Ahead of the Currie Cup final on Saturday between Western Province and the Golden Lions, WP backline coach Robbie Fleck insisted that his side will stick to their natural game, but must also be weary of the Lions’ counter-attacking ability.

“There’s heaps of pressure in playing playoff rugby in Cape Town, especially a final – as we all found out last year (when they lost to the Sharks). So the tendency for the players would probably be to get a bit nervous, to get a bit conservative, and to creep back into their shells,” said Fleck.

“But that wouldn’t work for us. And it would be a fault on our side as coaches as well to box these players in. These guys need to play, and need to express themselves as that is what worked throughout the season. So our message to them is to go out there and play their natural game.

Fleck explained that while Province will throw the ball around, they have to keep in mind that it is, in fact, a final, and a bit of precaution also needs to be taken against the men from Johannesburg.

“There are certain plans that will be in place where we’ve got to play with a bit of structure. There’s got to be a point or an end to whatever we want to do, and we’ve got to work towards that. So the players understand that we can’t just go out there and play without making the right decisions.

“The Lions pounce on opportunities and look to fracture you, and look to pounce on loose balls and quick throw-ins. They do also score a lot of tries from broken play, so it’s two very similar sides.”

“We’ve got to get that balance right, whether it’s through a good attacking kicking game or a good ball-in-hand approach, or a structured kicking game, then we are doing the right thing. It’s going to be a step-up from previous weeks, and we are going to be challenged in many avenues.

Check out the full story on IOL.