Lions coach opens up on the 'bigger picture'

REACTION: Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen said his team's processes are more important than the final score in the preparation series.

Young fullback Tiaan Swanepoel kicked a late penalty to secure the Lions a thrilling 43-40 win over the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

It was an entertaining game with plenty of tries and Van Rooyen was pleased that his players experienced some high-pressure situations.

"The process is more important. In the last 15 minutes, if you take Jannie's [du Plessis] age out of the pack I think the second oldest player was 23. For them to experience that pressure - how to scramble and how to make decisions - is the bigger picture and where we want to go. That is more important than the result.

"It's the same with the character and the same with the fight. Decision-making can always get better and we will keep evolving and training.

"The 23 players experiencing that [last] 20 minutes is more important."

Dealing with pressure

Van Rooyen spoke about what his team needs to do when dealing with pressure situations.

"It's just the consistency of applying pressure and decision-making under pressure.

"I think we conceded easy points when it was unnecessary.

"When we are under pressure, it's about how we going to convert the pressure and relieve pressure and when we put the opposition under pressure, it’s about how we going to keep that consistent," the coach added.

The Lions will face the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.