Do these Lions have some bite left?
The Lions may be the butt of many Super Rugby jokes, and destined for the scrap heap if most media dispatches are to be believed, but they are not ready to throw the towel in just yet.
Speaking to this website ahead of his team's encounter with the high-flying Sharks, Lions captain Josh Strauss said they have some lofty goals – including knocking over a few of the tournaments most fancied teams.
Having won just one game in 12 starts – their Round One encounter with the Cheetahs – the Lions look destined to prop up the table for the remainder of the season.
However, they don't see themselves as the 'walking bonus point' that has become the label foisted upon them by critics.
"Among our goals at the start of the season was to do well in the South African conference," Strauss told this website, adding: "Obviously that didn't materialise.
"However, we still aim to win our remaining games," he said about their encounters with the Sharks (in Johannesburg this week), Stormers (Cape Town, June 30), Rebels (Johannesburg, July 7) and Bulls (Pretoria, July 14).
He said they are confident of starting with an upset this week, despite their horror run this season.
"You know that when South African teams meet, these games are massive derby games," Strauss said.
"We are certainly looking forward to this game, as we normally do well against the Sharks.
"The team spirit remains great and the players are very motivated for this game."
Back on home soil after a marathon month-long road trip to Australasia, the Lions skipper feels they have something to gain from a tour that yielded no victories and a solitary bonus point for losing by less than seven in Perth last week.
"Although we didn't win on tour, it was a valuable exercise for the team – especially for all the young players," Strauss said of a team that had suffered a horror run of injuries.
"We brought in guys from the Maties [University of Stellenbosch] and the Pumas. It was good for us in terms of getting to know each other better and spending time together as a unit.
"As I said, we may not have won, but the tour had some good value for us – to take that camaraderie back home and play in front of our own fans will be good for us."
The Lions are not the only people who feel there is a potential banana skin awaiting the Sharks in Johannesburg.
Coming off an impressive five-week unbeaten run and fresh from last week's impressive drubbing of the table-topping Stormers, Sharks coach John Plumtree warned his charges mot to take the lowly Lions for grant.
"You've got to have respect and as soon as you think you're a little better than you are, you'll be in trouble," Plumtree told a media scrum in Durban this week.
"We've got to go up there and finish up this job.
"We'll undo a lot of work if we don't do the job this week.
"I told the players that attitude is going to be huge this week in terms of our preparation."
By Jan de Koning
