Is this the year of the Lions in the United Rugby Championship (URC)?
The Johannesburg side have made a three-match unbeaten start to the new season – on the back of an excellent Currie Cup run that ended with a final defeat.
If they continue getting the results to complement their usually eye-catching performances, there might just be a trophy at Ellis Park for the first time since the 2015 Currie Cup.
After dispatching Ulster (35-22) and Edinburgh (55-21) at home, the Lions held on for a vital 23-19 triumph over the Dragons in Newport last Sunday, but need to back it up by seeing off Zebre in Parma on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm). The Italian club are no pushovers, having beaten 2023 champions Munster 42-33 in round one.
But they have suffered two successive defeats – to the Stormers at home (36-5) and defending champions Glasgow away (33-3) – so, it is an ideal time for the Lions to pounce at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi this weekend ahead of their showdown with Irish giants Leinster in Dublin a week later.
“We’ve got a very exciting squad, and we’ve got a few guys coming back from injuries. It’s about creating the excitement again for the team that’s going to play,” Lions defence coach Jaque Fourie said from Italy yesterday.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity this weekend to play Zebre, and then next weekend, we play the team on top of the log.
“As players and coaches, those are the teams you want to play against, to measure yourself. If and when we win this weekend, next weekend is probably a top-of-the-table clash against Leinster – so we will give it our all against them next week.
“But we first need to do the job this weekend. Zebre are not an easy team, and if we are going in with that mindset – that it’s just going to be a walk in the park – we will be making a big mistake.”
Not the prettiest, but whatever it takes…#ForOurCity
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) October 13, 2024
#DRAvLIO #ForOurCity
@vodacom #URC | #HitsDifferent
#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/WNjCGjag02
Fourie warned the players that they need to be wary of the under-fire Zebre outfit.
“We do put a lot of emphasis on attack, and in a few instances, you are going to have unstructured defence also,” the former Springbok centre said.
“So, our challenge is to get into the defence structure as quickly as possible to put the teams and their skill-sets under pressure. Hopefully, this weekend against a team like Zebre, they like unstructured attack.
“So, we’ll have to force them into structured attack and get the ball back again – especially against a team like Zebre. It is going to rain a lot, so the conditions are not going to allow us to play an expansive game.
“We will probably have to go to a direct game, and we’ve got the players to do that. It’s not the first time that we played Nico at 10, and the good thing about Nico is that we only have a few of those players who have the ability to play in any position.
“They are just natural rugby players. I thought he did quite well... It’s just that intercept pass that he gave that could’ve happened to anyone.
“I thought he directed (the team) quite well. It’s a different level – it’s URC now, it’s a different speed, and it’s something he has to get used to. But he did quite well under the circumstances.
“They said earlier in the week already that it is going to come down with a lot of rain, so we are quite comfortable to go into a kicking battle and playing in the right areas of the field – and then also to keep the ball through a lot of phases to score tries when we are in those areas.”