The Western Force’s fairytale rise this season hasn’t gone unnoticed in South Africa, with the Lions using the Perth-based franchise as inspiration for their own quest to end years of mediocrity.
The Force are on track to snare a maiden finals berth after winning eight of their past 10 games.
Their impressive run is in stark contrast to the previous four years, when the Force failed to finish higher than 12th.
The Lions know all too well what it’s like to struggle near the foot of the table.
Since making the semi-finals in 2000 and 2001, the Lions haven’t finished higher than 11th.
This year, the Johannesburg-based franchise sit second last with just four wins to their name.
Although the wins are now flowing freely at the Force, it’s the strong team culture that is capturing the attention of their rivals.
When scrumhalf Alby Mathewson re-signed for a further two years last week, he claimed his love of the Force was so strong that he would have stayed there even if the team had failed to win a single game this season.
When Lions coach Johan Ackermann read Mathewson’s comments, he knew that special team culture was a model for success.
“I read that article to our newly-appointed chief executive later that night,” Ackermann said.
“There’s a lot of team spirit at the Force, and the culture is strong.
“I believe that if we can keep this Lions group together, hopefully we can make the same jump that the Force did.
“The guys are learning their lessons this year, but there’s a lot of character in this group.”
The Force are still likely to need two wins from their final four games in order to secure a top-six berth.
And if they can beat the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday night, a coveted home final will be well within their grasp.
The Force were impressive in patches during last week’s 29-19 win over the Lions, but they’ll need to put in a far more clinical performance if they are to beat the Crusaders, who have won six of their past seven games.
The injury-hit Force will be without inside centre Luke Burton, who has joined up with the Australian Under-20 squad in preparation for their Junior World Championship campaign.
Former All Black Mathewson is a chance to play against the Crusaders after recovering from the serious ankle injury he suffered on April 12.
