Revived Lions target Perpignan as Challenge Cup and URC tests stack up

The Lions will head to Perpignan this week with renewed belief in their European campaign, knowing that a positive result in France will see them through to the EPCR Challenge Cup playoffs while setting the tone for a demanding run of United Rugby Championship fixtures to come.

After a stuttering start to the season that again tested their depth and resilience, the Joburg side have have quietly rebuilt momentum, with a nail-biting URC win away over the Sharks followed by Saturday’s bonus-point home Challenge Cup win over Lyon. 

They are in contention to reach the playoffs in both competitions, sitting in fourth place in Pool 2 of the Challenge Cup with six points, the same as third-placed Perpignan, and in seventh spot in the URC. 

Saturday’s match in France is the last match of the Challenge Cup pool phase and promises to be a testing encounter. Perpignan are traditionally formidable at home, drawing energy from a passionate crowd and physical style that tests visiting sides’ composure and discipline.

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen is in under no illusions about the difficulty of the task at hand at Stade Aime Giral on Saturday (7.30pm kick-off), as well as next weekend’s match away against the Ospreys as they enter a crucial block of fixtures in both competitions. But he is confident of building on the momentum they have generated of late. 

“One or two wins in a row can give you momentum, then it’s our responsibility to keep up that momentum,” he said in the aftermath of Saturday’s win. 

“We’re soon going to fly on a two-week tour, where we will face Perpignan away in the EPCR and then Ospreys away in the URC.  As we all know, on the last tour we weren’t good enough against the Ospreys there and we’ve spoken about it. Then we come back and play the Bulls. It’s not like the following three weeks get any easier.”

The home URC match against the Bulls will be followed by matches against the Sharks and log-leading Stormers.

Should the Lions’ winning run come to an end on Saturday, they could mathematically still reach the Challenge Cup playoffs should the Dragons and Lyon also lose at the weekend. Saturday's  triumph, the first of the competition for the Joburg side, has left their fate in their own hands, though, and there is a growing sense that this Lions group is increasingly comfortable dealing with adversity.  

Younger players continue to step up – with forward Batho Hlekani the hero on debut on Saturday while scrumhalf Hasheem Pead was the match winner against the Sharks – while the leadership core, headed by captain Francke Horn, has shown an ability to refocus quickly after setbacks. That blend has allowed the Lions to remain competitive across competitions.

For now, though, the focus is firmly on Perpignan. A strong performance on French soil would not only strengthen the Lions’ title prospects, but also reinforce the belief that they are building something sustainable. With momentum returning and big tests ahead, the coming weeks could define whether this side can turn promise into something more tangible.