The Lions are on the cusp of securing their first United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off spot after a convincing 33-21 victory over Connacht at Ellis Park on Saturday night. Henco van Wyk scored a brace of tries for the Lions, who maintained an impressive grip on proceedings with confident game management and some staunch defence to record their sixth consecutive win in the tournament.
According to the United Rugby Championship log, the victory elevated the Lions to third place with 52 points after 16 matches. Although the top half of the URC log remains congested, only Connacht—now placed ninth on 44 points—remain a potential threat to displace any of the teams in the top eight, including the Lions.
URC Play-off Spot Within Reach
With two regular-season matches remaining, the Irish franchise remain a long-term threat, as pointed out by Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen, even though the imminent danger they presented was nullified in Doornfontein. The Lions are off this week, due to their early exit from the EPCR Challenge Cup, but will return to the URC a week later with the daunting task of facing defending champions Leinster at the RDS Arena in Dublin.
Key Upcoming Fixtures
The Lions will take a keen interest in the Connacht v Munster clash on 9 May. Should the former fail to win there, the Lions will be assured a quarter-final spot regardless of the outcome of their final matches, or any other fixtures over that weekend. The Lions’ final regular-season game is against Munster on 16 May.
Here are the key fixtures to watch:
- Connacht v Munster (9 May)
- Leinster v Lions (RDS Arena, Dublin)
- Lions v Munster (16 May)
