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There are now just three rounds of action remaining before the quarter-finals are played.
The Lions failed to make much progress on the URC points table after their defeat to Benetton on Saturday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Despite suffering a 42-31 defeat to Italian side Benetton at Ellis Park on Saturday to keep the Lions down in 14th place in the standings, with just three rounds of action remaining before the playoffs are contested, coach Ivan van Rooyen believes his team can finish in the top eight for a place in the knockout rounds.
The one log point earned from the defeat – just the Lions’ second loss at home all season – leaves the Joburg side on 31 log points, with three regular season matches to play.
The team currently in eighth place – the Stormers – have 40 points.
The Lions’ next three games are also all at home, against Connacht (12th), Scarlets (ninth) and Ospreys (13th).
“All the teams we’re up against are also in the fight for that sixth, seventh and eighth position so they’ll also sort each other out,” said Van Rooyen after Saturday’s defeat.
“It’s so congested (on the log) … we scored four tries, so if we’d got the win it would have been five log points and that would have changed everything … in the end it’s just one point.
“Now we must hope one or two results go our way but 15 points from our next three games is non-negotiable.
“I believe we’re still alive in the competition. And, I’ll always back this team at home.”
The Lions played well in parts against the Italians, but made numerous handling errors while their discipline was also poor at times.
Benetton led 22-3 midway through the first half and later on 32-10 and then 39-17, making it too difficult for the Lions to reel them in.
“Their attack is really good,” said Van Rooyen about Benetton and the five tries they scored.
“They’ve got 15-plus internationals in their team and they’re in form. It’s the majority of the Italian team and they had a good Six Nations. They’re quality.
“We just made too many errors and gave away soft penalties. But, there was good fight again in the (Lions) players, they played with intensity and fought back hard, but when you’re that far behind time catches you in the end.”
The Lions’ match against Connacht this Saturday kicks off at 4pm.
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