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The NSW Waratahs will face a Lions side boosted by the return of captain Warren Whitely and fellow Springboks forward Malcolm Marx in their Super Rugby clash.
The NSW Waratahs will face a beefed up Lions pack in Johannesburg on Saturday in a Super Rugby match both out of form sides need to win.
The Waratahs have lost their past four games to the Lions and haven't beaten them in South Africa since 2009.
The 4-6 Tahs have dropped to fourth in the Australian conference after losing four of their past five matches and can ill-afford another defeat before a series of season-defining derbies in Australia.
The 5-5 Lions, losing finalists for the last three seasons, have won just one of their past four and are bottom of the South African conference, but just six points off the lead.
But they will be bolstered this week by the return of captain and No.8 Warren Whiteley and fellow Springbok and dynamic hooker Malcolm Marx.
The Lions have also recalled Test winger Courtnall Skosan and centre Harold Vorster.
Lions coach Swys de Bruin has returned to his post after treatment for stress after leaving their Australasian tour four weeks ago.
"The Lions are a very exciting team they like to play with risk and that's something we're wary of," Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said.
"We know they are also going to have a very strong scrum, it's the cornerstone of their campaign over the last three or four seasons
"It's going to be a focus for both teams and also their driving mauls when they get inside the 22 are very dangerous
"So there's a couple of things there that we know we've got to be really excellent at."
Gibson wants NSW to play at a high tempo.
"Probably the disappointing thing is out of the two games we've played (against South African sides the last two weeks) we've given up leads at the start,'" Gibson said.
"We've been focusing on making sure we don't give up a lead and then have to chase the game late."
Gibson recalled No.8 Michael Wells, following a hamstring injury, with winger Alex Newsome and centre Lalakai Foketi, also promoted to the run-on side.
