31/03/2008 22:26

Hennie Brandt

Johannesburg - Tighthead prop Eugene Maqwelana is expected to make his debut in Super 14 rugby in Dunedin on Friday when the Lions play the Highlanders in the first of their five matches in Australasia.

Lions coach Eugene Eloff said from Sydney on Monday that, to ensure continuity, he would not make too many changes to the team that drew 24-24 with the Reds at Ellis Park on March 22.

However, he will have to change his loose-forward combination as a result of the shoulder injury that has kept captain Ernst Joubert out of the tour.

The star flanker had surgery last week and will be out of action for at least four months.

Springbok Joe van Niekerk, who has done well at No 8 since being promoted to the starting lineup, will take Joubert's place on the flank.

This means Willem Alberts, who has been on the bench, can now return to cement his position at No 8 for the rest of the competition.

Ross Geldenhuys, who made his Super 14 debut at tighthead prop this season, has done well but may now be given a break. This will enable Maqwelana to show his talent at this level.

Geldenhuys is likely to take the place of JC Janse van Rensburg on the bench.

Candidate for promotion

It is unlikely that Eloff will drop centre Jaco Pretorius, whose form has been below par. However, Jannie Boshoff must be a candidate for promotion from the bench.

Doppies la Grange has recovered from a hamstring injury but Walter Venter has done so well in midfield, particularly on defence, that Eloff will hesitate to leave him out of the run-on team now.

The Lions should be confident because, with the Highlanders last on the log, their home ground, Carisbrook, has not lived up to its House of Pain nickname this year.

Eloff's players have been training in Manly, Sydney, where the weather has been pleasant. They leave for New Zealand on Wednesday.

The coach believes the long flight from Johannesburg to Sydney had no negative effects on his players and jet lag will be no problem

"Our acclimatising process has gone well since we arrived here last Saturday afternoon," Eloff said.

"The players went for a run soon after landing to get over the stiffness and they played golf on a rather hilly course on Sunday."