Come rain or sun, Morné van den Berg aims to shine for Lions against Leinster

The Lions have passed all examinations of the current United Rugby Championship campaign, walking away with four victories in as many matches.

They have been different tests, too.

Against Ulster, beaten 35-22, it was to start the season with a victory, achieved only once way back in September 2021 when they beat Zebre 38-21 in the opening game of that campaign.

Subsequent opening matches ended in defeat to the Stormers (35-33) and Bulls (31-15).

It's a top of the table clash at the AVIVA this Saturday.

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Thereafter, against Edinburgh, it was to subdue a team packed with international players and one that was considered direct competition to the Joburgers’ quarter-final ambitions.

Against the Dragons, they proved they have the mental fortitude and maturity to win ugly when they overcame dogged resistance from the Welsh franchise to triumph 23-19 in Newport.

Last weekend, the weather proved to be the biggest interrogator.

With rain lashing the entirety of the match, the Lions managed to grind out a determined 10-9 win over Zebre in Parma.

On Saturday in Dublin, against perennial tournament favourites Leinster (6.15pm kick-off), the toughest cross-examination and arguably the truest reflection of where the Lions are as a team awaits.

As Springbok scrumhalf Morné van den Berg explained this week: “As a rugby player, you want to play against the best in the world. We feel we are in a good place at the moment.

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“This weekend,” the 26-year-old added, “is an unbelievably lekker test to show where we are. We will take this weekend and thereafter the next obstacle that stands in our way.”

Since returning from his sojourn with the Springboks, ‘Krappie’ has shown a new appreciation of his duties and in his play.

In August, when starting for the Boks against the Wallabies, he battled to command tough conditions at Optus Stadium in Perth, and was perhaps unfairly and harshly judged.

After solid performances against Edinburgh and the Dragons, however, Van der Berg showed what he had learnt at Test level against the Italian outfit.

“When it started raining like that,” the No 9 said, of this past weekend’s clash, “it felt like déjà vu. Having felt that pressure before, it did help…

“I really believe my time at the Boks made me a better player. It taught me a couple of vital lessons on the rugby field.

“I really want to get it through to the Lions here that I am a better player, although I still believe I am not close to what my potential really is.

“I am still going to keep working, keep getting better. The Boks did help me with composure in maybe doing the right thing at the right time.”

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Van den Berg might have missed out on Bok selection this past week for their upcoming November internationals against Scotland, England and Wales, but Leinster will afford him another chance to built towards his personal goals, while helping the Lions continue their ambitions.

Currently, the Lions are second in the URC standings, unbeaten on 18 points and seven behind their hosts for Saturday, with one game in hand.

Scooping up any points against the Irish giants will conclude a successful three-match tour of Europe.

As Van den Berg will attest to, the Lions are full of confidence that they can achieve that and more.

“The culture and belief within the team is really good,” he said.

“We take the points (from Dragons and Zebre), even though we are not necessarily happy with the way we played. There are a lot of places we can improve, and we have been working on that this week.

“To think about titles, however, is still too far,” he continued. “We have only won four games so far, and we are still far from where we feel we can be.

“We want to get better each day, and we believe we can get better.

“No one here at the Lions will say we are the best team at this moment in the competition or that we are going for the title.”