Sadie will be tying the knot while his Lions teammates tackle WP this weekend

While his Lions' teammates will face the grim task of trying to come to grips with the Western Province scrum‚ tighthead prop Carlu Sadie will be tying the knot this weekend.

That explains the burly front ranker's absence from the team sheet in a game in which his sturdy frame would have been a reassuring presence. After all‚ the Lions are up against arguably the most potent scrum in the Currie Cup.

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen said that at the time Sadie planned his wedding this weekend would have been in his preseason, with no match commitments.

“Life also happens. They made plans a year ago‚ or some months ago. Carlu‚ enjoy your wedding‚ see you back on Monday‚” said the coach.

Sadie will miss the battle against his former teammates in what is expected to be a fiercely contested clash in which both teams want to advance their cause for a place in the top four.

“We are going to be two desperate teams‚” said Van Rooyen. “We know they will come out fighting. We've planned for that. We are just as desperate getting to the sprint phase of the Currie Cup. There are five games left.”

Van Rooyen made two changes to the team with scrumhalf Ross Cronjé and fullback Tiaan Swanepoel coming into the starting team.

Cronjé's inclusion is part of rotation‚ while Swanepoel got the nod at the expense of the injured EW Viljoen. Viljoen picked up a grade two hamstring tear in last weekend's match in Kimberley.

Cronje's inclusion ahead of Morne van den Berg may better suit the Lions in the anticipated wet conditions.

While the Stormers come into this game off the back of a bruising encounter against the Blue Bulls‚ the Lions may feel a little underdone having last heard the final whistle of a game on November 7.

“We would have loved to play 80 minutes‚” said Van Rooyen about their curtailed match against Griquas.

“We felt we were average and below par. The last eight minutes of the first half and the first seven of the second half we were a lot better. But we are short on game minutes.”

Captain Elton Jantjies also pointed to that forgettable opening quarter against Griquas.

“We weren't proud of that performance in the first 20‚” said Elton Jantjies. “Certain boys took responsibility.”

The Lions team to play Western Province — Tiaan Swanepoel; Stean Pienaar‚ Wandisile Simelane‚ Burger Odendaal‚ Courtnall Skosan; Elton Jantjies (captain)‚ Ross Cronjé; Len Massyn‚ Vincent Tshituka‚ Jaco Kriel; Marvin Orie‚ Willem Alberts; Ruan Dreyer‚ Jaco Visagie‚ Sti Sithole.

Substitutes — Jan-Henning Campher‚ Dylan Smith‚ Wiehahn Herbst‚ Reinhard Nothnagel‚ Wilhelm van der Sluys‚ Roelof Smit‚ Morné van den Berg‚ Dan Kriel.