The stage has been set for tomorrow's United Rugby Championship Round 10 highveld clash between the Lions and Bulls at Emirates Airline Park.
With both teams on a high from recent victories after last weekend’s European competition, Saturday’s Jukskei Derby promises to be a spectacle for both players and fans.
The Lions have made two changes to the team that ran out against Dragons last week which sees the return of Richard Kriel on the right wing in place of Tapiwa Mafura, and Ruan Delport in for the injured Darrien Landsberg. Changes on the bench see WJ Steenkamp included to face his former employers in the most anticipated local derby on the URC roster.
Former Springbok center and Lions assistant coach Jaque Fourie says while understanding the magnitude of Saturday’s crunch match, he has encouraged his side to not make it bigger than what it already is.
“We still want to focus on what we want to do and it is important that we don’t make it bigger than it is,” said the World Cup winner.
“It is already a massive occasion, the Bulls against the Lions is always a big occasion. So we don’t want to blow it up too much.”
The physicality of both sides remains a talking point whenever these two giants meet, and Fourie is under no illusion as to what the Johannesburg franchise will be up against come 14:45 tomorrow afternoon.
“We know what to expect from them and what they will bring,” he added.
“They bring physicality with their pack of forwards and when they get go forward and get in behind you it becomes a tough day. So we know what we have to do to counter that.”
Lions – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Juan Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Raynard Roets, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Gianni Lombard, 23 Manuel Rass
