Rohan 'vital' for Lions

The Lions centre is giving selectors a headache over who should wear the No12 jersey against the Sharks.

Former Springbok wing James Small believes Rohan Janse van Rensburg should get a starting berth for the Lions when they clash with the Sharks in their Super Rugby eliminator at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Having recovered from a lengthy knee injury sustained in April, Janse van Rensburg returned to action from the bench last weekend.

Harold Vorster, however, has worn the No12 jersey with some distinction in his absence. It has left the Lions' selectors with a conundrum ahead of the team announcement today.

Small, who represented the Lions and the Sharks in the 1990s, said Janse van Rensburg should get the nod.

"If he's fit, you can't not have Rohan Janse van Rensburg," said Small about the inside centre who charged into the Bok team last year.

"In fact, the Lions have so many players who have put their hands up."

Small thinks the Lions will have too much firepower for the Sharks.

"They have a back three in [Andries] Coetzee, [Ruan] Combrinck and [Courtnall] Skosan, who are Springboks and are playing with confidence. It's all about the finishers and the Lions have better finishers.

"They have so many of these guys who have the X-factor. I'm a big fan of the Sharks; I don't know if they have enough to beat the Lions.

"The Sharks simply don't have enough on the front foot. Their processes and systems, particularly on defence are strong, but I'm not sure if they have the individuals," Small said.

He has a point when you juxtapose the Lions' try-scoring potency with the Sharks' limitations in attack.

They have scored 38 tries compared with the Lions' 81.

The teams' contrasting methods are laid bare in the fact that the Lions are the second-highest try scorers, while the Sharks' Curwin Bosch has banged over the most penalties this season.

"I don't think the Lions will allow this game to be decided by penalties. The Lions won't be conservative.

"The Sharks won't be able to match the Lions for mobility."

"I don't know if they have enough to beat the Lions" JAMES SMALL Former 1990s Lions, Sharks and Springbok winger

James Small- The Sharks won't be able to match the Lions for mobility