VIDEO: The Lions' dream threatened by green invasion of The Den
The Lions are desperate to end a five-match losing streak, but they are about to encounter a team ever more resolute to stay in the United Rugby Championship play-off race.
With just three rounds of league action remaining, the Lions, 14th with 31 points (nine behind eighth-placed Stormers), host Connacht (12th, 35).
Connacht have lost their last three URC fixtures, since beating Benetton 38-30 in Galway on March 1.
The Irishmen have won just once away from their Galway home since last April, beating Scarlets 24-23 in Llanelli.
Connacht’s only win in their last seven visits to South Africa was 13-12 victory over the Sharks in Durban in November 2023.
A bitterly disappointed Connacht caretaker coach Cullie Tucker said they will review last Saturday’s heartbreaking loss to the Stormers ‘hard’ as they build towards the second match on their South African safari.
(WATCH as Connacht caretaker coach Cullie Tucker explains what it will take for them to end their South African tour with a win…..)
“You get bad days sometimes,” he said about the set piece struggles in Cape Town last week, adding: “You have to take the calls and be better [at it].”
He said the team has used their time on tour in South Africa to work on the issues that has cost them dearly, their last four defeats all by six points or less – to the Stormers (29-34), Racing 92 (40-42), Munster (24-30) and Ospreys (40-43).
“I am expecting this squad to produce the same preparation this week,” he said of the build-up to last week’s Cape Town reverse.
“We are looking forward to next week [and facing the Lions] already.”
He reiterated his statement from last week that they expect another ‘brutal’ contest in “the land of physicality”.
“They will stretch us, they will test us and they will back the altitude as well.”
Cullie Tucker chat 🗣️
💚 Heart and fight vs. Stormers
🦁 Lions preview
🤝 Team bonding in South Africa#OneConnacht pic.twitter.com/KX8DdqYHpl— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) April 22, 2025
Seasoned back row forward Paul Boyle echoed the coach’s sentiments, speaking about the need to ‘review’ and ‘fix’ the issues that has seen them lose four of their last five matches.
“Those conversations we will be having and we will get better,” he said of facing the Lions this week.
“We have three more games to fix it, to get into the top eight [play-offs].”
The Lions have lost their last four URC matches since beating the Sharks 38-14 in Johannesburg on March 1.
They also lost to Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
The Lions lost 31-42 to Benetton at Ellis Park in Round 15 and have not lost back-to-back URC fixtures at the venue since October 2022.
The two sides have met three times before, with the Lions having the edge by two wins to one.
Connacht won 33-30 on their only previous visit to Johannesburg in April 2022
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