KEY POINTS:
Anyone who maintains that Super 14 rugby is akin to glorified basketball can mount a strong case if they present the history of Crusaders versus Lions franchise clashes.
In their last nine matches, the two teams have averaged more than 75 points per game between them.
The rollicking
record doesn't surprise Crusaders coach Robbie Deans although he was keen to see his team tighten up on previous efforts at Ellis Park.
"That might be a reflection of one side giving the other a big lead and having to make up a lot of lost ground," Deans told NZPA.
"We have historically come here and not played well and we just can't afford to do that this week, nor can we let them get away on us."
In the Crusaders' unbeaten campaign of 2002, they were down 0-27 to the Cats -- as they were known then -- before bouncing back to win.
In another rollercoaster at Ellis Park in 2004, they opened up a 36-6 lead but then conceded 31 unanswered points in 25 minutes before a late Daniel Carter penalty locked up a 39-37 win.
Deans reckoned the days of helter skelter rugby were slowly disappearing, with even the weaker teams becoming harder to break down.
"I think every year, sides get better organised, especially defensively. They're getting fitter and stronger and better technique as there are shared defensive patterns.
"There's just not the easy avenues that there have been in the past."
For all his talk, Deans' team are strongly favoured to beat a Lions side who lost their opener to the New South Wales Waratahs and beat the Highlanders 11-6 in a poor match last weekend.
The Crusaders plugged up a lot of the holes from their opening loss to the Blues in downing the Queensland Reds 33-22 last weekend.
Deans rewarded the starting 15 from that game by making just one change today, recalling Andrew Ellis at halfback ahead of Kevin Senio.
All Blacks No 9 Ellis was named in the starting team last week but a late switch saw Kevin Senio start when it was decided a head knock had hampered Ellis' preparations.
Senio returns to an otherwise unchanged reserve bench although prop Wyatt Crockett has been bracketed with Ben May. Crockett has been dogged by a bout of flu since the side arrived in South Africa on Tuesday morning.
Centre Casey Laulala is expected to be fit to start after sitting out training on Tuesday with a sore thigh.
Deans hoped his players would be in the right frame of mind for a match at altitude and at a stadium that can be intimidating.
They are staying at nearby Centurion and will relocate to Johannesburg a day before kickoff.
The players appreciated a safari outing today, with Deans believing such excursions would help his team get through their first three-game tour of South Africa.
"A large number of guys haven't experienced it before and I haven't for a number of years so it's always good," he said.
"It's important to get the balance really. Particularly with this group, there's a large number who haven't been here before.
"It would be negligent to come to a country like this and not get the experience that's unique to this country."
Meanwhile, the Cats surprised today when they named Springboks centre Jaque Fourie at second five-eighth, swapping with midfield partner Jaco Pretorius.
There is only one personnel change to the team, with Jaco van Schalkwyk coming onto the wing in place of Doppies la Grange.
- NZPA
