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Lions need to prove URC credentials on tour
If the Lions can win six or seven home games they would only need to win three or four games on the road.
Lions players ahead of their match against the Bulls last weekend. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The Lions need to prove their United Rugby Championship (URC) credentials on their three match European Tour as they take on Ospreys in Swansea, Wales, first up on Saturday night.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen and a number of players have made no secret their goal of reaching the quarterfinals of this seasons competition, which would require and eighth place or better finish to achieve it.
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Last season the Lions finished 12th on the log, having won eight games while losing 10, and ended the season nine points off play-off places, which equates to two wins and a few bonus points.
If the Lions want to achieve their goal this season, they will probably need to win at least 10 games over the campaign which means they need to have a much better record on the road.
In nine home games last season the Lions won five, three of those losses came against SA teams, while the only European team to beat them at home was Connacht.
The picked up some impressive wins over big teams like Munster and Edinburgh, making Ellis Park a fortress against European teams.
This season they will need to put in an even better showing at home, and try and make it six or seven wins at their home ground, especially if they want t make the quarters.
On the road
If they can manage that, it would mean that they only need to win three or four games on the road this season, which is a gettable target.
Last season the Lions only picked up three wins on the road, one against the Stormers, while they also won their first game of the season against Zebre in Italy, and last of the season against Dragons in Wales.
They will need to put in a much better effort away from home, and they get the chance to do that early in the season, with their three match tour.
They have already lost a game at home, in their URC opener against the Bulls last weekend, which leaves even less margin for error at home, if they want to crack the top eight, and with European teams now knowing what to expect on the Highveld it will be even harder.
The three sides the Lions take on over the next three weeks are Ospreys, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
Last season Edinburgh (8th) and Ospreys (9th) both finished above the Lions, while Cardiff (14th) finished below them.
The Lions however beat all three teams at home, but most did not have their internationals due to the Six Nations, so all three sides will be stronger at home this time around.
The Lions need to target a win over Cardiff at least, and if they could also beat one of the other two, with Ospreys arguably the easier target of the two, it would be considered a very successful tour heading back home.
