URC: Lions star Morne van der Berg reflects on three game losing streak

The Lions began their four-match tour with a pep in their step following a dominant win over a dangerous Sharks team in Johannesburg. However, it's been a rough road on tour ever since. They narrowly lost the return leg in Durban, then got edged by Cardiff and finally trounced 42-0 by URC title-holders Glasgow Warriors this past weekend.

"The loss felt personal for every guy in the squad, whether you played or not," van der Berg told the press this week.

"We all have had to take a hard look at ourselves and reflect where you are mentally, what it means to play for the Lions and what playing every game means to you. We all know that was not good enough or unacceptable.

"It's a mind shift, a mindset. We can't go from a good team three weeks ago, beating the Sharks, to now being a very, very bad team," he said about the losses to Cardiff and Glasgow.

"We know we are better than that. There was a lot of reflection, the reaction this week has been strong, and we are ready to tackle this week."

The slump has seen the Lions slip down to 14th on the congested URC table, with five matches left to resurrect their season. After their Challenge Cup knockout clash against Edinburgh in Scotland this weekend, the Lions return home for four very winnable URC matches against Benneton, Connacht, Scarlets and Ospreys. They will be targeting maximum points in the hopes of securing a place in the playoffs.

"We all have to take personal responsibility," continued the Springbok.

"Our captain Francke [Horn] spoke well about focus and how the best players in the world stay focussed in every second, every situation. You don't lose that focus.

"At stages this season, we've lost focus at the wrong times, conceding soft tries and letting momentum slip. We have to stay in the moment, be disciplined, and respond properly to what's asked of us."