Lions look forward to home comforts after limping back from tour

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The limping Lions make their way home from their European tour, with their EPCR Challenge Cup hopes in tatters after the 24-12 mauling by Edinburgh Rugby, and their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign perilously close to disaster.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen spoke of the “open wounds, cuts and grazes from the three consecutive games on the artificial pitches”. However, it has often been the self-inflicted wounds that have done the most damage in a season that has threatened to roar into life, but is likely to end with a whimper.

While the Johannesburg outfit were certainly better than in their 42-0 drubbing against Glasgow last week – a low bar – their defence let them down again against Edinburgh.

They lost the breakdown battle and slipped off tackles in an error-strewn display, not for the first time in recent matches. More worrying were the large stretches of the game where they looked disorganised on attack and in defence.

The Lions have lost their past four matches on the trot – against the Sharks, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. They have only managed three wins in their past eight. Their usual struggles on tour have only been exposed further. But defence is not the only glaring weakness in this Lions team.

Coach "Cash" and other members of the Lions set-up have spoken about the Lions style and “staying true to their identity” a number of times this campaign. It was a mantra that was repeated on Saturday.

The promise is of a free-flowing, attacking brand of rugby with ball in hand, the stuff to get fans out of their seats. However, they have been unable to walk the talk, with the hammering of the Dragons one of the rare exceptions this season.

Until the Lions do more than just pay lip service to a playing style and identity, they are likely to keep struggling for consistency.

Neighbours the Bulls offer a great example of a team with a strong playing identity. It is crucial in that it informs everything that a team does, including recruitment and which players to unload. It is also not unique to rugby.

The Lions, meanwhile, return to Johannesburg licking their wounds, believing that a place in the URC playoffs is not beyond their reach. There is little evidence to support that belief, however.

“It’s an opportunity to keep on moving forward, to get to our goal to reach the top eight. It’s important for us to find our identity and stay true to our identity, especially back home,” coach Cash said.

Their form at Ellis Park may give them cause for optimism in their remaining four URC games. It is also an opportunity to give fans a taste of that lesser-spotted Lions style, and build a blueprint for the future. That would require a major turnaround, made tricky by a clear of confidence in the side.

The Lions are currently 14th on the log with 30 points, six points off the eighth-placed Edinburgh. They have four home games to come at Ellis Park: against Benetton, Connacht, Scarlets and Ospreys. But judging by the weekend’s match against Edinburgh, the gulf in class is greater than the points difference suggests.

Spare a thought for the long-suffering Lions pride who are enduring another frustrating season.