Province have more 'winners'
The last time the Golden Lions won the Currie Cup was 2011. Five of those players will feature at Newlands on Saturday, but the majority in the Western Province jersey.
Only two current Lions – loose forwards Derick Minnie and Warren Whiteley – were members of the victorious class of 2011.
Three other players – centre Jaco Taute (he played fullback in 2011), flank Michael Rhodes and Pat Cilliers – played for the Lions three years ago, but will wear the blue-and-white hooped jersey in the 2014 Final at Newlands on Saturday.
Province have a few more 'winners', players who featured in the victorious 2012 Final – centre Juan de Jongh (who will captain the team on Saturday), flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, scrumhalf Nic Groom, hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni, as well as replacements Brok Harris and Louis Schreuder.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann is not too concerned about his team's lack of Currie Cup Final experience.
"Some of them have played in Varsity Cup or Vodacom Cup finals, but it is the first Currie Cup Final for a lot of these guys," he told rugby365 in an interview ahead of the team's trip to Cape Town.
However, the 50-20 demolition of the defending champion Sharks in the semifinal last week has given the men from Johannesburg the belief that they can compete in major play-offs.
"I am sure we'll take the confidence of the semifinal into this game," Ackermann said.
"We have worked hard the last few months to ensure the players are not concerned about where they play," he said of the fact that his team that struggled on the road this year – with their only away wins against Griquas (46-8) and the Eastern Province Kings (41-22).
Their last visit to Newlands, for a league match back in August, resulted in the 27-14 win by WP.
"We were in the same situation in Super Rugby, where a large chunk of the team played Super Rugby for the first time," Ackermann told rugby365.
"I am sure we'll have them mentally ready on Saturday, to ensure the day is not too big for them."
The Lions mentor said they will be looking to replicate last week's balanced approach, when their ball-in-hand approach saw them take a commanding 23-3 lead into the half-time break.
A slump allowed the Sharks to close the gap to 20-33, before the Lions rallied to close the game out with a 17-point blitz in the final 10 minutes.
"This week is about fine-tuning," he said, adding that they won't be making major changes to their build-up.
"It is a week in which we have to be mentally prepared."
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
