Johannesburg - Henco van Wyk could miss the Lions’ Challenge Cup clash against Stade Francais after being carried off during the team’s loss to Munster over the weekend.
The Emirates Lions will pivot towards the EPCR Challenge Cup this week hoping to arrest a steep decline in their fortunes recently.
The Joburgers succumbed to a third consecutive defeat in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Friday when they lost to an ever improving Munster 33-3. That loss followed similar drubbings against the Stormers (40-8) and the Sharks (37-10).
On Saturday they face Stade Francais, however, and a similar outcome is arguably more likely, unless head coach Ivan van Rooyen and Co can find solutions to their growing concerns.
Although the conditions in Cork this past week were attritional, and could excuse some of the Lions’ failings, truth be told the visitors were simply outplayed and outfoxed by a superior team on the night.
The Lions have some serious problems on attack at the moment regardless – they have only been able to score one try in the last three matches and seem unable to create genuine try-scoring opportunities. Their attack has become too predictable and easily containable.
The defensive system is also buckling under the unneeded pressure the Lions are putting on themselves. They have conceded 15 tries in those three matches, unable to affect turnovers, or pressure the attacking teams into errors.
The Pink Army, meanwhile, have lost only one match in their last five encounters – to the Lions at Emirates Airline Park in December when they fielded an understrength team in the Challenge Cup.
They are currently flying high in the French Top 14, sitting second just three points behind Toulouse.
They easily dispatched Castres 26-7 on Saturday, and before that did the same to Pau 37-3 and Racing 92 48-10.
They will in all probability field a much stronger side for the return fixture against the Lions than the one that played in Johannesburg.
Van Rooyen admitted after the defeat to Munster that his team must find answers immediately if they are to bounce back and return to winning ways.
“We said collectively (after the Munster game) that we have to get back on the horse,” Van Rooyen said.
“We have to turn it around for us. We have to make it count.
“There is an opportunity in Paris for us – yes, it is a four week tour and yes, we have four very tough games – to grow as a team and to get better. These are the types of challenges we need to make that step up.
“It is up to us to change it, so it will be important for us to prepare well this week … Hopefully, the weather is a bit better on Saturday so that we can play a bit more. It will be important for us as a group to pull together and find solutions.”
There will also be concern regarding the fitness of Jordan Hendrikse and Henco van Wyk, who both limped off against Munster. An update on their availability for the clash is expected early this week
There is a positive, however, in that the Lions don’t need to beat Stade Francais this weekend.
ALSO READ: Ivan van Rooyen laments Lions ‘expensive errors’ against Munster
The Doornfontein-based side are currently second in Pool B of the Challenge Cup with eight points, two points behind Scarlets; and three points clear of Benetton, Pau and the Cheetahs, who are all on five points.
Glasgow Warriors score scintillating 24-17 victory over Stormers
The Dragons and Stade follow in sixth and seventh, respectively, on four points while Bayonne are eighth in the group having scored no points. The Lions only have to finish in the top six of the group to progress to the Round of 16.
Collecting as many points against Stade Francais, even in a losing effort, as possible and then accounting for themselves the following weekend against Dragons, should be enough to do so.
IOL Sport