Marvin Orie is keeping his DHL Stormers teammates grounded as they brace for a final home derby of the year against the Lions on Saturday.
The Stormers will host the Lions in a cracking Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby on New Year’s Eve at DHL Stadium.
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The defending Vodacom URC champions are high on confidence after a bonus-point win against the Vodacom Bulls last week, but Orie is not letting himself get carried away.
“Our set piece went really well against the Vodacom Bulls,” said the Springbok lock. “The lineouts and scrums were good. The courage and energy that we played with was really good.
“I think the Lions will be a different challenge, they are a completely different team.”
Orie is well acquainted with the Lions. The 29-year-old moved to Johannesburg from Pretoria in 2017 and was a senior member of the pack during his four-year stint at Emirates Airline Park.
He knows the Stormers can expect another stern test.
“The Lions are known to also play an exciting brand of rugby,” Orie explained. “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 have a strong set-piece as well. 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.”
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The Stormers are looking to end 2022 unbeaten at home and are on a hot streak in Cape Town that began after the Lions won at Stadium in December 2021.
That game, Orie says, provided the team with plenty of important lessons that they implemented as they went on to lift the title at the end of the season.
“That wasn’t a good experience for anyone involved in the game,” Orie recalled. “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.
“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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Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
