Rugby
Lions determined to turn the corner in Treviso─── MORGAN PIEK 12:37 Tue, 07 Oct 2025
The Lions are determined to secure their first win of the United Rugby Championship this weekend when they face Benetton in Treviso in the third round of the competition.
It’s been a tough start for the Currie Cup finalists, who are currently on a three-match losing streak following their latest defeat to Zebre in Parma on Sunday night. The Lions went down 33–20 to Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park in the opening round, before suffering a narrow 22–20 loss to Zebre.
While the Lions have shown glimpses of their potential, they’ve struggled to close out games. Still, the mood in the camp remains positive despite a few injury concerns.
Quan Horn, who was the captain against Cardiff. Photo: Morgan Piek
Flyhalf Chris Smith, who sustained a concussion during the Currie Cup final against the Suzuki Griquas at Ellis Park, told OFM Sport that the URC season is a marathon rather than a sprint, and that the team believes they’re not far off from turning the corner.
“That’s definitely something that’s been going through my mind, and it’s something we as a group need to realise – like you say, it’s a marathon,” said Smith.
“It’s a long competition. It’s not an easy competition, and the reality is that winning away from home is hard. You don’t just go away and pick up a victory.
“We know we need to be better – everyone knows that. But we’re creating good opportunities, which have kept the group positive. We’re close, and we’ll get there. Hopefully, this weekend will be that turning point where we can start building some momentum.”
Assistant coach Barend Pieterse emphasised the margins have been incredibly fine in their recent matches, and if the side can cut out small errors and improve their discipline, they’ll start turning narrow losses into wins.
“If you look at both games, the margins are so small,” said the former Cheetahs and Springbok forward.
“Against Zebre, with five minutes to go, we were ahead. We just couldn’t hold on for that final exit. We put ourselves under pressure and gave away two soft penalties on our own ball – and that’s what’s costing us.
“If we can sort that out, we’ll fix a lot of things.
“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a poor attitude out there – not from what we see in the reviews. The tries we’ve scored have been outstanding. If we can just eliminate those small errors, the results could look very different – even in both of those games.”
Saturday’s clash between Benetton and the Lions in Treviso kicks off at 15:00.
