13/05/2008 22:09

Hennie Brandt

Johannesburg - The Lions have something to prove when they play the Stormers in their last Super 14 rugby match of the season here on Saturday.

They want to show that last week's 33-17 victory over the Chiefs was no fluke.

By beating the New Zealanders, Cobus Grobbelaar's team recorded only their second win of the year but they brought to an end a long winless period. Their only other victory was over the Cheetahs back in February.

Grobbelaar will be playing in his 50th Super rugby match this Saturday and he'd like his team to build upon last week's performance.

"I want us to finish the competition on a high point," the captain said on Tuesday. "If we can do that, we can start the Currie Cup season on a high," he added.

Grobbelaar wants his team to produce a "clinical performance" in the set pieces, to exert pressure and to force the Cape side into mistakes.

"The Stormers have different patterns and vary their game a lot. It's hard to defend against a team like that because they can come up with anything at any time. They also have several game breakers and a lot of Springboks.

They will be hungry and charged up because they are close to a place in the semi-finals," Grobbelaar said.

Seized his chance

They're in a good position because their fate is in their own hands."

Lions coach Eugene Eloff has retained the team that started the match against the Chiefs but has included scrumhalf Jaco Vermaak among the reserves. Vermaak has recovered from the flu that forced him out of last week's match.

Chris Jonck, who seized his chance to be in the run-on team, retains the No 9 jersey.

"Jano and Chris are special players," Eloff said on Tuesday. "I think it will be better to play Jano off the bench after the severe flu he had."

The decision also gives Vermaak a rest. He has played a lot of rugby recently.

Springbok loose forward Joe van Niekerk did not train on Tuesday. He took some big knocks last week, including one from the boot of Chiefs prop Ben May, and he is still bruised.

May has been suspended for three weeks.

Eloff said Van Niekerk would be ready for the match against the Stormers.

The Lions team: Earl Rose, Louis Ludik, Jaque Fourie, Walter Venter, Ryno Benjamin, Jaco van Schalkwyk, Chris Jonck; Willem Alberts, Joe van Niekerk, Cobus Grobbelaar (c), Gerhard Mostert, Dewald Senekal, JC Janse van Rensburg, Willie Wepener, Heinke van der Merwe.

Substitutes: Ethienne Reynecke, Ross Geldenhuys, Franco van der Merwe, Wilhelm Koch, Jano Vermaak, Jannie Boshoff and Dusty Noble.