United Rugby Championship: Stormers preparing for different challenge against Lions says Marvin Orie
Stormers second-row Marvin Orie said they are preparing for a different type of contest when they take on the Lions in their United Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday.
Orie and his Stormers team-mates delivered an impressive all-round performance en route to a 37-27 victory against the Bulls last weekend.
Their set-piece laid a solid foundation against the Bulls, but the Lions will bring a different challenge as they employ an expansive game-plan.
Completely different team
“Our set-piece went really well against the Bulls,” Orie told the Citizen. “The lineouts and scrums were good, and the courage and energy that we played with was really good.
“But I think the Lions will be a different challenge; they are a completely different team. They are known to play an exciting brand of rugby. That hasn’t changed recently, even with a lot of personnel changes in the team.
“They have a lot of new exciting young talent. There’s a lot of energy, and I think they will bring that energy on Saturday. They seem to have a lot of courage in the way they give the ball air, try new things and express themselves.
“They also have a strong set-piece. They have always been known for having a strong scrum, and the lineouts will also be a big challenge. I am sure we will be able to match that energy, nullify it and impose ourselves on them.”
The Stormers are in a rich vein of form on their home turf and have not lost a match at the Cape Town Stadium in over a year.
The Lions were the last team to beat them at that venue when they claimed a shock 39-17 victory over the men from the Cape in early December 2021.
That result is still fresh in Orie’s memory, and he believes the Lions will be highly motivated to deliver a similar performance this weekend.
“That wasn’t a good experience for anyone involved in the game,” said the 29-year-old.
“It was also my first game back from being involved in the national team on the end-of-year tour. I felt I wasn’t up to standard in that match.
Lost the game despite dominating
“Funnily enough, according to the statistics, we dominated most areas. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always translate into points or a win, as it proved in that game.
“At that stage of the season, it was good timing to get a lesson and show us all the areas we needed to improve on. It wasn’t a nice experience, but it was needed at the time. I think the Lions will take confidence from that.”
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