The Lions will be chasing their fourth consecutive Vodacom Cup title when the competition kicks off this weekend, and coach Timmy Goodwin believes his young side has the ability to go all the way again this year.
"Our preparations have been good and the inclusion of experienced players such as prop Lawrence Sephaka will add an extra dimension to our game," Goodwin said. The Lions open their campaign against the Griffons at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The nine-week tournament starts this Friday when the Wildebeest take on the Leopards in Durban, the Boland Kavaliers host the Pumas in Wellington, Investec Western Province travel to Pretoria for their match against the Vodacom Blue Bulls, and the Mighty Elephants meet the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in Port Elizabeth.
Goodwin has included 10 club players in his squad of 28 and believes the opening games will be crucial to determine if these young players can make the step up to the high intensity rugby of the Vodacom Cup.
"It's going to be a physical tournament. There are really no bad teams in this competition, but I believe in my guys and I'm confident they can do the job," he said.
Goodwin added that he's concentrated a lot on defence this past week, especially on the breakdowns and securing and keeping first phase possession.
Pietie Ferreira will lead the team in his first competitive match in nine months and his first match in a Lions jersey.
Across the Jukskei, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Ashley Evert is equally confident in his squad although six players have been ruled out the past week.
Three players, among them speedy winger John Mametsa, have been sidelined because of injuries, while two other players have been included in the national Sevens squad and one - centre Riaan van den Berg - has been called up to join the Blue Bulls' Vodacom Rugby Super 12 outfit in New Zealand.
"It's been a tough week with the loss of key players and that's had an effect on the rest of the squad," said Evert, adding that he was nonetheless looking forward to the team's opening game against Investec Western Province at Securicor Loftus.
"They're a very physical team and they have an exceptional backline so this is going to be a big test for us, especially for our younger players. This whole competition is about identifying young talent and providing a platform for the future stars of rugby so there's plenty to play for when these guys run on the field and that's a lot of motivation going into a game."
Evert said he's confident of a good result on Friday evening and, given that this first encounter is a home game for last year's finalists, a win will boost the team's morale ahead of the other matches.
A timely lift for the Pretoria outfit is the inclusion of burly prop Gurthro Steenkamp in the front row, whose experience will count not only in the physical phases but also in the mental aspects of the game.
In Cape Town, Investec Western Province coach Stanley Raubenheimer has beefed up his squad with the inclusion of three experienced campaigners. Wing Egon Seconds, scrumhalf Tertius Carse and tighthead prop Pat Barnard will take to the pitch and add not only muscle but also cool heads to his team.
Seconds was one of the top try scorers in last year's Absa Currie Cup and Raubenheimer will be looking for the same form from him during this season's Vodacom Cup.
Other news in the run-up to the tournament is that Springbok and Sharks flanker AJ Venter will run out for the Wildebeest in their opener against the Leopards from Potchefstroom. This game could signal a comeback to the Vodacom Rugby Super 12 team for Venter after a long lay-off due to injury.
Weekend's matches:
Friday, 11 March
Wildebeest vs Leopards, Absa Stadium, Durban, 17h00
Boland Kavaliers vs Pumas, Boland Stadium, Wellington, 17h00
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Investec Western Province, Securicor Loftus, Pretoria, 17h00
Mighty Elephants vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth, 19h00
Saturday, 12 March
Lions vs Griffons, Ellis Park, Johannesburg, 14h30
Eagles vs Bulldogs, Outeniqua Park, George, 15h00
Falcons vs Griquas, Bosman Stadium, Johannesburg, 15h30