Lions, Cheetahs seek statement wins in Challenge Cup

The Lions will bank on a number of fresh players to get them off to a winning start when the first round of action in this season’s Challenge Cup gets under way this weekend.

The Joburg-based side are spending their second week in Europe and face Ospreys from Wales in Swansea on Sunday (5.15pm), following last weekend’s defeat to Munster in Ireland in the United Rugby Championship.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen has opted to freshen up his side, who are performing well in the URC and sit in fifth position at this juncture, for the opener in the Challenge Cup.

Players sent home to rest and recuperate

Sent home from the tour up north to get some rest and start preparations for next week’s home fixture in the competition against Pau, at Ellis Park, include the likes of Kade Wolhuter, who is concussed, Henco van Wyk, Edwill van der Merwe, Quan Horn, Reinahrdt Nothnagel, PJ Botha and Asenathi Ntlabakanye.

Making the trip north are several fringe first-team players such as forwards SJ Kotzé, Jaco Visagie, Darrien Landsberg, Etienne Oosthuizen, Ruhan Straeuli, Izan Esterhuizen, Renzo du Plessis, and backs Sam Francis, Rynhard Jonker, Gianni Lombard and Rabz Maxwane.

The Lions lost 17-10 to Munster last week, while the Ospreys, who’re down in 14th place on the URC log, lost 17-22 to Zebre.

“Around 12 guys have been sent home,” confirmed Lions scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys this week.

“We are playing on Sunday so the turnaround time is quick in this competition, so it’s a good idea for us to get some guys back home and prepare for (next weekend’s) home game against Pau.

“We are really excited to see the other players in the squad getting an opportunity to play this weekend and show us their quality.”

Cheetahs in action

The Cheetahs meanwhile, who’re South Africa’s other team beside the Lions competing in the second-tier Challenge Cup, are up against French side Perpignan at their other home venue, in Amsterdam, also on Sunday, with kick-off at 3pm.

The men from Bloemfontein will hope to make a big impression once again in the competition as they continue to seek a permanent home to play more international rugby. There are proposals on the table that they join Super Rugby from 2026.

Perpignan are 11th in the French Top 14, with four wins from 11 matches.