While the Lions have opted to rest a number of first-choice players, there are several starters who can still mount a serious bid for victory in today’s Challenge Cup opener against the Ospreys in Llanelli (5.15pm start).
The Johannesburg side come off two disappointing away defeats in the United Rugby Championship – 17-10 to Munster in Limerick last weekend, and 24-6 to Leinster in Dublin on October 26.
Considering their four-match unbeaten start to the URC, the Lions were expected to make a statement as serious title contenders by putting up a better show against the two Irish giants, but it was not to be for coach Ivan van Rooyen’s team.
Perhaps a fresh-looking side can do the trick against the Ospreys today, and also provide Van Rooyen with a few more selection headaches for the rest of the season.
The match has now been moved to the Scarlets’ ground in Llanelli due to “structural damages at the Swansea.com Stadium caused by Storm Darragh”, the organisers said in a statement.
It is sure to be slippery underfoot at the Parc y Scarlets ground, with a high of nine degrees Celcius forecast and strong winds, although most of the rain is likely to have passed through the city before kick-off.
So, the forwards will have to roll up their sleeves and do the hard yards upfront – with the likes of lock Darrien Landsberg, hooker Franco Marais and No 8 WJ Steenkamp will have to make major contributions as ball-carriers and defenders.
But young halfback pair, captain Nico Steyn and flyhalf Sam Francis, will also have to vary their game smartly according to the conditions.
That doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t move the ball and bring strike-runners such as Rabz Maxwane and Tapiwa Mafura into play, but their tactical and box-kicking will be vital to stretch the Ospreys defence.
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While Francis is also a superb goal-kicker, Steyn is the man who has to dictate the tempo for the Lions.
The 22-year-old former Junior Springbok has showcased his skills a few times this season, even as a flyhalf, and he has a big left boot that can gain territory and also set up aerial contests for the visitors.
It is a point that Ospreys coach Toby Booth is well aware of, and he will hope that former Cheetahs and Griquas wing Daniel Kasende will give his team some pointers on the South Africans as well.
“They’re quite pragmatic in their own half. That being said, they’re definitely going to have a look from the counter-attack – if you kick loosely, they will punish you,” Booth said in a pre-match press conference.
“They’ve got, statistically I think, the best counter-attack in the league (URC). So, if you kick poorly to them, they’re going to punish you.
“They’ve got those sorts of athletes, and they’re also very good in recognising when things are on and not on.
“They will then pressurise you through the aerial kicking game, like a lot of South African teams do.
“There is going to be a lot around the kicking battle, in relation to the decision-making and the accuracy around that, because that’s how they establish field position – they either carry it back off your loose kicks, or they will squeeze you on the halfway line and create pressure and an opportunity for them through set-pieces – like a lot of South African teams do.
“They play a nice brand of rugby, but they are very clear in what they want to do, and they are very good at it.”
* The other South African side in the Challenge Cup, the Cheetahs, will open their campaign against French club Perpignan in Amsterdam this afternoon (3pm SA time).
Teams For Swansea
Lions: 15 Tapiwa Mafura 14 Richard Kriel 13 Erich Cronjé 12 Rynhardt Jonker 11 Rabz Maxwane 10 Sam Francis 9 Nico Steyn (captain) 8 WJ Steenkamp 7 Izan Esterhuizen 6 JC Pretorius 5 Darrien Landsberg 4 Etienne Oosthuizen 3 Conraad van Vuuren 2 Franco Marais 1 Morgan Naudé.
Bench: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 SJ Kotze 18 RF Schoeman 19 Ruan Delport 20 Renzo du Plessis 21 Ruhan Straeuli 22 Sanele Nohamba 23 Marius Louw.
Ospreys: 15 Jack Walsh 14 Daniel Kasende 13 Owen Watkin 12 Keiran Williams 11 Keelan Giles 10 Owen Williams 9 Kieran Hardy 8 Jac Morgan (captain) 7 Harri Deaves 6 Tristan Davies 5 James Fender 4 Will Greatbanks 3 Ben Warren 2 Dewi Lake 1 Gareth Thomas.
Bench: 16 Sam Parry 17 Steff Thomas 18 Tom Botha 19 Lewis Jones 20 Morgan Morris 21 Luke Davies 22 Dan Edwards 23 Iestyn Hopkins.