'Switched on' Lions await Highlanders

The Lions' notoriously slow starts could cost them dearly when they host the high-flying Highlanders in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Coming off a 48-15 hammering of the Sharks, the New Zealand franchise will be high on confidence.

More importantly, they have showed their ability to cash in when teams let their focus slip for even just a few minutes - scoring seven tries against the Sharks in Dunedin last week.

The Lions have had a habit of giving teams an early start this season, before working their way back into the game.

Last week against the Bulls held a 25-10 lead on the half-hour mark, before the Lions came back to take a 26-25 lead going into the final quarter. Ultimately their early sloppiness caught up with them as the Bulls went on to win 35-33 and end the Lions' five-match winning streak.

It was a similar scenario against the Sharks a few weeks earlier, when the Durban-based franchise held a 14-6 lead on the half-hour mark, before the Lions worked their way back into the game and eventually sneaked a 23-21 win.

They had similar results on their Australasian tour.

The Rebels held a 13-0 lead, before the Lions scored their first points after the half-hour mark. The match-winning try and conversion (in a 20-16 victory) were scored in the 78th and 79th minutes.

The Blues held a 10-3 lead in Auckland, before the Lions bounced back in the second half to win 13-10.

The Highlanders, who have repeatedly shown their ability to kill off the opposition once they get ahead, are unlikely to afford the Lions the luxury of a comeback at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Talented midfielder Harold Vorster, in his debut season, has seen enough of the opposition from New Zealand to know that another slow start will be costly.

Also, the men from Johannesburg are determined to make up for the disappointment of last week's loss, which ended a record-breaking five-match run.

"The Highlanders are obviously a very good team," Vorster told rugby365.

"However, our focus this week has been to be switched on from the start - we need to ensure we fire from the first kick-off."

The 21-year-old centre, who will again play in the No.13 jersey this week, said the Lions' game is fine, it is just a case of "mentally switching on".

They have taken note of the demolition job the Highlanders did on the Sharks last week, but are focusing on their own game - rather than working on "counters" against the visitors.

"As I said, it is that mental switch we have to make from the outset," he told rugby365, adding: "It is a home game and that should be an advantage for us.

"They also travelled this week, so it should be a good time for us to play them.

"However, the execution of our game plan is key.

"We are at our best when we retain possession and we need to get into the right areas.

"We have to be clinical and not throw any 50-50 passes."

By Jan de Koning

@rugby365com

Highlanders have landed!

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