Fullback Andries Coetzee says the Lions are up for the challenge of facing their first New Zealand opponent this year when they host the Blues on Saturday.

The Lions have made a perfect start to their campaign, with three successive victories over the Sharks, Jaguares and Bulls.

In contrast, Tana Umaga’s unpredictable Blues travelled to Johannesburg on the back of two narrow defeats (to the Highlanders and Chiefs). The Blues are considered New Zealand’s most inconsistent Super Rugby side due to their inability to close out games.

However, Coetzee says the Lions cannot afford to be complacent against a Blues side boasting the likes of Rieko and Akira Ioane, Melani Nanai, Bryn Gatland, George Moala and Patrick Tuipulotu.

‘We know how good these guys are, especially with ball in hand, on the counterattack. They’re excellent at capitalising on one’s mistakes so the key for us is to limit our mistakes and keep our discipline,’ he commented according to IOL.

‘We’re excited about the challenge. We’ve won three matches, but it means nothing really at this early stage of the competition.

‘It’s a long season and anything can happen in a week, there’s just no room to slack off. That’s why it’s the most difficult competition in the world. You need to concentrate every week and do proper homework on your opposition, otherwise you’ll get hurt.’

The focus has been firmly on the Lions’ forward dominance and the emergence of star wing Aphiwe Dyantyi, but there have been contributions from players across the backline including solid performances from Coetzee at fullback.

‘It’s a good start, yes, but there’s a long way to go. The team is playing well and that means the individuals are doing their work, the forwards especially,’ he explained. ‘We challenge each other in different ways, which is always good, so we’re learning and growing all the time.

‘The fact that I played Test rugby last year has given me greater confidence going into this season. It’s given me more comfort to make decisions, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable. One has to reset every year and set new challenges for yourself.’

The match between the Lions and the Blues kicks off at 17:15 on Saturday afternoon.

Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix