LIONS MID SEASON REVIEW: Break comes at a good time for wary Lions

You could forgive the 10bet Lions for being more than a bit relieved that the last three weeks are over and they now have a month to rest, recover, regroup and recuperate after their Vodacom United Rugby Championship tour is at an end.

A tour that began with excitement at their first Investec Champions Cup foray into France, and then hit an unexpected tragedy with the death of lock Hyron Andrews, was compounded by two more weeks on the road in Scotland where their own performances were both underwhelming and disappointing.

The coaching group will need time to regroup and reflect on a losing run outside South Africa that now extends to 19 matches, while the playing group will naturally be looking forward to time with their loved ones and a more formal goodbye for their fallen teammate.

It is clear that this break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Lions, who next face their neighbours, the Vodacom Bulls, in the Jukskei derby return leg when competition returns in December.

They were well-beaten in the previous outing against their northern neighbours and will want to use the time well before regrouping for the December derby.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen has already indicated the side will have two weeks rest away from the game before returning to ensure they hit the ground running in December. But even he agrees that this was a very tough tour with all factors taken into account.

“It was an incredibly difficult tour in the bigger scheme of things. The character we showed during the La Rochelle and Glasgow games is something we are proud of,” Van Rooyen said after the loss to Glasgow.

"The Edinburgh game week was exceptionally tough mentally and unfortunately it showed a bit in the game.

"Heading into the week of Glasgow, the senior players were immense in terms of team identity and playing style; taking ownership and leading by example.

"Throughout the three weeks, I honestly believe the management was truly unbelievable. We are truly blessed to have incredible people in our team. The heart and the character to stand up and fight for each other was incredible.

“We are going to rest for two weeks, then straight into two weeks of preparation before we take on the Vodacom Bulls early December."

One aspect of concern for the Lions is the injury to flyhalf Chris Smith, who has been an integral part of their campaign since his arrival in Johannesburg. Smith will undergo tests when he gets home to see the extent of the chest injury he suffered against Glasgow.

“Unfortunately there's no update as yet. His pectoral area (chest) is quite sore. We will do scans etc upon arrival back home."

The reflection couldn’t also come at a better time.

The Lions, after a good start, now sit uncomfortably in 13th spot on the log out of 16 teams. According to the URC’s own stats, their attack is rock bottom in 16th place, scoring just 15 tries in five games - half that of the tournament’s top attacking side - the Vodacom Bulls.

Defensively they aren’t much better, sitting in 10th spot in the league with a 76 per cent tackle success rate and having missed 130 tackles this season.

One of the most concerning areas though, is in their lineouts, where they have already lost 14 lineouts in five games, and have an 84 per cent success rate - that makes them the 12th best in the league at this stage.

Their scrum success rate is a lot better, with a 91 per cent rate making them the sixth best scrum in the league.