We’re moving in the right direction, says Lions captain Horn after upset defeat of Ulster

Francke Horn says the Lions will be looking to build on their growing home form when the United Rugby Championship resumes after the international break, after snapping Ulster’s unbeaten start to the season at Ellis Park at the weekend.

The Lions started the season with three losses overseas, but over the last fortnight in Johannesburg have beaten the Scarlets (unimpressively) and Ulster (impressively).

The team from Northern Ireland had been unbeaten when they arrived at Ellis Park and led at half-time. Horn praised his teammates for fixing the faults of the first half in the second, and then running away with the game in the closing stages.

“I am very pleased,” the captain said.

“The guys responded well to every message that came through from the coaching staff. We never felt under pressure or that the game would get away from us.

“We gave them a few soft moments in the first half because of little errors, and at half-time were confident we were not far off clicking,” Horn said.

“And we got it right in the second half by fine-tuning a few things. If you look at the last ten minutes, the energy and determination to score points were there.”

The Lions’ next fixture is a tough local derby against the Bulls in Pretoria on November 29, but Horn feels the team is on an upward trajectory.

“There is still a lot to fix, but there is a lot to be proud of. We have some good stuff to work on,” he said.

“Everyone’s emotional after a win like that, but there’s still only 11 points on the log,” he cautioned.

The Lions, in fact, have climbed up to eighth place on the log courtesy of two five-point wins in a row, despite a lot of negativity around the team at the start of the tournament. But Horn says the Lions did not share that sentiment.

“The feeling in the camp is very different from what people think. We know we’re moving in the right direction.”