Lions have to come to terms that glory days may be coming to an end
THE Lions have, of course, lost Super Rugby matches before. In fact they have lost three finals in a row, and last season lost six out of 15 in the roundrobin stage. They know what it’s like to get beaten by a better team.
What they haven’t experienced in a long time is losing at home – to a South African team; this past weekend to the Bulls at Ellis Park, when the visitors won comfortably after dominating all aspects of their round three match. They also haven’t often lost two in a row to SA teams, which they have now done, having come unstuck against the Stormers in round two.
The Lions are in uncharted territory: they are one from three, they are minus their inspirational captain in Warren Whiteley and they have to come to terms with the fact the glory days may be coming to an end, and that several key figures of the last few seasons are no longer around.
What is now crucial is how the Lions respond to these setbacks in the coming weeks, starting with Saturday’s return clash against the Jaguares.
The Lions will go into the round four game very much a team on the back foot, with questions being asked about the leadership, and why they struggled so much at home, in familiar surroundings, this past weekend.
The Lions have not looked the same team ever since Whiteley,
left the field with an injury before halftime against the Stormers at Newlands, but they simply have to find their mojo as the Springbok No 8 will only be back in action in five to seven weeks’ time. There are supposedly several leaders in the Lions squad, among them new captain Malcolm Marx, and vice-captain Elton Jantjies, but whoever is tasked to get the team fired up and on the right path, now is the time to take charge.
Several seasoned men are missing up front – where the Lions were bullied and beaten up by the Bulls last Saturday – but somehow coach Swys de Bruin & Co have to find a way to man up without the likes of Ruan Dreyer, Jacques van Rooyen, Franco Mostert, Jaco Kriel and Andries Ferreira, who have all left the franchise since last year’s campaign.
The Lions will hope key lock forward Marvin Orie is back this week after missing out on the clash with the Bulls because of injury. He has been the team’s key tight-forward so far, winning more tackles than any other player in the first two rounds, and also standing tall in the lineouts. And, of course, the sooner the powerful ball-carrier and gain-line enforcer Cyle Brink returns to the fray the better.