They’re unbeaten so far, have won nine out of nine matches and have booked a semi-final at home with a game to spare, but the challenge facing the Lions now is to keep up their remarkable form and intensity even though nothing will be riding on this weekend’s match.
Coach Johan Ackermann, too, has that all too familiar decision to make about his selections this week: does he pick his strongest team for a match against the bottom-feeders, Griquas, where the result will mean absolutely nothing, or does he rest some of his big guns for the knockout rounds?
But, considering how the Lions have performed in recent weeks – or, rather this whole season – it seems it will make little difference who runs out at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. Ackermann has mixed and matched his sides all year and they’ve still produced winning rugby. That’s the thing with the Lions; no matter who plays, every single squad member is on the same page and plays the same type of rugby as the next guy.
The big question right now though is not so much about who’ll run out for the Lions this week and in the play-offs, but is there a team out there who’ll be able to stop them? It doesn’t look like it, that’s for sure.
Consider the following for a minute: The Lions have scored the most points (401), they’ve conceded the least number of points (198), they’ve scored the most tries (48 and 11 more than the second-placed Bulls), and have collected a whopping 43 log points out of a possible 45.
In the last two weekends – against the Cheetahs and Western Province, who’re no minnows – Ackermann’s charges have amassed 135 points in their victories, and they could well add significantly to that number against Griquas this weekend. The Lions have got momentum and form behind them heading into the play-offs and that’s all Ackermann and Co could have wished for.
They were sensational in dispatching the Cheetahs a little over a week ago and were even better against the defending champions, Western Province, on Friday evening.
It really is going to take something quite remarkable from one of the other sides to deny the Lions the title this season. So, with top spot sewn up, the battle now is for second place and that all-important spot at home in the semis. The Bulls are currently in second place, with 34 points, but breathing down their necks are Western Province on 30. And, both will back themselves to pick up five points this weekend, but the Kings have shown improvement in the last few weeks and will want to finish on a high so Western Province will have a game on their hands on Friday, while the Pumas will be no pushover for the Bulls in Nelspruit.
And then there’s the race for fourth place and the final semi-finals spot.
The Cheetahs, with 21 points, are the favourites to secure that place but, as it’s turned out, they’ll be up against the Sharks, who’re fifth on 19 points, so their clash in Bloemfontein will be like a mini final.
FIXTURES
Friday: WP v Kings; Pumas v Bulls
Saturday: Lions v Griquas; Cheetahs v Sharks