Lions forced to shuffle pack for Lyon clash

THE Lions are far from throwing in the towel in the EPCR Challenge Cup, stressing that matches like Saturday's visit of French side Lyon to Ellis Park (5.15pm kickoff) are key to building momentum in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and improving squad depth.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

Despite back-to-back defeats in their opening two Challenge Cup pool matches, the Lions remain mathematically alive in the competition, knowing that victories in their final two fixtures could still secure a playoff berth.

More importantly, the coaching staff believe the competition provides a platform to sharpen performance levels and prepare a wider group of players for the demands of the URC, where they are in the playoff spots in seventh place, basking in the afterglow of the weekend's derby win against the Sharks.

The weekend's victory in Durban came at a cost, however, with Ruan Venter’s red card for a dangerous tackle on Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi earning the forward a four-match suspension. Judicial officer Rhian Williams, who oversaw the judicial process, found that the incident met the mid-range red card threshold, warranting a ban of six weeks, which was reduced due to mitigating factors, the Lions revealed in a statement.