Bruised But Not Beaten: Lions Target Strong Finish At Home In Urc

Yes, if you were wondering, when the Lions returned to South Africa last week, their egos were quite bruised after a disappointing tour of Wales and Scotland just ask Asenathi Ntlabakanye.

It is that negative sentiment the burly prop and his teammates are hoping to convert into positive energy in the coming weeks, as they look to restore pride in their United Rugby Championship campaign and reignite belief among their supporters.

It has been an underwhelming month for the Joburgers. A lacklustre 2412 defeat to Edinburgh in the last 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup compounded a miserable 420 capitulation to Glasgow and a frustrating 2017 loss to Cardiff.

It has seen the Lions' chances of winning silverware in the former evaporate, and their top-eight ambitions in the latter threatened. They find themselves in 14th spot in the URC on 30 points, and if not for a logjam stretching all the way to fifth-placed Munster with 39 points they could be staring down the barrel of another season of unfulfilled promise and potential.

Many pundits will insist they already are.