Rudolf Straeuli believes the Lions are reaping the rewards of standing by coach Ivan van Rooyen during a tough period.
After years of frustration and near misses, the Lions have finally secured a place in the Vodacom URC playoffs and will face Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.
But just a year ago, Van Rooyen’s future was under major scrutiny after another failed playoff push sparked calls for change.
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Straeuli admitted it would have been easy to make a coaching change, but insisted the Lions chose patience instead.
“It’s easy to fire a coach, it’s the easiest thing to do,” the Lions CEO told News24.
“The likes of Cash, Jaque [Fourie, defence coach] and Julian [Redelinghuys, scrum coach] have been with the Lions for a long time. You know their work ethic, you never doubt the effort that they put in.”
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Straeuli praised Van Rooyen and his coaching staff for staying calm under pressure and continuing to back the Lions’ long-term development model.
“Credit to the guys who kept on working hard and not panicking,” he said. “Cash had to get time in the seat.
“With the development of coaches and players, you have got to be patient. We are known as a place of opportunity.”
Photo: Euan Cherry/Getty Images
