Elton Jantjies has the big task of leading his Lions against the in-form Bulls at Ellis Park on Saturday evening. Picture: Getty Images
Experienced Springbok campaigners Morne Steyn and Elton Jantjies will line up as the two generals in the big cross-Jukskei derby between the Lions and the Bulls at Ellis Park on Saturday night.
There’s no doubt the Bulls are the team in the stronger and better position going into this Super Rugby Unlocked match. They are the leaders on the points table and are coming off physically dominating, and winning, performances against the Sharks and the Stormers.
One gets the feeling the Lions will have to strike early and strike big if they are to take the physically imposing Bulls out of their comfort zone.
Jake White’s men have dominated at home in recent weeks, but the big question is, are the Bulls as effective away from home?
If Steyn is allowed to get clean ball at flyhalf behind a pack that dominates the gainline and the collisions, he will be able to dictate matters with his sound decision-making and great attacking kicking skills.
Stats from the Stormers game showed Steyn kicked 20 times, passed on 17 occasions, made one line break and featured with two try-assists.
Jantjies, as his direct opponent and skipper of the Lions, has been the central figure around his team’s revival after narrow defeats in their opening two games away from home to the Sharks and the Stormers.
Back at Ellis Park the Lions looked ominous on attack last week against Griquas, but we all know Griquas are not the Bulls.
Steyn and Jantjies will have a massive influence on proceedings, but who will receive the most quality ball?
Under White, the Bulls look like a transformed and rejuvenated team and as the former Bok coach put it, the game hasn’t changed all that much with forward dominance still the best weapon to control matches.
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White has made it clear he wants to build the “meanest and biggest pack” the Bulls have ever had.
Scrum-time will be big, with the Lions’ Carlu Sadie coming up against former team-mate Jacques van Rooyen, while the team that wins the breakdowns and the collisions should get on top. This has been a key area for the Bulls, with Duane Vermeulen and flank Marco van Staden in great form.
The Lions have a big attacking weapon in midfield in the centre pairing of Burger Odendaal and Wandisile Simelane, but their performance will be linked to what their forwards do; with the same scenario facing the exciting Bulls duo of Cornal Hendricks and Stedman Gans.
At Ellis Park, the Lions will be fired up, and so a huge battle awaits, especially up-front. As, former Lions prop and now Bulls star Van Rooyen noted, “It’s the forwards who move the piano for the backs to play on.”
TEAMS
Lions: Gianni Lombard; Stean Pienaar, Wandisile Simelane, Burger Odendaal, Courtnall Skosan; Elton Jantjies (captain), Morné van den Berg; Len Massyn, Vincent Tshituka, MJ Pelser, Marvin Orie, Ruben Schoeman, Carlu Sadie, Jaco Visagie, Sti Sithole. Replacements: PJ Botha, Nathan McBeth, Ruan Dreyer, Reinhard Nothnagel, Marnus Schoeman, Ross Cronjé, Dan Kriel, Tiaan Swanepoel.
Bulls: David Kriel, Travis Ismaiel, Stedman Gans, Cornal Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Morné Steyn, Ivan van Zyl, Duane Vermeulen (captain), Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Walt Steenkamp, Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, Johan Grobbelaar, Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements: Joe van Zyl, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marcel van der Merwe, Sintu Manjezi, Nizaam Carr, Embrose Papier, Chris Smith, Marco Jansen van Vuren.
Kickoff: 7pm
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