Lions warned against complacency ahead of Dragons URC clash at Ellis Park

The Lions would be wise to park any thoughts of an easy afternoon away, when they face the Dragons in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in Johannesburg on Saturday (4.30pm kick-off).

The Welsh side may sit lower on the log, but their gritty display against the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend should have been warning enough. What many expected to be a routine victory at DHL Stadium turned into an uncomfortable scrap, with the visitors pushing the Stormers all the way, before eventually going down 29-21.

That performance alone should kill off any thoughts of complacency in Doornfontein.

The Lions can expect much of the same — a stubborn, disruptive outfit that refuses to go away. And with a place in the URC Top 8 still hanging in the balance, the Johannesburg-based side cannot afford to slip up at home.

Their commanding 54-17 win over Edinburgh set the tone nicely, but it will count for very little if they don’t back it up now. These are the matches where seasons are shaped — or quietly unravel. Another victory could propel the Lions as high as third on the URC log should other results go their way.

However, if there’s one lesson from the Stormers’ struggle that head coach Ivan van Rooyen and his side must take to heart, it’s this one: the Dragons are more than happy to lure teams into playing the wrong game. The Cape side got sucked into the space on offer, overplayed their hand and drifted away from their usual pressure-based approach.

The result delivered sloppy offloads, poor decision-making and opportunities left out on the field.

The Lions were far more measured against Edinburgh, building pressure and striking with purpose. But if they start chasing the spectacular too early, things could turn messy just as quickly. And that’s the real concern.

At this stage of the campaign, the Lions have been in this position before — well-placed to reach the play-offs, in control of their own fate, only to let it slip when the results mattered the most. Another stumble in the endgame would bring back that all too familiar feeling of ‘we are so close, but yet so far’.

The Dragons’ breakdown work remains their biggest weapon, and it is something the home side will look out for. They disrupted the Stormers’ rhythm effectively and will almost certainly target the same area again, knowing it is a strength of their hosts. Slow ball, messy rucks and constant niggle — it’s exactly the kind of game that frustrates sides looking to play expansively.

There is, however, a clear weakness in the visitors’ arsenal.

Their scrum struggled badly in Cape Town, conceding seven offences, and that’s something the Lions should be looking to exploit from the outset. The Stormers even forced them backwards on their own feed near the line, allowing eighthman Evan Roos to score from a simple pick-and-go.

But none of this will matter without control at the breakdown. The Lions’ attacking blueprint depends on clean, quick ball — without it, their running game will not be up to scratch.

On paper, this should be straightforward, but in reality, it’s not, just like that Stormers clash.

If the Lions stick to their basics and stay patient, the result should follow. If they don’t, they may find themselves dragged into exactly the kind of fight the Dragons thrive in.