The Lions are going to be 'a hell of a tough side' to beat in Johannesburg and they should never be underestimated, according to Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee.

The Stormers have enjoyed a series of successful pre-season warm-up games, but the opening Super 14 match at Ellis Park on Saturday will be the first time in 2010 that the result of the game really matters.

"They're quite an unpredictable side and Dick Muir's always got a few tricks up his sleeve," Coetzee told iafrica.com in an exclusive interview.

"Dick is experienced and he'll know how to get the Lions up. To them it's a hell of an important match as well. Likewise for us.

"And it's their home, so we're under no illusions. We're going up there to play against a very determined, very physical Lions side. We've just got to go there and be at our best."

The Stormers appreciate how tough it is going to be.

'Serious business'

"The league is starting this weekend, the serious business," said Coetzee.

"The honeymoon period is over now. All of our guys know they need to go out there and take on the responsibility to represent the Stormers."

Coetzee said he was satisfied that the players understood the law application at breakdown, that discipline would be good and that not too many penalties would be conceded.

"We have to comply," he said, adding that the team had been through "so many sessions - technical and theoretical - with refs".

Asked whether the goal mentioned recently of restricting the penalty count to six or eight was still a target, he said: "It's going to come down to interpretation of the different refs but I'll be happy with single figures.

"I think at the end of the day it's about the composure of the side. The players have the advantage of having played in this [tri-series] competition and having had a go at it. I'm fairly happy with where we are now."

The coach was asked by iafrica.com whether Anton van Zyl would be considered as a four lock (front of the line-out) in the course of the season or only as a five lock (middle of the line-out).

"I think the roles differ," Coetzee said.

"I think our front lock has a certain job to perform. Wormsie [Van Zyl] does very well as a five lock. He manages line-outs well and he's a good middle jumper too.

"You've got a young De Kock Steenkamp performing the role of a four and he's done exceptionally well. And we've got Adriaan Fondse coming back as well.

"It's good to be in a position where you have Andries, Adriaan, De Kock and Anton all in the mix."

Nick Koster, who played two years SA Schools and then for SA U20 as a loose-forward before making his Currie Cup and then Super 14 debut on the wing as a 19-year old, will be back on the field in about a month after long-term injury, and Coetzee confirmed that the Stormers hierarchy saw Koster as a backline player and not a loose-forward.

At this stage the priority was to get Koster playing again.

"All I'm interested in is to get the lad back onto the rugby field, to get him out there to play, to be fit. And I think his mind is set on playing in the backline - that was his wish when we sat down with him at the beginning of the year," Coetzee said.