It has been over a year since the Lions beat a South African side in the United Rugby Championship (URC), and forwards coach Albert van den Berg acknowledges that it has now reached the point of being a "mental block".
A 37-19 victory over eventual champions, the Stormers, at Cape Town Stadium on 4 December 2021 has been followed by seven straight defeats against South African opposition. READ | Stormers unbothered by heavy Bulls rotationThe Lions are still well placed in the 2022/23 URC, where they currently occupy 5th position on the table with five wins from eight, but on Friday, they make the trip to Durban to take on the Sharks, who are expected to field the bulk of the star Springboks for the clash.
It is a daunting assignment on paper for the Lions, but the Sharks have been very inconsistent this season and are 10th on the log themselves with just four wins from seven. "It's definitely important to us," Van den Derg said of the Lions' record against the South African franchises. "We beat the Stormers in Cape Town, and after that, we haven't won a game against a South African side.
It's a little bit of a mental block when we play against our own players, and we play against the overseas guys it is like our players are more free and just go for it."The mental block is there with the South African sides, but it's not something that will keep us from fighting.