Lions weigh up Bok boost

The Golden Lions could be boosted today for their crucial Currie Cup clash against the Cheetahs at Ellis Park on Saturday with a host of their Springbok stars.

Coach Swys de Bruin, however, will have to think long and hard before he includes all of them in their starting line-up after the heavy workload they have carried over the last month.

Hooker Malcolm Marx, fullback Andries Coetzee, scrumhalf Ross Cronje and wing Courtnall Skosan (above) have started all six games in the Rugby Championship, while prop Ruan Dreyer only started the last two games.

De Bruin will have to consider whether to play most of them off the bench, with the possible exception of Dreyer, or just send them on for the opening 40 minutes.

Lions captain and prop Jacques van Rooyen said with inclement weather playing a big part in their last two matches, they have learned how to cope with the conditions.

“It seems the weather doesn’t want to play with us,” said Van Rooyen.

“With the rain and hail before halftime in the match against Western Province last weekend, it forced us to make the game a bit tighter but Province made it very tough for us.

“We had to really fight to get the result, but I’m very proud of the boys.”

The Lions win, however, didn’t do Province any favours, said their coach John Dobson.

Province now will have to pull a surprise by beating the Sharks in Durban, which seems highly unlikely, unless the Sharks are not fired up for the match

“Our record at Ellis Park had been very poor over the last four years, so it was a big factor for us playing up there,” Dobson said.