Despite resting a trio of Springboks, Lions coach Frans Ludeke said that his charges would take their Bankfin Currie Cup clash against the Griffons seriously when the teams meet in a meaningless encounter in Welkom on Saturday.

Ludeke said that the strong league position the Lions found themselves in afforded him the opportunity to rest Conrad Jantjes, Johan Ackermann and Dean Hall ahead of their final round robin clash against a team destined to challenge for Bankfin Cup honours along with the rest of South Africa's minnows.

The Lions will carry nine points into the Super Eight phase and with the Griffons occupying basement position, a win over the tough but outgunned Northern Free Staters would mean nothing in the next phase, as only points carried over fellow Super Eight competitors counted.

Despite this, Ludeke warned off any chance of complacency: "We are taking this game very seriously but at the same time we are lucky to be able to rest some Boks."

Springbok flank Joe van Niekerk (pictured) will make a rare start for the Lions, replacing Wikus van Heerden while scrumhalf Werner Swanepoel
must pass a late fitness test and has been bracketed in the starting line-up with Bennie Nortje.

The Griffons, apart from the obvious advantage of playing on a near-concrete home surface, should provide little more than token resistance.

Western Province suffered a major blow when star left wing Pieter Rossouw withdrew from the team with a shoulder injury after at first being passed fit to play the Bulls in a vital Currie Cup match in Pretoria on Saturday.

Rossouw's place will be taken by in-form centre Gus Theron with Bok centre De Wet Barry moving to the midfield and Donovan van Vuuren taking up a place on the bench.

The Bulls are coming off a brilliant home win against Griquas while Province are yet to fire on all cylinders despite the abundance of talent in the squad.

With both teams suffering defeats at the weekend, the Sharks and the Cheetahs will be desperate for a carryover win when they meet in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Both teams also went down to a surprisingly competitive Falcons outfit recently and will be looking to get their Currie Cup hopes back on track.

The Sharks will be without the inspirational Mark Andrews, who suffered a neck injury in training on Wednesday. The Sharks, however, do have the luxury of two Springbok hookers with John Smit winning this week's round of musical chairs.

Free State look down and out but a wounded Cheetah is at its most dangerous and the Sharks will do well to come back to Durban with four points. They also welcome back Rassie Erasmus, back from a foot injury.

In an absorbing look at two of the most exciting flyhalves to emerge since the days of De Wet Ras and Naas Botha, the Pumas' Nel Fourie and the Leopards Francois Swart come face to face in Potchefstroom on Saturday.

The two flyhalves have been at each other's throats since their schooldays (which, mind you, was only last year). Affies's Swart started the year one up on his rival, after Harry Viljoen picked him for the Springbok training camp in Plettenberg Bay but Ermelo's Fourie has helped the Pumas to become a potential Currie Cup semi-finalist.

Fourie was selected ahead of Swart for the SA Schools team last year (Swart made the SA Academy) after slotting a last minute conversion in the final of the tournament as the Pumas defeated the Eagles.

In Kimberley, Griquas face a must win battle against this season's whipping boys, the Eagles. Griquas need this win to advance to the Super Eight's but as the Eagles are already so far out of contention, Griquas may as well collect the Super Eight wooden spoon already, after having lost to fellow Super Eight contenders earlier in the season.

On Friday night Boland play host to the high-flying Falcons. The Falcons, under recently axed Super 12 coach Phil Pretorius, have looked the team of the competition after defeating the Cheetahs and the Sharks on successive weekends.

A win against the "wine farmers" could boost the Kempton Park team to the top of the log, despite the thrashing they received at the hands of the Lions a month ago.

Teams for Wellington:

Boland Kavaliers: Lean van Dyk, John Daniels, Rudi Keil, Wayne Julies, Hyron Thysse, Riaan van Jaarsveld, Cassie Carstens, Henley du Plessis, Chris Potgieter, Jannie Coetzee (capt), Randile Julies, Heino Senekal, Andries Human, Dale Santon, Carel van der Merwe. Substitutes: Hugo Horn, Fabian Brandt, Vion Wium, Quinn Hough, Stanley Raubenheimer, Chelton April, Marius Joubert.

Falcons: Jan Cloete, Wynand Lourens, Ettienne Botha, Adrian Jacobs, Juan Houtshamer, Joe Esterhuizen, Freddy Roberts; Lodewyk Hattingh, Naas Rossouw, Jaco Booysen (capt), Nico Wegner, Stephan Britz, Gunder Williamson, Skipper Badenhorst, Japie Barnard. Substitutes: Jan van der Schyff, Matthew Proudfoot, Braam Els, Nicky van der Walt, Deon de Kock, Turtuis Douw, Dawie du Toit.

Referee: Eugene Daniels (WP).

Kick-off: 16:00.

Teams for Bloemfontein Stadium:

Cheetahs: Isak Job, Wylie Human, Helgard Brink, MJ Smith, Edrick Fredericks, Conrad Barnard, Neil Powell, Johan Erasmus, Andre Venter, Hendro Scholtz, Boela du Plooy (capt), Joe Beukes, Dougie Heymans, Andre van Niekerk, Daan Human. Substitutes: Andries van der Linden, Danie Saaiman, Gerrie Britz, Gromingo Mzunga, Jimmy Powell, JP du Toit, Leon van den Heever.

Natal Sharks: Justin Swart, Anton Pitout, Deon Kayser, Trevor Halstead, Stefan Terblanche, Butch James, Craig Davidson, Shaun Sowerby, Charl van Rensburg (capt), Brad Macleod-Henderson, AJ Venter, Philip Smit, Etienne Fynn, John Smit, Ollie le Roux. Substitutes: Lukas van Biljon, Eduard Coetzee, Albert van den Berg, Warren Brosnihan, Dave von Hoesslin, Herkie Kruger, Clark Manuel.

Referee: Tape Henning (Sarfu).

Kick-off: 15:00.

Teams for Loftus Versfeld:

Blue Bulls: Hannes Venter, McNeil Hendricks, Frikkie Welsh, Boeta Wessels, Gavin Passens, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Joost van der Westhuizen, Chris le Roux (capt), Piet Joubert, Anton Leonard, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Piet Boer, Danie Coetzee, Sias Wagner. Substitutes: Jannie Brooks, Wessel Roux, Rudi du Randt, Danie Rossouw; Rayno Hendricks, Tiaan Joubert, Coenraad Groenewald.

Fedsure Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Gus Theron, De Wet Barry, Braam van Straaten, Breyton Paulse, Chris Rossouw, Neil de Kock, Bob Skinstad, Corne Krige (capt), Hendrik Gerber, Hottie Louw, Quinton Davids, Cobus Visagie, Charl Marais, Robbie Kempson. Substitutes: Pieter Dixon, Toks van der Linde, Thys Stoltz, Adri Badenhorst, Johannes Conradie, Werner Greeff, Donovan van Vuuren.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (Sarfu).

Kick-off: 17:10:

Teams for North West Stadium:

Griffons: Gielie de Swart, Malcolm Malan, Brendell Brandt, David van Vuuren, Sacha Marot, Louis Strydom, Charl Blom, Jaco Gouws (capt), Marc-Steven Havinga, Clinton van der Westhuizen, Hein Edwards, Thys Louw, Clinton van der Westhuizen, Bertus Smit, Gustav Rademeyer, Frans Botes. Substitutes: Renier de Jager, Eric Herbert, Stefan Pawson, Ricardo Arnolds, Bani Holtzhausen, Leonard van der Merwe, Sarel Louw.

Lions: Thinus Delport, Grant Esterhuizen, Gcobani Bobo, Japie Mulder, Jannie van der Walt, Louis Koen, Werner Swanepoel, Russell Winter, Piet Krause, Johann van Niekerk, Jannes Labuschagne (capt), Kleinjan Tromp, Willie Meyer, Delarey du Preez, Lawrence Sephaka. Substitutes: Leon Boshoff, Baksteen Nel, Barend Pieterse, Wikus van Heerden, Grant Bartle, Clinton van Rensburg, Melvyn Smith.

Referee: Carl Spannenberg (Sarfu).

Teams for Olen Park:

Leopards: Patrick Petersen, Lawrence Nkosi, Mark Johnson, Ian Noble, Johan Calitz, Francois Swart, Bennie Kotzé, Johann Smith, Bloues Volschenk, Isaac Treurnicht, Willem Stoltz (capt), Theunis Barnard, Pierre du Toit, Hennie Pieterse, Sampie Hendriks. Substitutes: Michael Laubscher, Hannes Human, André Caesar, Louis van Niekerk, Pietie Meyer, Nico Röhrs, Riaan van der Berg.

Pumas: Marius Goosen, Jacques Juries, Kat de Jager, Franco Smith, Marius Schoeman, Nel Fourie, Conrad Breytenbach, Pierre Uys, Hendry Rheeders, Danzel Manuel, Derick Grobbelaar (capt), Gerhard Laufs, Jaco Venter, Hendry Kemp, Christo Bezuidenhout. Substitutes: Paul Hoffman, Hakkies Swart, Marius Bosman, Frans Allers, Ryan Jacobs, Hakkies Husselman, Riaan Potgieter.

Referee: Andy Turner (WP).

Kick-off: 16:00.

Teams for Absa Stadium, Kimberley:

Griquas: Henri van Niekerk, Dennis du Plessis, George Binikos, Lourens Venter, Jearus Nicholas, Corrie Avenant, Matt Botha, Attie Stander, Bertus Heunis, Thando Manana, Nelis Swart, Hanu Nel, Dawie Theron (capt), Hedley Wessels, De Waal Venter. Substitutes: Tom Drewett, Ian Wessels, Jaco Barnard, Solly Tyibilika, Japie Swart, Edrich Lubbe, Andre Vermeulen.

Eagles: Bevan Fortuin, Keith Meyer, Grant Henderson, Jerome Muller, Virgil Frans, Bernie Hennessey, Joggie Viljoen, Nico Breedt, Johan Kapp (capt), Riaan Thomas, Danie van Rooyen, Francois du Toit, Neil du Toit, Rich Verster, Flippie Spies. Substitutes: Connie Botha, Patrick Bell, Jeandre de Lange, Barry Jacobsz, Rynard van As, Noel Oelshig, Jeremy Plaatjes.

Referee: JC Fortuin (WP).

Kick-off: 15:30.