03/04/2008 22:00

Hennie Brandt

Johannesburg - The Lions will know only shortly before kick-off whether Springbok loose forward Joe van Niekerk will be fit to play against the Highlanders in their Super 14 rugby match in Dunedin on Friday.

Lions coach Eugene Eloff said on Thursday Van Niekerk had shown flu symptoms after the captain's practice.

"We'll decide on Friday whether he will play. I certainly won't take any risks if he is ill," Eloff said.

If Van Niekerk can't play, Franco van der Merwe will be at No 7 and Wilhelm Koch will be on the bench.

It will be a huge blow to the Lions if the experienced Van Niekerk drops out because the Lions are already without one valuable loose forward, their captain, Ernst Joubert.

Pick up five log points

Eloff has high hopes that the Lions can emerge from their losing streak by beating the Highlanders.

"If the guys play as they have been training for the past few days, they can pick up five log points," the coach said.

The match will be the highlight of Eugene Maqwelana's career so far. The Lions tighthead prop will make his Super 14 debut at Carisbrook, the "House of Pain" where he will have the job of anchoring the scrum.

Maqwelana, who began playing in the front row when he was in grade 8, will have highly rated Jamie Mcintosh as his opposite number.

"I don't know anything about him," Maqwelana said on Thursday. "We'll get to know each other on the field. My job is to do my share in the tight phases."

The teams:

Lions: Louis Ludik, Dusty Noble, Jaco Pretorius, Walter Venter, Ryno Benjamin, Jaco van Schalkwyk, Jano Vermaak, Willem Alberts, Joe van Niekerk or Franco van der Merwe, Cobus Grobbelaar (capt), Gerhard Mostert, Anton van Zyl, Eugene Maqwelana, Willie Wepener, Heinke van der Merwe.

Substitutes: Ethienne Reynecke, Ross Geldenhuys, Dewald Senekal, Franco van der Merwe or Wilhelm Koch, Chris Jonck, Rudi Vogt and Jannie Boshoff.

Highlanders: Paul Williams, Matt Saunders, Brett Mather, Johnny Leota, Fetu'u Vainikolo, James Wilson, Jimmy Cowan, Craig Newby (capt), Tim Boys, Hoani MacDonald, Tom Donnelly, Hayden Triggs, Clint Newlands, Jason Macdonald, Jamie Mackintosh.

Substitutes: David Hall, Chris King, Isaac Ross, Adam Thomson, Toby Morland, Daniel Bowden and Aaron Bancroft.

Referee: Stuart Dickenson, Australia.

Television: Live coverage on MpNet and SuperSport 1 on DStv from 08:15. Kick-off 08:35.