Lions wary of Ospreys’ scrum threat

The Johannesburg outfit will be looking to continue with their winning start after their narrow victory over the defending URC champions Leinster last weekend. The Welsh side, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing start after suffering defeat to the Hollywoodbets Sharks at Kings Park last Saturday. 

Ospreys recorded an 82% scrum success rate against the Durban-based outfit. 

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Fourie warned his charges to play in the right areas of the field and put Ospreys under pressure both with and without the ball. 

"Ospreys are always a tough side to play against when they come to Johannesburg. They have a big pack of forwards, they maul and scrum a lot, and we saw against the Sharks how well their scrum operates. They never go away, they play the entire 80 minutes so we have to be clinical and put them under pressure with and without the ball."

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The 43-year-old says the Lions want to build on their strong start to the competition, adding that the focus will be on emulating last season's URC quarterfinal heroics, while also welcoming the possibility of reaching the semi-finals.

The Lions are also set to make their maiden appearance in the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup in two weeks’ time, when they travel to France to take on two-time winners La Rochelle on Saturday, 17 October. 

Fourie says the Lions coaching staff have committed to fielding their strongest side in the competition, which is a priority, but admits it will be a challenge to balance the demands of the URC and Investec Champions Cup.