The Lions faced a tough lesson in Dublin on Saturday, suffering a heavy 59-10 defeat against defending United Rugby Championship champions Leinster in their first-ever knockout match in the competition.

Head coach Ivan van Rooyen highlighted that the result stemmed from uncharacteristic errors by his team, including poor kicks and basic mistakes, which Leinster exploited expertly.

Despite the scoreline, Van Rooyen sees the match as a valuable learning experience for his squad, particularly in understanding the level of intensity and precision required to succeed in knockout rugby.Key players like flyhalf Chris Smith and fullback Quan Horn struggled with territorial kicking, which handed Leinster easy opportunities to score.

Van Rooyen also praised Leinster's defensive cohesion and collective pressure, noting that these qualities, alongside their vast experience, made them a formidable opponent.

The Lions will now focus on rest and reflection, analysing their strengths and weaknesses to prepare for next season’s URC and European Champions Cup campaigns.

While the defeat was tough to take, the team gained insight into the next level of competition and aims to build on this experience for future success.Overall, it was a clear indication of the standards needed to compete with Europe’s elite rugby sides.