To date the Lions have managed just five wins in 13 games in the URC and also the off-field politics hasn't made matters any easier.

Franco Smith's Glasgow will target the top-three as they continue to fight for a home playoff.

To make matters worse for the team their recent trip to France for the European Challenge Cup was a nightmare with the logistics not in place.

The players didn’t have proper meals prepared and had to settle for eating hotdogs, while they had to walk two kilometres from their hotel to do their own laundry and they had to play against Stade Francais in their training jerseys.

The Springbok and Lions prop, Ruan Dreyer, who makes his return to the team told OFM Sport that due everything that has happened they are more galvanised as a team.

“It definitely has, that is something that we as the players decided for ourselves,” said the Springbok front-rower.

“We've got nothing else to lose and the external stuff is out of our hands. There are proper channels to deal with those issues.

“At the end of the day there is nothing that we as the players can do but to play for each other and on the field make the best out of it.

“If we are not going to stick together, we are going to struggle in the future. For all of us, our futures are in our own hands. Nothing else outside the field of play can determine that.”

Saturday’s match at Ellis Park kicks off at 16:15. At 14:00 the Sharks tackle Ulster at Kings’ Park.

Lions - 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Manuel Ras, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Franke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Ruben Schoeman, 4 Ruan Venter, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 JP Smith.

Replacements - 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Rhynhardt Rijnsburger, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Ruhan Straeuli, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Andries Coetzee.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport