It seems everything’s clicking nicely into place at just the right time for the Golden Lions.
On the back of three bonus point wins in the Currie Cup – against table-topping Western Province, the Pumas and Griquas – coach Johan Ackermann is also steadily getting closer to his strongest team as the knockout rounds approach.
The Lions’ strong showing in the last three weeks has seen them maintain their place in second position on the points table and only something out of the ordinary will now prevent them from hosting a semi-final in a little over two weeks.
But, the Lions will be chasing more than just a second place finish – behind Western Province who have 34 points, to the Lions’ 30.
Ackermann and his team will be hoping they can finish their league fixtures in style and bag further points to finish top of the table, and ensure they host a final at Ellis Park should they make it that far.
The Lions are away to the resurgent Sharks this weekend – a tricky fixture with the Durbanites just five points behind them – and then finish with a home game against the Cheetahs, who are currently lying in fifth place on the log.
They’ll expect to win that game, such has been their form at Ellis Park in recent times.
Western Province also face a daunting finish – travelling to Bloemfontein for a date with the Cheetahs this weekend and then finishing with a home game against the Sharks.
It would seem Teru Mtembu’s men hold the key to the final log standings.
The good news for the Lions though is that they’ll not only have skipper Warren Whiteley back in the mix next weekend, but points machine Marnitz Boshoff is also back from injury and, after an appearance off the bench in Kimberley last Saturday, will start at No10 in Durban.
The man who’s deputised for him, Jaco van Zyl, sadly, misses out on the trip to the East Coast.
Centre Stokkies Hanekom is also back in the mix this week, as is hooker Robbie Coetzee, who comes in for Armand van der Merwe, who drops to the bench.
In a further shuffle in the front row, Schalk van der Merwe returns to bolster the scrum.
It’s a settled Lions team, even if Ackermann is continually rotating his players.
He’s been able to build good depth over the last year and when he has made changes they’ve hardly affected the way the team are playing.
He’ll be hoping for more of the same in Durban on Friday night.
It’s a crucial game in that should the Lions win, they’d shut out the Sharks in the race for a top-two finish.
The match kicks off at 7.10pm.
Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe (capt), Stokkies Hanekom, Courtnall Skosan, Marnitz Boshoff, Ross Cronjé, Willie Britz, Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, Ruan Dreyer, Robbie Coetzee, Schalk van der Merwe. Replacements: Armand van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Jacques van Rooyen, Derick Minnie, Kwagga Smith, Mark Richards, Howard Mnisi. - The Star