Lions coach Swys de Bruin says he hopes the team’s decision to travel late for their Vodacom Super Rugby opener against the Jaguares on Saturday will pay off.
The Lions have lost all three of their matches against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires, having taken a weakened side on the first two occasions.
However, as they did in their 49-35 loss last year, the Lions have named a full-strength lineup to face the Argentinians, but are also trying something different with their travel arrangements by leaving only on Wednesday morning for the clash.
ALSO READ: Opportunity knocks for Lions
Speaking to EWN, De Bruin explained that the players had made the decision to leave during the week of their match rather than the preceding weekend.
‘We did it last year,’ De Bruin said. ‘I know it’s a different direction, but we did it against the Waratahs last year and it worked well for us – we gave them 29-0 on the day by travelling very late. It gives the guys confidence to travel late, so we are going to stick to that.
‘We’ve never beaten the Jaguares there in Super Rugby and we really want to do well. So, anything that changes the minds [of players] and gets the players excited, we do.’
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
