The Fidelity ADT Lions are desperate for five points as they hope to continue their surge of form into the Currie Cup semifinals, making three changes for their Durban showdown with the log-leading Cell C Sharks on Saturday.
Coach Mzwakhe Nkosi has brought Morne Brandon back into the hooker position while Jaco Visagie moves onto the bench.
Ruan Dreyer retains his place, but moves to tighthead with Rynhardt Rijnsburger occupying the loosehead spot and Asenathi Ntlabakanye on the bench for the side.
In the backline, Mannie Rass is back in the midfield to continue his partnership with captain Marius Louw, with Rynhardt Jonker dropping to the bench.
Nkosi said it was a do-or-die game for the Lions, while the Sharks would be looking to secure a home semifinal.
“So that’s ingredients that can conjure up a big game. It’s a playoff game for us and that’s the message we’ve been driving, but like most things, we’ve got to control what we can control,” Nkosi said.
“We’ve got to give it our best shot and where we land up, is where we land up. And hopefully, that’s within the semifinals.”
The Lions know that while they can only win going forward if they are to make the semis, their fate may well be in the hands of other results and they will be hoping these also go their way.
FIDELITY ADT LIONS: Quan Horn; Baldwin Hansen, Mannie Rass, Marius Louw (captain), Edwill van der Merwe; Gianni Lombard, Sanele Nohamba; Francke Horn, Ruan Venter, JC Pretorius, Darrien-Lane Landsberg, Ruben Schoeman, Ruan Dreyer, Morne Brandon, Rhynhardt Rijnsburger.
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Morgan Naude, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Raynard Roets, Emmanuel Tshituka, Morne van den Berg, Rynhardt Jonker, Andries Coetzee.