Lions ‘one step closer’ as they eye tough Ulster match this weekend

The Lions’ first win of the United Rugby Championship (URC) season, against Scarlets over the weekend, has seen them take a step towards where they want to be, according to captain Francke Horn.

That progress is set to be massively tested when they take on high flying, unbeaten Ulster, fresh off a superb win over the Sharks in Durban, at Ellis Park this coming Saturday.

A dreadful start to the season saw the Lions lose all three of their opening tour games, against Cardiff, Zebre and Benetton, which saw them return home to take on Scarlets in a bottom of the table scrap.

The Highveld side still weren’t anywhere near their best, but managed to walk away with a bonus point 29-18 win, which slightly avenged their 32-19 home defeat to the same opponents at the end of last season, earlier this year in May.

“We’ve worked hard the last four weeks. Obviously the results didn’t show it. So we are very grateful for the win,” said captain Horn after the match.

“It was nervy at the end, but the guys stayed calm, stuck to the plan and got the five points. It’s one step closer to where we want to be. It’s not perfect yet, but this will build confidence in the team going forward.”

Ulster test

Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen admitted the enormity of the task facing the Lions against in form Ulster, who in contrast to the Highveld side’s struggles, are unbeaten this season having won all three of their matches (one being postponed), including an impressive 34-26 win over a Springbok-laden Sharks.

“They’re (Ulster) one of the form teams thus far this season. They’re really looking good. Our cohesion on attack should allow us to utilise the pictures we created (against Scarlets) as well as our attacking breakdown,” said Van Rooyen.

“We also need to ensure we have consistency all around and ensure we’re all on the same page.”

The Ulster game is an incredibly important one for the Lions, as a loss would set them back massively, after making slight progress against Scarlets, and would likely see them slip down the table again going into the November international break.

Last season they beat their Irish challengers 35-22 at Ellis Park at the start of their campaign, but this time they are facing a stronger and more in form team, and will have to be at their absolute best if they are to stand any chance of picking up a crucial win to firmly reignite their season.