Top-eight pressure? Lions skipper confident they can finish the job in Ireland

The Lions are focusing on things they can control this week as they prepare for their final United Rugby Championship league clash of the season when they take on Munster on Saturday in Ireland.

After a six-match winning run that firmly put them in the push for playoff spots, Ivan van Rooyen’s charges came unstuck against Leinster last Saturday, going down 31-7.

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It was a match in which they were right in the game at 14-7 until the 68th minute, with the Irish juggernauts running in three tries in the final 12 minutes to blow out the score.

Skipper Francke Horn and assistant coach Wessel Roux, however, said that although the Lions have had a thorough review of what went wrong in that game, particularly the final few minutes, the focus was now on what they can control in their push for playoff spots.

All in. No holding back. 🦁🔥@Vodacom #URC| #MUNvLIO| #ForOurCity| #LionsPride pic.twitter.com/mgri0oWb1U

The Lions, who are in fifth place on the log, have several teams just behind them and know a win against Munster will mean playoff rugby, which Horn says was their goal at the start of the season.

“We are going full out for the win this weekend, and then the top eight will take care of itself,” Horn told reporters.

“I won’t say we are desperate. That can put shackles on your performance, but we are going into this match extremely positive.”

“Our goal has always been to make the top eight.

“If we win this weekend, we do that, so it’s basically as straightforward as that.

“A win makes sure we’re in the top eight, then you don’t have to worry about who plays where and who has to lose that spot,” Horn added.

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Roux agreed, saying that worrying too much about what other teams might do puts pressure on themselves.

“We try to keep focused on the things that we can control,” Roux said.

“I think it puts unnecessary pressure to try to do the maths and permutations and try to work out positions.”