nine points adrift of the Sharks – who they play this weekend at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) – in eighth place. Finishing in the first eight positions of the competition will guarantee the Lions a place in the quarter-finals but perhaps, more importantly, will also qualify them for the lucrative and elite Heineken Champions Cup next season.
Said Van Rooyen on Tuesday during a media briefing: “We have our backs to the wall.
“We believe that we will have to win at least four games with bonus points, or five out of six games (without bonus points) to give ourselves a chance (of a top eight finish). For us, it will be about which players are available and what combinations are the best to achieve results on the weekends.
“There won’t be rotation to advance experience or experimentation. (The selection) will be based on who we feel will do the best for us.”
After the Sharks this weekend, the Lions will host Glasgow Warriors the following week to complete their game-in-hand. This current block of URC games will then wrap up with an away clash against northern neighbours, the Bulls on March 3.
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Due to the Six Nations, the URC will then have a short hiatus and reconvene on the week of March 19. On that Saturday, March 25, the Lions will travel to northern Italy to face Benetton.
They then have a round of 16 clash in the EPCR Challenge Cup against Racing 92 at Ellis Park, before completing the URC regular season at home against Leinster and Zebre in mid-April.
IOL Sport