Scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys isn't shying away from the question: can this Lions side go all the way? His answer is a qualified yes — provided they maintain the consistency that has them sitting fourth on the URC log, a position this franchise has never occupied heading into the final stretch. The piece unpacks why this season feels genuinely different: an early Challenge Cup exit freed up preparation time, Chris Smith and other arrivals have added meaningful depth, and the cumulative effect of better squad experience and sharper coaching is now showing in results — none more emphatic than the 50-point dismantling of log-leaders Glasgow.
The immediate focus is Connacht at Ellis Park — a side that just beat the Stormers and who arrive needing points themselves, making it a genuine contest rather than a formality. After that, the Lions tour Ireland to face Leinster and Munster. Redelinghuys frames each game in isolation for now, but the underlying message is clear: the goals have quietly shifted. Top-eight qualification was the original ambition; what's being discussed now is home-ground advantage in the playoffs and a potential finals run. Whether the Lions can sustain this form against top-eight-calibre opposition on the road will be the real test of whether this is a genuine step-change or a purple patch.