Lions focusing on themselves to get back to winning ways against Pau

The Lions will be fully focused on improving themselves as they aim to end a three-match losing streak when they take on Section Paloise (Pau) in their important Challenge Cup clash at Ellis Park on Saturday.

After starting their season with four straight wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC), the Lions have gone on to lose their next three games, in the URC and Challenge Cup, and they will be desperate to turn that form around and get back to winning ways.

Of their seven matches so far this campaign, the Lions only played their first two at home, picking up bonus point wins over Ulster and Edinburgh to get off to the perfect start.

They then went on a three-game tour to the UK and Europe, where they beat Dragons in Wales and Zebre in Italy, before slipping in their first defeat of the season against Irish giants Leinster in Dublin.

Following the month-long international break, the Lions flew back over to the UK, where they went down to Munster in Limerick in the URC, while a second-string side were comfortably beaten 30-14 by Ospreys this past Sunday.

The Lions have two more games this year before having a three week break, and then they get back into Challenge Cup action in the second weekend of January, so they will be eager to finish off on a high.

Confidence boost

A good win over Pau would give them confidence and momentum to take into their URC match against the Stormers in Cape Town next weekend.

It is also likely that Pau will bring a largely second-string team to South Africa, as French sides often do when travelling outside of France, and that will open the door even more for the Lions to claim a statement win and get themselves back on track in the competition.

“We are excited to be back home. Pau scored a good victory (over Newcastle Falcons), so we are expecting a tough match against them,” said Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen.

“We only really have Thursday as a prep day, because we arrive back in SA on Tuesday, so most of the focus will be on us. Our training, our plans, our execution. How we want to play, what we want to do and how we are going to get better.

“We can’t control what team they are going to send, but we need to get a fair bit better ourselves, so that’s going to be our focus.

“Also playing at home for the last time this year is always special and we want to put on a good show for all the fans and everyone that comes out on Saturday.”