‘We want to silence the crowd,’ says Lions coach Loubscher about French challenge

The Lions are set to face a significant challenge when they take on French powerhouse La Rochelle in their inaugural Champions Cup game at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in France on Saturday evening. Last season, the Lions experienced a breakout performance, finishing in the top eight of the United Rugby Championship (URC) for the first time and securing a playoff spot that earned them a Champions Cup berth for the 2023-24 season.

Now, they will encounter some of the world's top franchise teams, beginning with La Rochelle, who have won the prestigious tournament twice, in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher, who has previously coached in France at Stade Francais, emphasized the formidable atmosphere as a major obstacle they must overcome.

"We're eager for the match and the competition," Loubscher stated. "A team like La Rochelle is perfect for us to test our skills against." "In France, the pre-game atmosphere is intense," Loubscher added. "They play with great passion at home. Our priority is to start strongly and ensure we silence the crowd. We need to elevate our execution, particularly in physical collisions."

The match is particularly crucial for the Lions, who recently suffered a heavy 57-15 defeat to the Bulls in the URC. They have two challenging URC matches ahead against Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, motivating them to rebound with a standout performance. Coach Loubscher explained, "Monday was a tough, honest review.

We've made the decision to hold ourselves accountable and identify areas for improvement, but we'll leave the Bulls discussion behind." "This weekend presents a different challenge against one of Europe's top teams. Our main focus is to make a strong comeback and deliver a compelling response to this formidable opponent." Any points the Lions can secure against La Rochelle will be invaluable, as they face a grueling pool including French side Toulouse, who claimed the 2023-24 title, and English teams Saracens and Exeter Chiefs, who they will face in January.