Lilli Ives Campion highlighted Loughborough Lightning’s ‘belief in each other’ as being a key feature heading into the final block of Premiership Women’s Rugby fixtures.
Only six rounds of the 2024/25 league campaign remain and first up is the visit of Saracens to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday (kick-off: 5.30pm), which forms the second part of sold-out Double Header of fixtures with Northampton Saints taking on Bath in the Gallagher Premiership (kick-off: 3pm).
Lightning enter the game off the back of a confidence-boosting 50-7 win last time out against Sale Sharks and lock Ives Campion is keen to build on that eight-try success and secure back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
“It is really important for us to use that result and build that momentum now going forward, that we can continue to play like this and continue to use our game plan, which is working,” said the Red Roses international.
“It is important that we reflect on that game well, we see what worked and didn’t work. In every single game we’ve shown points of excellence, and I think that is what is important to us and what we keep highlighting each time we watch games game and review them, there are brilliant moments it’s just how often can we do that?
“It’s about how can consistently can we do that and keep the momentum going? Each and every one of us believes in each other, that is really important.”
Lilli Ives Campion
Ives Campion was a part of the Lightning side that went toe-to-toe with three-time PWR champions Saracens in November’s reverse fixture, which saw the hosts emerge from the ropes to eventually claim a 32-21 victory at the StoneX Stadium.
“There was a feeling of frustration after that game as we did a lot of things right and we were disappointed not to come away with points from it,” said Ives Campion. “Sunday promises to be a special occasion with it being a double header with Saints.
“We are playing really well and the game plans are really working for us. I think that we’re hopefully over the hump now and we can solidify some performances after Christmas.
“We’ve got a few big games coming up and I think that it is a good opportunity for us. That is what exciting about this block, there’s some games that are going to be really challenging but some games that are also winnable.”
Reflecting on the season so far, she added: “It has been fun, as a group we’re very connected and very strong. It is one of the strongest groups we’ve had for a while. It has been a bit frustrating at times, we have come away from games which we were well within grasp of winning and we kind of let off in the last ten to 20 minutes.
“We’ve taken a lot of key learnings away from that which we can then implement, like we did in the game before Christmas against Sale. We clicked and came together. They are the performances that we can put out, it has taken us just a bit too long to get to that point.
“There’s still a lot for us to play for and that starts this weekend against Saracens.”
Next Home Match
