The Lions are in position to end the regular Super Rugby season as the team with the most points after going top of the standings with their 10th win in the competition on Saturday.
Thanks to their 37-10 victory over the Sharks the Lions moved one point clear at the top of the standings in the 18-team competition.
With two rounds to go before the quarter-finals are played, the Lions have 47 points. Second overall are the Chiefs (46), followed by the Crusaders (45), Hurricanes (44) and Highlanders (43).
But because of the conference system, the Lions have already secured a home quarter-final in three weeks’ time - they cannot be passed by the Sharks (35 points) - and should they win their remaining games (or other results go their way) they could well finish top of the pile and guarantee themselves a home semi-final and final, too.
It is a position few would have predicted for the Lions at the start of the season, with Sharks boss Gary Gold now believing coach Johan Ackermann’ s men can go all the way.
“The Lions are an outstanding team,” he said after Saturday’s five-try romp against his outfit.
“This Lions story is so similar to the Bulls under Heyneke Meyer (in the 2000s). They made a slow start and played under difficult conditions in the beginning, but it shows you what can happen when the people in the group get backed,” said Gold. “This is what they can grow into.”
In the early 2000s the Bulls were the laughing stock of Super Rugby, winning three games in 33 between 2000 and 2002, finishing last on the log on three successive occasions, but under Meyer they hit back with title triumphs in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
“This (the Lions) is one of the most astonishing things ... this is how great sports teams are formed,” said Gold. “They had some very tough times, but they stuck together, like the Bulls did, and they grew into a great team.
“They say in sport if you could bottle confidence you’d make a lot of money ... well, this is a team that has confidence. They also play a great brand of rugby and they’re very well coached. I think they can go all the way.”
Ackermann said it was too early to be talking about titles and play-off games. But he did say he was grateful for the victory against the Sharks, especially after a month off.
“I’m glad we’re over the challenges of the week ... that is trying to get the players to gel again after a month away from each other. It was tough. We also had to allow the players to come down a bit from the highs of Test rugby in the last month ... so dealing with all those things, the mental side of the game, wasn’t easy,” said Ackermann.
“We’re grateful for the victory and, of course, the bonus point. It’s an important hurdle to have gotten over. We’ve secured the play-off spot and that was the goal. It’s reward for the players, but we’ll start from scratch again on Monday. We’ve got two big games to play still (at home against the Kings and away against the Jaguares), but I’m glad we’re over the bridge (of returning from a month off) and can get back to normal.”
Ackermann said the most pleasing aspect of the win against the Sharks was seeing how his players had come of age. “It’s been a process to get here, to the point where we’ve won 10 games and secured a play-off spot.
“From where we started in 2014 (after being relegated in 2013) we lost a few games narrowly, mainly because of a lack of composure, but I’ve seen the players mature over the last few years and that’s a good sign. They’re finishing off the chances they’re creating and that’s a sign of maturity.
“We’ve grown in all areas; the decision-making has been good, but in the play-offs we’ll have to be even better. I’m happy with where we are, but we’re not there yet. We’ve achieved nothing yet.”
The Lions next play the Kings, at Ellis Park, on Friday. - The Star