Commitment and work rate the foundation for invigorated Lions

Lions reached three consecutive Super Rugby finals under Johan Ackermann and de Bruin from 2016 to 2018. This Lions team has no established Springboks and is packed with young stars looking to prove a point. They have won three games from three on tour against Ospreys, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

The Lions are playing well on defence this season. The team is led by one of the greatest defensive centres in Springbok history, Jaque Fourie. Communication and the trust of inside players have improved the defensive structure. Young players like Ruan Venter and Henco van Wyk are also playing very well.

Louw and Van Wyk have been instrumental in the Lions' success this season. Louw is an import from the Sharks. Vanwyk is a product of the academy. He has shown impressive rugby IQ for a player of his inexperience. He scored a crucial try against Edinburgh. Fourie is the inspiration for Vanwysh.

Morne van den Berg, Sanele Nohamba and Jordan Hendrikse are the Lions' scrum-halves. Gianni Lombard is a fly-half who has overcome injury problems. The Johannesburg club has started the season well. The Challenge Cup fixtures have added to the schedule. It will be fascinating to see where the team finishes at the end of the year. They have a good chance to win the tournament. Their coach, Van Rooyen, has a lot of options for scrums and fly half.