15 October 2026
The 10bet Lions are wiping the slate clean and embracing a massive physical reset ahead of their daunting Investec Champions Cup debut against French giants La Rochelle on Saturday at 18:30 SAST. Following a brutal 57-15 hammering by the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, backline coach Ricardo Loubscher has demanded an immediate, high-tempo response on Europe's elite stage.
The touring squad completed a blunt review process early in the week to address structural breakdowns and unforced errors before boarding the flight to France. Coaches and senior players deliberately drew a hard line under their recent United Rugby Championship disappointment to fully focus on the upcoming challenge at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.
“It was a tough, honest review on Monday where we looked at the things we need to do better,” Loubscher told the press. “It was good to walk out of that meeting knowing that, from our point of view, we were not ourselves, not good enough and made too many errors against the Bulls.”
“It’s all about the execution of your role and your job,” he added. “Did we do our jobs? Did we do our roles as well as we could? Obviously not. But the big focus now is to make sure there’s a menu in terms of attack and defence, and it’s more around our intent.”
Silencing a notoriously hostile home crowd remains a top tactical priority for the Johannesburg-based franchise. Loubscher emphasised that weathering the early emotional storm and executing defensive roles flawlessly from the opening whistle will be non-negotiable.
“One of the big things in France is the pre-game atmosphere; there’s a massive vibe and the French teams play with a lot of passion, especially at home,” Loubscher noted. “The important thing for us is to start well and make sure we silence the crowd because they love to get their supporters behind them.”
While the URC often demands rigid tactical structure, French teams thrive on "unstructured rugby" and counter-attacking from deep. Loubscher isn't focusing on over-complicating the playbook; instead, he has laid out a clear "menu in terms of attack and defence." The game will be won or lost on sheer physical intent at the collision points and a severe step up in execution.
Against La Rochelle's heavy, confrontational forward pack, the Lions plan to dictate a rapid tempo rather than get sucked into a slow, attritional battle. Success will hinge entirely on winning the initial collisions and keeping the ball alive in high-pressure territory.
“We know the conditions will be a big part of the game; they like to play unstructured rugby and score tries from everywhere on the field,” Loubscher explained. “But from our point of view it’s all about our intent; what we take into the game, and our execution must go up a level.”