Africa-Press – South-Africa. He can be considered one of the more shrewd signings locally in the URC this season and has been swift to stamp his authority as the Lions’ rock in midfield.
But Marius Louw also showcased a glaring and frustrating weak point in Saturday’s loss to the Stormers in Cape Town: some woeful handling.
The 26-year-old centre, who joined from the Sharks in the off-season, dropped two basic passes to him as an attacking first receiver as the Lions endured a strange day on attack, one where they had ample ball but didn’t always display much nous for making it count.
In fact, Louw has conceded the fifth-most turnovers in the URC campaign to date, which – along with a tendency to miss crucial tackles – has blotted his copybook.
Television cameras at the Cape Town Stadium captured him looking on in despair after his final handling error, suggesting his confidence is waning.
Yet Ivan van Rooyen, the Lions’ head coach, gave the assurance that it’s merely a moment of admonishment.
“Marius is an unbelievably proud man. So him dropping the ball means he takes it extremely personally,” he said.
“That’s why you will see a reaction like that from him. His standards, be it at training or on the field, are very high.”
Despite his stocky frame, Louw is a powerful runner and there’s been no reservations from Van Rooyen and co to use him as a battering ram, a factor the Lions mentor believes mitigates his butterfingers.
However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t addressing the issue.
“We’re sending him to run into brick walls to try and get us momentum. The coaching element around that is timing and space, which is very prominent,” said Van Rooyen.
” It’s something we’re working hard on, but we’re putting in some variations and options around that carry.”
Meanwhile, Van Rooyen is confident a barren recent run in the tournament won’t derail what has generally been a positive start to the season.
“It’s fair to say there are some broken hearts in the changeroom. Every loss is hurting, we’re extremely competitive and proud. We’ve turned it around previously and there’s nothing better than a tour to pull together and get results,” he said.
“[Veteran] Willem Alberts said when we finished the game that continuous progression is sometimes frustrating and slow. Don’t get frustrated with the process. We’ve seen that with the Stormers. Last year they lost to us and it became the springboard for their success. Now I can’t see them being beaten in Cape Town.”
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