Lions eye top-eight grip as Dragons face altitude test at Ellis Park

The Lions head into today's United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with the Dragons carrying massive expectations of another victory, despite a couple of notable absences.

On paper, losing experienced players like Morné van den Berg and Asenathi Ntlabakanye could have unsettled the side. However, this Lions team has shown enough depth and resilience to suggest they will still be firmly in control at Ellis Park (4.30pm kick-off).

Van den Berg’s absence at scrumhalf removes some composure and tactical sharpness, while Ntlabakanye’s physical presence in the scrums will be missed. His ongoing doping hearing also casts a shadow on his involvement going forward, but the Lions have little time to dwell on what is missing.

Nico Steyn will step into the No 9 jersey, while rising star Haashim Pead provides scrumhalf cover on the bench. Young tighthead RF Schoeman will get another starting opportunity in Ntlabakanye’s absence.

Instead, the focus shifts to the players stepping in. This season, building depth in key positions has been a strength for the Johannesburg outfit. For the Dragons, the challenge is massive; they will likely look to exploit early uncertainty and disrupt the Lions’ rhythm, but sustaining that intensity for 80 minutes at altitude is a different story altogether.

“The Lions are a good side and they're also a smart team,” Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia said. “They have different types of kicking plans.

"Because of the altitude, teams will try and defend the length of the kick, but they’ve got small, short, little dinks too. They’re big men too, so the physicality won’t be any different. We’ve got to get in the ground, and then it’s about how we impose our game.”

The Lions have built solid momentum recently, with growing confidence in an attacking game that transitions quickly from defence. Following their dismantling of Edinburgh last weekend, more of the same precision is required on Saturday.

This match represents an opportunity to remain in the top eight of the official log and a chance for fringe players to prove the team's success is not dependent on a handful of stars.

“Asa (Ntlabakanye) is a massive part of our game plan,” Lions scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys said. “He brings physicality and leadership. But when he is gone, other guys must step up.”

The URC's top points scorer, Chris Smith, said the team is looking forward to the challenge.

“We know the challenge the Dragons pose; on the attack and defensively, it’s going to be a monster,” Smith said. “The Dragons are a good team and it's a good thing that they challenged the Stormers. It means we cannot become complacent. Each week we want to get better.”

Teams for Ellis Park

Lions: 1 SJ Kotzé, 2 PJ Botha, 3 RF Schoeman, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 6 Siba Mahashe, 7 Ruan Venter, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 9 Nico Steyn, 10 Chris Smith, 11 Erich Cronje, 12 Bronson Mills, 13 Henco van Wyk, 14 Angelo Davids, 15 Quan Horn.

Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Eddie Davidsa, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Renzo du Plessis, 22 Haashim Pead, 23 Richard Kriel.

Lions: 15 Cai Evans, 14 Jared Rosser, 13 Fine Inisi, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Angus O’Brien (co-c), 9 Niall Armstrong, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ryan Woodman, 5 Ben Carter (co-c), 4 Seb Davies, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Brodie Coghlan, 1 Rodrigo Martinez.

Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Jordan Morris, 18 Owain James, 19 Levi Douglas, 20 Harrison Keddie, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Jac Lloyd, 23 Fetuli Paea.