VIDEO: Will 'Tahs have enough muscle?

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Waratahs know they are facing an almighty challenge up front when they face the Lions in a Super Rugby semifinal on Saturday

The team from Sydney are the underdogs heading into the clash after making the long trip to Johannesburg. They reached the semifinals after a 30-23 come-from-behind win over the Highlanders in Sydney.

The Waratahs have never won a Super Rugby play-off match in South Africa and they would need to overcome the travel factor, altitude and of course a powerful Lions pack.

The last time these two met was in Sydney earlier this year with the Lions winning 29-0.

Set Pieces, especially scrums, will be an area of concern for the Waratahs, but prop Tom Robertson said they have taken a lot of confidence from their performance against the Highlanders when they played the last 10 minutes with only seven forwards.

“I think we can take a lot of confidence out of that,” said Robertson. “We had seven on the field and I think our scrum and line-out held up pretty well, but we know on the weekend the Lions are going to bring a whole new challenge in that they are very big up front and they’ve got a good scrum, so we will be looking to make improvements on the weekend.”

The Waratahs will also certainly have a plan in place to try and limit Malcolm Marx’s impact in the game.

Marx has been in incredible form for the Lions and he played a key role in a number of wins, especially their 40-23 quarterfinal victory over the Jaguares last weekend.

“He is obviously a pretty good player.

“He plays in the front row but he plays around the park like a back rower, so we are going to have to be wary of him at the breakdown. His running and defensive game is good as well.

“He is a big part of their team and we will be looking to try and nullify him,” Robertson added.

By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com