The Emirates Lions held an open field practice session in Johannesburg, 24 January 2024.
Hear from Head Coach Cash van Rooyen and prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye as they prepare for the Jukskei Derby against the Vodacom Bulls in the United Rugby Championship.
No we expecting good crowd um I think any any any Derby has got that that special feeling to it um if I remember correctly the last time we played the Bulls there um a lot of lions fans a lot of bulls fans so we’re expecting a big
Crowd which is awesome for for everyone to to play for and um I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a lot of red as well as well yeah I think again in in ad Derby and against the Bulls that’s really in good form um managing the game is is
Vital where you play um if you’re under pressure how do you how do you exit or how do you change that pressure back into them and if youve got them under pressure how do you um act and and react uh so I think game management is probably going to be apart from
Physicality and and the tempo is probably going to be the the third pillar that uh the result will come from no we’ve we’ve uh two two weekend bars that’s it um before we play the Bulls again so uh we’ve got a day or two off and then a good preparation week
Probably a reconditioning week for us uh and then uh a couple of days off again in two weeks from there but uh good two three days to really focus on on the bull for the for the next next game um so there’s a little bit of a of a rest
And and recovery and recuperation topup Fitness um not Fitness but top up uh Focus but also keep on improving in the rby weekend yeah I’m looking forward to this weekend it’s uh it’s another challenge for us especially after the last game against ospr we looking into
Bounce pack uh especially as a pack of forward I thought we were lacking intensity so that’s something we’re looking to to pick up this weekend they’ve got a good pack yeah they do so two good packs going against each other and so looking forward to the challenge um I mean that’s what your
Props love yeah look you you like to play against the best um so it’s just something I’m looking forward to so playing against South Africans side is special so it’s it’s something you you measure yourself against it’s probably the the best the best scrumming so after
Storm was the best scrumming pack um so yeah looking forward to it looking forward to the challenge I like it doesn’t take much obviously it’s it’s a it’s a big dby for us we know you know you got to win the game up front uh if you want the backs
To to shine it’s got to be up front so we know what’s what’s at work for us uh we know what lies ahead of us so it’s it’s it’s nothing to shy away from it’s it’s a challenge uh more than anything so we embrace it and uh we look forward
To it oh man I I love tackling people man it’s it’s a fun part of the game I think that’s where know that’s the game of rugby the beauty about it is you know it’s it’s it’s a contact you allow to hit someone and obviously see you can
Only can only hit them according to the book but uh how hard you hit them is it’s really not in the book so that’s that’s something I really love and I really enjoy it and you know it’s it’s a sport itself man it’s it’s measured by physicality and that’s that’s what we’re
Facing this weekend so looking forward to it yeah it’s obviously a a six day turn around so it’s a short week we’ve basically got two main sessions uh yesterday was the organization and Alignment session today was the main rby session um important for us to to get as
Alignment and clarity as quick as possible uh make sure we we get our our intensity back up there uh now good recovery day tomorrow and then Captain’s Friday so luckily it’s a short week it forces you into into Quick decisions and effective training no in a derby week is it’s
Always that’ll sort itself itself out especially against the Bulls just just across the river um so now Synergy is good uh I think we had a good review of of what what what went well and and what didn’t went well so I don’t think Sy
Will be issue I mean you know that if if you’re not physical against the Bulls then they’re going to get momentum with momentum they’re going to get quick ball and offloads um so we we know we got to front up physically um we know we got a
Front up uh defending the kicking game and set piece um so defensively there was a big Focus for us today to to work hard set quickly and and make good decisions from there
