Much rides on Munster match for Lions

The Lions' fight for a maiden place in the knockout rounds of the United Rugby Championship (URC) will face a stern test when champions Munster visit Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions are 11th on the points table but they are only one point adrift from the sixth placed Stormers.

Reaching the play-offs is a major ambition of the Lions after falling short in the inaugural year of the URC when they finished 12th, nine points behind eighth place, and last year, when they narrowly missed out by finishing ninth, just three points off the play-off spots.

Though they are in a modest position on the log, the Lions in some ways are well on course to deliver their best URC campaign.

In the full roster of 18 games they last season ran in 55 tries, seven more than in the previous campaign. In this campaign, with four regular season matches remaining, they have already scored 54 tries.

Last year they conceded a whopping 75 tries but they have tightened up considerably, conceding 38 so far this season.

The improvements have largely been put down to the cohesion that comes with squad familiarity. Most of the squad have been together for at least three seasons now.

Despite the gains made, defeat on Saturday will come as a huge setback as it will seriously dent their prospects of reaching the knockout rounds.

Since they dominated the domestic scene as local Super Rugby front runners between 2016 and 2018 the Lions have slipped back in the South African pecking order.

Their players in that period were in high demand and the squad underwent renewal processes over the past six years.

The groundwork laid three years ago and patience have made them more competitive but they now need tangible proof that they've made the transition. Qualifying for the URC's knockout stages will in large part provide that.

Munster, however, bring an eight-match unbeaten run against South African opposition to Ellis Park.

They may not be Ireland's most decorated team, but the defending champions showed what can be achieved when resolve, resourcefulness, commitment and mongrel are harnessed to the full.

Sure Munster were aided by the red card to Johan Goosen last week, but they seem to have cracked the code of beating South African teams regularly. And in South Africa nogal.

While the Lions met success against an understrength Leinster team last week they will have to find different ways to tame Saturday's beast. For them Saturday's match may provide a season defining outcome.