The Bulls play the Lions in Polokwane this weekend in both their 1st warm-up games for the Super 14 this year. This thread looks at the Lions Squads and gives a bit of insight into how the Lions feel about the upcoming game.

Lions teams:

Black team:

15 Earl Rose, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Rouan Cloete, 12 Justin St Jerry, 11 Shandre Frolick, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Jonathan Mokuena, 7 Thabo Mamojele, 6 Danie Crous, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Jannes Labuschagne (captain), 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Derek Harwood, 1 Lawrence Sephaka.
Replacements: 16 Hans Van Dyk, 17 TBC, 18 Nico Luus, 19 Johan Van Deventer, 20 Doppies la Grange, 21 Jannie Boshoff, 22 Alwyn Hollenbach.

Red team:

15 Michael Killian, 14 Wigan Pekeur, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Henno Mentz, 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Alex Koch, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derrick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Willem Stoltz, 4 George Earl, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Charles Enslie, 17 TBC, 18 David Bulbring, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Alistair Siegelaar, 21 Trompie Nontshinga/Bernardo Botha, 22 Wandile Mjekevu.

Date: Saturday, January 30
Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Kick-off: 16.00 (14.00 GMT) & 18.30 (16.30 GMT)

Referees:

Lions Black team v Bulls B:
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Pro Legoete, Ben Crouse

Lions Red team v Bulls A:
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Pro Legoete, Ben Crouse

The Lions will start their Super 14 pre-season fixtures without high-profile signing Carlos Spencer, with new coach Dick Muir naming two mixed teams for the trip to Polokwane on Saturday – where they will face the Bulls.

The All Black flyhalf, who earlier this month joined the Lions from English club Gloucester, will be held back for the Lions’ second round of trial matches – against the Pumas on Friday February 5.

Muir, when naming his two teams for the trip north at the weekend, made it clear that not too much should be read into the combinations he will field.

The Lions coach views Saturday’s two matches against the Bulls as nothing more than “an opportunity to give his players a run”, and also to determine under match conditions what talent he has in certain positions.

He also made it clear that Spencer, who has just come out of a full season of English Premiership and Heineken Cup matches for Gloucester, can do with a bit of down time.

The Lions coach said Spencer, or King Carlos as he is affectionately known, has really “fitted in well” with his new team.

“His work ethic is second to none and he is a no-nonsense guy who just gets on with his job,” Muir said of his All Black star.

Players not considered for the games against the Bulls because of injury include wing Tonderai Chavhanga, prop Gert Muller, lock Wouter Moore, scrumhalves Jano Vermaak and JP Joubert, lock Jacques Lombaard and hooker Hanyani Shimange.

The Lions will also have two warm-up matches in Witbank on February 5.

The squad will again be split into two groups, with the first playing the Leopards and the main match against the Pumas will feature a team as close to the starting line-up as Muir can name at that stage.