Sharks are on the up under JP Pietersen, says Lions' Ricardo Loubscher ahead of SA derby

When JP Pietersen came through at senior level at the Sharks in 2006, the backline coach was Ricardo Loubscher, who would guide Pietersen through his long career in Durban.

Loubscher, now the backline coach of the Lions, is up against the player he helped mould and who is now in the coaching hot seat at the Sharks. The Lions visit the Sharks on Saturday at 15:30, in what will be Pietersen’s third match in charge since taking over from John Plumtree. Loubscher says he is not surprised that the Sharks won their first two matches under his former prodigy.

“JP was always a passionate Sharks player, and I am not surprised that since he took over, the Sharks are on the up,” Loubscher smiled. “The body language of the players is different. We can see the improved effort, the belief, and we can see it in the way they play.

“Well done to JP,” Loubscher said. “We all know his credentials as a player, and I think he is the right guy for the Sharks. He is taking the team forward. You can see the players are more confident and enjoying what they are doing, and that’s nice to see.”

Joining Loubscher in the Lions’ media conference was front-rower PJ Botha. The hooker will be in the firing line in what will doubtless be a confrontational SA derby. “We want to go there and not just compete, but dominate. That is how we are looking at it,” Botha said frankly.

“We had a couple of things to work on after the Stormers game,” added Botha. “We’ve spent the week going through those, but overall we’re just looking forward to the match against the Sharks.”

Botha said the Lions know exactly what is coming to them in Durban. “The SA derbies by definition are highly physical,” he said. “Then there are the conditions. The humidity of Durban is always a factor, so you have to make sure you are mentally in the right frame of mind. It will be a very tough game, but then they all are.

“I don’t believe we play matches or opponents without physicality anymore,” Botha continued. “Every match is physical, and the Sharks will be no different. As a team, we feel we are in a great place, physically and mentally. We are ready for the challenge.”

Loubscher stressed that structure and accuracy would be key against a Sharks side growing in confidence under Pietersen. “We want everything to be process-driven; the focus must be on us,” he said.

“That is the attack, defence, and kicking game. A thing we have trained this week is to have more energy towards creating opportunities. The more we create, the greater the odds of scoring.

“We know it’s going to be a tough battle on Saturday, but we are excited. If you look at the names they have and the experience in that squad, it’s exciting because there are a lot of things we’ve learned within our own team.”

The Lions started the season badly, losing three games; they hit back by winning the next three games, only to now be on a three-match losing run.

“We have been through a tough patch in the last few games, but we keep on grinding away to improve,” Botha said. “Nobody makes a mistake on purpose, and at every training session, we are trying to eliminate mistakes. Once we get the next win, we feel momentum will return, and this time we must keep it.”