More woe on road for the Lions as they sink to Zebre in the URC

THE Lions slumped towards the bottom of the United Rugby Championship points table on Sunday when they lost to the team that usually occupies that sad position — Zebre — who snatched a 22-20 win in Parma.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

The Lions lost 33-20 to Cardiff last week, and this latest result means they have now lost three matches in a row, going back to the Currie Cup final defeat to Griquas.

Last year, the Lions started strongly in the URC before losing their way and failing to qualify for the playoffs — something they have never achieved. So is this to be another year of sorrow for their fans?

To be fair, the team from northern Italy are hardly the pushovers they once were. They have been building nicely for two years now and have occasionally beaten top-ranked teams, including the Sharks.