The Lions’ 24-17 defeat to Munster in Limerick was compounded by injuries to two key players ahead of their Vodacom URC quarter-final against Leinster.
No 8 Francke Horn and centre Henco van Wyk left the field in the 39th and 70th minutes of Saturday night’s match, respectively.
“Henco’s ankle is quite sore. Hopefully for him and for us it’s not too serious,” said Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen.
“Francke came off with a sore hamstring, but I probably took him off early enough so it’s not too bad.”
The Lions also lost centre Richard Kriel, who failed an HIA after leaving the field in the 40th minute. However, with the quarter-finals two weeks away, Van Rooyen was hopeful he would be fit to face Leinster in Dublin.
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The Lions have not yet decided whether they will remain in Ireland to prepare for the quarter-final or return to Johannesburg before flying back.
“Both options are still alive,” said Van Rooyen. “We just need to assess the injuries and then make a good informed decision on whether we stay here and prepare or head home to recover before coming back.”
The Lions are already without influential utility forward Ruan Venter, who returned to South Africa after suffering a knee injury against Leinster.
“It doesn’t look good for Ruan, to be honest,” Van Rooyen said. “It looks like quite a serious knee injury. He’s still seeing specialists and getting opinions, but it’s not looking too good.”
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Despite the defeat, Van Rooyen was proud of his side for qualifying for both the URC playoffs and next season’s Investec Champions Cup for the first time.
“It was a goal from the beginning of the season,” he said. “I think we’ve gradually been getting better.
“It’s been such a long season with so many challenges and ups and downs, so to finish the regular season in the top eight is a proud moment for us.
“I just hope we can keep building momentum and keep getting better.”
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The Lions picked up a crucial bonus point from Saturday night’s loss, but could have come away with a win had they been more clinical.
“I think initially we gave Munster too much quick ball and let them run onto us,” Van Rooyen said. “We took too long to adjust there. But once we fixed it, we created opportunities ourselves.
“Probably our lineout attack and maul attack let us down a little bit tonight. We had opportunities to score one or two more tries and we just didn’t take them.”
Van Rooyen believes the demanding Irish tour to end the regular season could ultimately benefit his side ahead of an away playoff against elite opposition.
“These two fixtures against Leinster and Munster were exactly what you need going into a quarter-final,” he said.
“You talk about quality opposition, tough conditions and quality teams – that’s exactly what Leinster and Munster are.
“There are enough positives to get excited about the opportunity ahead,” he added.
“Leinster might be European champions by then, and you’re playing against them in Dublin.
“The energy and focus for that should look after itself. It’s about whether we can rise to the occasion and find a way to play our game against them.”
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