Lions chasing victory in the Cape of Storms to book URC quarterfinal

The Johannesburg franchise must secure at least a win to keep their chances of making the URC playoffs alive. As such, the Cape Town derby is set to be a humdinger.

While the Stormers can't finish outside the top-eight, they will want to enter the playoffs with momentum, while defeat to the Emirates Lions could see them drop down the standings for a tougher quarterfinal.

The Lions, meanwhile, will want to repeat their fifth-round victory in 2021 in Cape Town. If they can do that and bag a bonus-point, the men from Johannesburg could sneak into the top eight. They are currently tied on 49 log points with the eighth-placed Benetton and seventh-placed Edinburgh.

Given these stakes, neither team is set to give an inch.

Spicing up the clash, the Johannesburgers have a superior attacking record this season with a 63-point lead over the Capetonians, but the home side have been more effective on defence conceding 45 points fewer in their 17 matches to date.

The Stormers will draw inspiration from the fact that they only suffered one defeat at home this season in the tournament â- against Ospreys â- but with both teams desperate for a victory, it could prove to be a tight match.

Former Springbok Willem Alberts captains the Lions, with regular captain Marius Low on the bench. Louw makes way for the elusive Jordan Hendrikse, perhaps favoured as the Lions chase a bonus point win to secure a place in the last eight.

The dangerous paring of Morné van den Berg and Sanela Nohamba will look to spark the Lions' attacking flair. Workhorses JC Pretorious, Emmanuel Tshituka and eighthman Francke Horn are in the engine room for the visitors.

Lions - 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Jordan Hendrikse, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sanele Nohamba, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Willem Alberts (c), 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Morgan Naudé.

Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Etienne Oosthuizen, 20 Reinhard Nothnagel, 21 Izan Esterhuizen, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Gianni Lombard

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