Lions boss Ivan van Rooyen said he was pleased his side held their United Rugby Championship top eight fate in their own hands, following their sixth straight win at home against Connacht on Saturday.
The Lions beat the Irish team 35-14 to move into third place on the URC points table, ahead of their two-match trip to Ireland to complete the league phase. They face Leinster and Munster in their last two matches.
Four points separate the top four teams on the points table and 11 the top nine sides.
Van Rooyen’s men have never been in this position on the log and have never played in the quarter-finals.
But 10 wins in their campaign has given the Lions a chance of featuring in the knockouts this season, and with some luck they could even host a playoff game if they were to finish in the top four.
Van Rooyen didn’t want to look too far ahead.
‘Tough tour’
“We’re keeping ourselves alive,” said a happy and relived coach after the win against Connacht at Ellis Park on Saturday. It followed home wins against Glasgow, Dragons, Edinburgh, Stormers and Sharks in the last few weeks.
“We’ve got a tough tour ahead of us, but it’s still up to us, which is the nice part.
“To finish with matches against Glasgow and three Irish teams, Connacht, Leinster and Munster, is tough. But we’ll focus only on Leinster for now.
“It’s so tight on that log … and the top nine teams also play each other. The best scenario is for us to pick up two wins on tour.”
‘Confidence’
The coach added it felt “different” being in the top four at this stage of the season, compared to being outside the top eight and chasing a spot in the knockouts.
“We won’t necessarily sleep better … but it’s in our hands this time,” said Van Rooyen.
“It gives us confidence, and it does feel different to previous seasons … where we are and where we’re going. We slipped up before, but this shows we’ve grown … the players and management.
“I’m proud of the hard work, and there has been a lot. I’m also relieved. But we’re not there yet.”
The Lions will rest over the coming days, and “freshen up mentally” before getting together on Thursday and flying out to Ireland on Saturday. There is no URC rugby this weekend.
