Lions primed for tough end of season run-in as top teams await in URC, Challenge Cup

The Lions are primed and ready for a tough end of season run-in that will see them battle it out for a place in the top eight of the United Rugby Championship (URC) and to try and progress as far as possible in the Challenge Cup.

They have just started a three week break between URC games, before entering what is expected to be a helter-skelter end of season run that will see them possibly play 10 straight weekends in a row.

ALSO READ: Bulls and Lions sitting pretty but there is still work to do after URC break

That includes seven URC pool matches and one Challenge Cup game, but that could be extended depending on how far they progress in both competitions.

If the 11^th placed Lions reach the URC knockouts and get past the last 16 of the Challenge Cup they will add more games to their run-in.

On home soil

What could work in their favour is that their last five URC pool games will be played in South Africa, four at home and one in Cape Town, but they will first have to get through a tough three game European tour.

The Lions face seventh placed Connacht in Ireland and 10^th placed Ospreys in Wales in the URC over the last two weekends in March and then face Benetton on the first weekend of April in the Challenge Cup.

“The interesting thing is that all the teams that we are going to play against from now in the EPCR (Challenge Cup) and URC are above us (on the log),” said Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen.

“But we really enjoy touring. Going on tour is a great time for us to spend together, to go there (overseas) and keep evolving our game, because we can’t play the same there (in the UK) as we do here (at home).”

Their home run will however be anything but easy as the Lions will face the current top two sides in the URC, Leinster and Glasgow Warriors, as well as defending champs Munster who are currently sixth, over a four week period which will severely test their top eight credentials.

Build momentum

But Van Rooyen believes that their UK and European tour could be just the tonic they need to build-up some much needed momentum ahead of those tough games.

“To tour before that run is nice for us. We will get in some good time in together as a team and then come back home and play Leinster, Munster and Glasgow here. Especially after the mental growth we have recently experienced at home,” said Van Rooyen.

The Lions will however be looking to give some of their extended squad crucial game time over the next two weeks as they face the SA U20 team and the Pumas in friendlies.

“We have a couple of warm-up games scheduled over this period as well. We have a couple of guys coming back from niggles and injuries and we have a group of about 20-24 players who haven’t really played recently,” explained Van Rooyen.

“So there will be a little bit of increasing game time for certain players and a bit of decrease in volume for other (regular) players over these two weeks.”