Lions need a whole lot of luck

Third time lucky. Huh? What does that actually mean? In this case it has everything to do with the Lions’ Super Rugby semifinal against the Waratahs tomorrow at Ellis Park.

If they pass that test they will qualify for their third straight final.

And after losing the previous two, most people locally – but mostly Lions supporters – believe it could be “third time lucky” after losing both the 2016 and 2017 finals.

But they would need a whole lot of luck, if one listens to Bulls coach Johan Mitchell and Sharks coach Robert du Preez.

While Mitchell made the statement that no SA team would win the competition if they don’t drastically increase their squad depth, Du Preez was of the opinion after his side got smacked 4010 in Christchurch that “no team will beat the Crusaders”.

Naturally the Lions will know by the time their game against the Waratahs kicks off whether they will play for an away or a home final.

The Lions need the Hurricanes to surprise the Crusaders in the earlier semifinal and then have to beat the Tahs to have another final at home.

There is an argument to be made that the Lions face a likely no-win situation if they have to travel to Christchurch, where the Crusaders have not lost this year and are close to invincible, for the final.

In fact the Crusaders have lost just three times the last two seasons, their only two defeats back in March were a 29-19 defeat by the Hurricanes and 25-17 by the Highlanders. But both games were away from home in Wellington and Dunedin respectively.

The Lions hopefully have learned their lessons from a 20-3 defeat to the Canes in Wellington two years ago and the agonising 25-17 loss to the Crusaders at Ellis Park last season in the last two finals.

Whereas the Canes’ rush defence unsettled the Lions two years ago, it was the red card aerial charge from Lions flanker Kwagga Smith on Saders fullback David Havili that ended the game as a contest in last year’s final.

The last seven years it was just teams from Australasia who won the title.

In 2011 it was the Reds, in 2012 and ’13 it was the Chiefs, 2014 the Waratahs, 2015 the Highlanders, 2016 the Canes and last year the Crusaders.

It’s about time the Lions change that vicious cycle.