Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen eyeing Ellis Park ‘miracle’ against All Blacks

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen is hoping for a “miracle” when his team faces the All Blacks at Ellis Park in the final tour match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry on Tuesday evening.

The All Blacks are unbeaten on their tour of South Africa, having dispatched the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and the Springboks in last Saturday’s first Test.

The Lions have therefore selected a virtually full-strength URC match-day 23 , with fullback Quan Horn released by the Boks, and Bok prop Boan Venter set to make his debut for his new franchise.

The Joburg side have also had a couple of extra weeks to prepare compared to their local URC rivals, and Van Rooyen believes this will certainly benefit them in this massive clash.

“It's such a wonderful occasion, such a privilege to be in this game, that obviously we had to adapt a little bit, and we're happy to adapt,” he said.

“We haven't had too much collision, but we're really excited to not just play against the All Blacks but to test ourselves , test our systems, test ourselves individually.

“I would be really nervous if the URC had to start next week, but for this occasion, we were willing to bite the bullet a little bit. To be involved in the game is obviously a privilege. Where we are as a group, we're excited. We feel there's some momentum being built compared to two seasons ago.

“The group is settling in nicely in terms of responsibility, accountability, and experience. The guys that joined us are really contributing nicely. So, we as a group are excited. If it has to happen tomorrow night that a miracle can happen, then that will be an unbelievable achievement from our side.”

With many of the youthful Lions squad never having faced New Zealand opposition in Super Rugby before, the All Blacks will be a real test with their skill, pace, and execution.

Van Rooyen believes, however, that the visitors will revert to the gameplans they employed against the local franchises, and not what the Boks faced last Saturday at Ellis Park.

“I think in review of the Test, they painted a specific picture in the first three games, and they changed the picture quite considerably against the Boks.

“My gut tells me it's going to be similar to what the Bulls, the Sharks, and the Stormers have faced. I think the identity, how they want to play in terms of tempo... I think their breakdown work is absolutely world-class .

“Tempo, physicality, that's how they want to play. The team that they've picked is really physical with a lot of experience. So for us, physicality, tempo, and decision-making will obviously be under pressure, but again, it's such a good occasion for us that we're excited about it.”

LIONS: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronje, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Sebastian Lombard, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze.