Lions forwards coach Barend Pieterse says discipline and defence will be decisive against Zebre Parma on Sunday in round two of the Vodacom URC.
The Lions head to Italy after a disappointing 33-20 loss to Cardiff, where unforced errors and defensive lapses cost them momentum despite playing against 14 men for more than 50 minutes.
“The talk for us this week was obviously to minimise our mistakes,” Pieterse said. “A lot of the errors we made are on us. We spoke about getting off the line in defence and being more physical in contact. That was a harsh conversation with the players, but it was needed.”
CASH: Crucial errors cost Lions in Cardiff
Zebre opened their campaign with a 31-28 victory over Edinburgh in Parma, sealing the result through a late penalty despite playing much of the match with 14 men.
Pieterse warned against underestimating the Italians, who he believes have grown into a well-coached and organised outfit.
“Zebre is a team that’s improved significantly over the past few years. It’s not just about guts anymore, they’ve got a good system and coaches, and you can see they’re well drilled,” he said. “They’ve got dangerous attackers and a good backline. If we make the game too loose, they’ll be very dangerous.”
DAVIDS: Mentally I needed a change
While Pieterse highlighted positives at the set piece, he made it clear the Lions’ defence must improve.
“We weren’t satisfied at all on defence, especially maul defence. That was a big talking point for us this week. We need to be a lot better.”
Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images
The post Pieterse: Lions must cut out errors appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
