FOR THE LIONS

Malcolm Marx has a wealth of experience and in the absence of the now departedprops Ruan Dreyer (Gloucester) and Jacques van Rooyen (Bath), he is the new leader in the front row.

And today against the famous Argentine scrum, he will have to guide the new recruit from the Cape, rookie 21-year-old tighthead Carlu Sadie. The scrum has been one of the Lions’ major weapons in recent years, often getting them out of trouble and winning them penalties, so between Marx and his two props, the team have to continue to dominate this crucial area of the game. But the hooker’s biggest task will be to find his lineout jumpers with pinpoint accuracy.

It is an area of Marx’s game that isn’t quite at the standard he’d like, and he also no longer has a “banker” in Franco Mostert to aim at anymore either; the lock is now also playing overseas, also for Gloucester.

Hitting his targets today will, like the scrums, be key.

Furthermore, in the absence of workhorse Mostert and the injured Kwagga Smith, it will be up to Marx to do the “fetching” and slow down Jaguares ball.

Disrupt the home team’s momentum and rhythm today and the Lions could just register their first win in BA.