Lions taking it one game at a time, says captain Francke Horn

That's the message from captain Francke Horn following a commanding 42-26 win over the Dragons at Ellis Park on Saturday. The result marked their fourth victory in a row, a purple patch of form that has seen them rise to fifth on the table.

But the road ahead is fraught with danger. They host table toppers Glasgow Warriors and a resurgent Connacht in their next two URC rounds before an unenviable trip to Ireland, where they face defending champions Leinster and former champions Munster.

Just nine points separate the Lions from the tenth-place Sharks. As such, the race to the URC playoffs looks likely to go down to the final whistle in the final league match and the Lions will cherish every log point.

"It's human to look at the log, but the chat the last few weeks was about going game by game," Horne told the media.

"We can't get too far ahead of ourselves, otherwise one can stumble over the blocks. I'm very happy with the five [log] points, and yes, it moves us up on the table, but there are still four massive games.

"Our next game is a few weeks away, which will be our next focus, and we'll take it game for game."

Being knocked out of the Challenge Cup has been a blessing in disguise for the Johannesburg franchise, as it's earned them a two-week break before the Glasgow clash. And the rest has come at the perfect time, says coach Ivan van Rooyen

"The break for us is healthy," said the coach.

"We're at the stage of the season where rest, recovery, refocus and realignment are just as important as playing.

"We've got one or two niggles that the break will do us good in any case. We had an agreement pre-game that we'll have a couple of days off, and then it's time to get the engine going again.

"It's a big clarity and focus for us. I mean, it's four really tough games. We're playing the top of the log [team] and then three Irish teams in a row.

"Where we are now, a bit of time off is healthy. It's good for physicality, mindset and overall rest, so it's important for us to get ten days of good and hard preparation for Glasgow."

For many seasons, the Lions have been the URC's nearly men. They play attractive rugby, claim big scalps, then narrowly miss out on the playoffs. This time, the men in red are hoping to write a different script.