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Ivan van Rooyen is not done building. The Lions head coach has publicly hinted at further incoming signings, signalling that his current squad is not the finished product as Ellis Park braces for a defining stretch of rugby ahead.
The timing demands urgency. Leinster dismantled the Lions 59-10 as recently as 30 May, a brutal finale to a URC campaign that exposed the squad's depth limitations at the highest level. That Irish humiliation followed a 31-7 defeat to the same opposition earlier in May and a 24-17 loss to Munster — three heavy blows in the closing weeks of the European leg that underlined exactly why Van Rooyen is pushing for reinforcements.
The Lions did show they can hurt opponents at home. A 54-12 demolition of Glasgow, a 33-21 win over Connacht and a 24-10 defeat of the Stormers demonstrated genuine quality in the right conditions. But the away-day reality, particularly against the Irish heavyweights, exposed the gaps Van Rooyen is now working to close.
Whether he targets local talent or overseas imports remains unconfirmed. What is clear is that the coach's public comments reflect a calculated, strategic intent rather than reactive panic. Van Rooyen has been methodical since taking charge, and this latest signal fits that pattern.