Lions forward coach Julian Redelinghuys says Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup clash with Benetton at Ellis Park is “massive” for their playoff ambitions.

The Joburg-based franchise begin their European campaign with belief after a landmark Vodacom URC win over the Bulls at Loftus last weekend.

Redelinghuys was blunt about the stakes. With only four pool matches determining playoff ranking, there is no room for drift.

“You need to end high up in your pool to have a home round-of-16 and quarter-final,” he said. “Benetton here, Newcastle away, Lyon here, Perpignan away, those games decide everything. We want Ellis Park hosting those knockouts.”

Benetton arrive as a familiar and painful reminder. The Lions were beaten 41-15 in Treviso earlier this season, a performance Redelinghuys described as ruinous because “they ate us up on our mistakes”.

But the coach insists this week is not framed as revenge.

“We just want to focus on our process. We know what to expect and we’re keen for the challenge.”

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The Lions’ scrum, central to their Loftus win, is again a key talking point. They managed 18 scrums without conceding a penalty against a Bulls pack known for squeezing pressure in the set-piece.

“That’s their strength. Scrum for penalties, kick to the corner and maul,” Redelinghuys said. “Not conceding a penalty in that many scrums was massive. But Benetton is another good scrum challenge.”

Redelinghuys also addressed the late-game wobble at Loftus, where the Lions conceded twice in the final minutes.

“We were up 43-17 with five minutes left,” he said. “We can’t concede soft moments like that. Big moments win games, and we’re getting better but that’s an area to fix and those are the type of things we need to eliminate.”

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For prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, back from Springbok duty, the Loftus victory confirmed the progress made during the four-week break.

“It was good to see the hard work pay off. To win at Loftus for the first time since 2023 was massive,” he said. “But we can’t be a one-performance team. We have to prove we can go back-to-back .”

He also highlighted the responsibility of returning internationals to transfer Test-level detail back into the URC and EPCR environment.

“Every time I come back from the Boks, I learn things I can bring here. We have to maintain that standard.”

With travel to Newcastle and Perpignan looming, Redelinghuys emphasised smart rotation and a mental shift from the squad.

“This is the part of the season where in the past we haven’t always been good. We’re treating it differently this year. Now we must show it on the weekend. Every game is huge, this isn’t a marathon. It’s a sprint.”

Photo: Timothy Rogers/Getty Images