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Where to next for the Lions after another disappointing season?
Despite their improvements it was still a lacklustre campaign on all fronts, as the Lions were unable to challenge for silverware.
It was another difficult season for the Lions who now have to do some serious introspection ahead of the new season starting later this year. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The Lions saw another disappointing season effectively ended by the Sharks on Saturday night as they went down 29-21 in their Currie Cup clash in Durban.
The result leaves the Lions in seventh place on the log on 31 points, five points off the playoff places ahead of next weekend’s final round of pool games.
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Although they mathematically are not out of the running, it would take an incredible number of results going their way for them to sneak into the competition semi-finals.
Their match against the Griffons in Welkom is thus set to be their last of the season, as they again failed to seriously challenge in any of the competitions they have played in.
Arguably the Lions best showing came in the Challenge Cup competition, where they managed to reach the quarterfinals, with a highlight win over French giants Racing 92 in the last 16 at Ellis Park.
In the United Rugby Championship, although they managed to improve on last season’s 12th placed finish by ending ninth this time round, they still missed out on the playoffs, which was their major goal set out at the start of the season.
The Currie Cup was another improvement from last season, but last year the Lions fielded basically an age group team over most of the tournament leading to them finishing bottom of the log, while this season they were in contention for the playoffs up until the penultimate weekend.
Lacklustre campaign
Despite those improvements it still doesn’t mask a lacklustre campaign on all fronts, as the Lions have been unable to seriously challenge for silverware.
That begs the question, where to next for the once mighty union that was dominating Super Rugby less than a decade ago.
The Lions have to drastically improve and fast if they don’t want to fade into obscurity and become just another one of the numbers filling up various competitions.
The biggest challenge is sorting out the in-house drama that has plagued the union over the past season, as that is arguably the biggest stumbling block to them being able to lure top class players to the union and improve their showings in all competitions.
