Johannesburg – The Golden Lions will take on the defending Currie Cup champions, the Sharks with an unchanged starting XV in their semi-final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The only change comes in the form of Sevens exponent Kwagga Smith coming in on the bench following his involvement with the Blitzbokke over the weekend.
Smith is the third loose forward on the bench giving a clear indication of the Lions' intentions as they opt for mobility instead of bulk with prop Jacques van Rooyen moving out of the side.
He joins loose forwards Warwick Tecklenburg and Willie Britz, who will give cover at lock.
“Willie could maybe cover at lock which means we still have two loose forwards and if the game allows that opportunity for us to lift the intensity we can utilise that,” Ackermann said at the team announcement in Johannesburg on Thursday.
“It was a difficult decision, because our scrum also dominated the whole year especially when you send on that new front-row, that can bring you a few penalties.”
The Lions' loose trio played a major role in their attacking success this season linking well with the backline.
“It is up to the three guys (replacement loose forward) to keep the pressure there and hopefully we can get the reward form the loose forwards.
While knockout matches favoured a conservative approach, Ackermann said they would not deviate from the expansive game plan that got them this far into the competition.
“We are not going to change anything, we can't put these players in a box, they want to play, they want to enjoy and express themselves.”
Ackermann said the team would nevertheless be calculated when penalties came their way.
“In the round-robins you tend to kick to the corner and play on but from our side we are just going to focus on the process.”
The Lions will have the added benefit of having three recognised place-kickers in flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, wing Ruan Combrinck and fullback Jaco van der Walt at their disposal.
Ackermann said Boshoff had shown in the past that he had the ability to perform in high-pressure and playoff situations.
The Lions will go into the match brimming with confidence following their 47-7 victory over the Free State Cheetahs in Johannesburg over the weekend.
The two sides met a fortnight ago where the travelling Lions suffered a narrow 26-23 defeat to the Sharks.
Golden Lions team: Marnitz Boshoff, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Howard Mnisi, Courtnall Skosan, Jaco van der Walt, Ross Cronje, Warren Whiteley (captain), Derick Minnie, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, Ruan Dreyer, Robbie Coetzee, Schalk van der Merwe.
Replacements: Armand van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Willie Britz, Warwick Tecklenburg, Kwagga Smith, Mark Richards, Harold Vorster. – Sapa