Do the Lions want to be also-rans, or genuinely compete for the United Rugby Championship title?
Well, that question will be answered over their next four matches, when they will face the Stormers, Bulls and then the Sharks twice in a crucial month of SA derbies.
The Lions had their moments in the past weekend’s 35-22 defeat to the Bulls at Ellis Park, but ultimately couldn’t stop the visitors’ bench from taking the game away from them in the second half.
They were 17-13 ahead after 53 minutes when flyhalf Sam Francis slotted a penalty, but then conceded a try almost immediately when Bulls lock Cobus Wiese stormed over after some delightful touches from replacement pivot Willie le Roux.
The veteran Springbok got the Bulls buzzing on attack, and his unpredictability was too much to handle for the home side.
The Lions didn’t stop trying, though, and lock Etienne Oosthuizen’s touchdown in the 62 nd minute gave them really hope at 23-22 – although Francis missed the conversion that would’ve put them into the lead.
The Bulls responded in belligerent fashion as first Player of the Match, Marcell Coetzee, dotted down, and hooker Akker van der Merwe rounded things off with a maul try.
Now the Lions are 13th on the URC log with 19 points from eight matches, but they can still catch up and get into playoff contention as the eighth-placed Edinburgh have played 10 games and are on 24 points.
But the Johannesburg outfit will have to find a way to turn promising starts into victories against their SA counterparts, and will have time to sort things out before facing the Stormers at Ellis Park on February 15.
“We have four SA derbies, and have to win at least three out of the four to stay in contention. I won’t say our backs are against the wall, but there’s only one way forward,” Lions captain and No 8 Francke Horn said after the Bulls defeat.
“We will look each other in the eye and will have to decide what we want to do.
“I have no doubt that the guys will be ready for the next one at Loftus. But the week before that, it’s the Stormers here at home, so we will prepare really well for that game.”
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen expressed his disappointment with the manner of the defeat, where he felt two “silly errors” at lineouts proved costly.
But he believes that his team can still get back into the playoff race.
“Getting bodies rested, keep developing our game model. Get guys sharp and ready,” Van Rooyen said about what the Lions aim to do in their time off.
“It’s definitely the toughest month of the competition, playing against the South African teams. But it’s also important to be rested, well.
Henco van Wyk bulldozes his way over for the Emirates Lions 🦁💣
📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/XOUWPZPJNc
“Unfortunately, you could see that Ruan (Nortjé) and Elrigh (Louw) were quite severe injuries, so there tends to be one or two in derbies because they are so physical and quick. But we wish them well.
“The difference is if you go into halftime 20-11 (ahead), the difference in how they want to play is probably bigger than what we want to play.
“At stages, we allowed them to play their way, and if you are going to give their big bodies momentum and quick ball, then they are tough to stop.
“At some stages, we managed to play the way we wanted to, and we could feel that it put them under stress.
“The disappointing thing is that we work on it (lineouts) every day. So, in the moment, decision-making, comms, execution... It’s not like we are not working on it.
“The level of the bench, in terms of experience, made a difference... It’s two silly errors.”