With ace scrumhalf Jano Vermaak as the only minor injury concern, Golden Lions coach Hans Coetzee is looking at his team to improve their "finishing" when they face Griquas in a top-of-the-table Currie Cup clash in Johannesburg on Friday.

They would have been two of the most unlikely teams to head the Currie Cup chase before the start of the season - the Lions in all sorts of quandary after firing their previous coach Eugene Eloff and Griquas not having finished in a play-off place in three decades.

However, they enter Round Four of the competition this week with Griquas clear leaders on 15 points, the only team with three wins from three and a full-house of log points, while the Lions are second on 10 points - ahead of a chasing pack of the Sharks, Blue Bulls (both on nine points) and Western Province (eight).

Coetzee was confident that his star scrumhalf, Vermaak, would be cleared to face Griquas on Friday, after taking a smack to the jaw in his team's 40-19 win over the Leopards at the weekend.

"I am planning to name the side tomorrow [Tuesday], so that is when I will know where I stand [with Vermaak]," Coetzee told us, adding that it is not a major concern.

What is of concern to Coetzee is the inability of his team to finish off the opportunities they create.

"We are still not anywhere near the expected standards," the Lions coach said, adding that at least there is progress.

"We are certainly happy with the progress we are making as a team, but we are letting too many scoring opportunities slip through," he said.

"No doubt we are going to work on our finishing this week."

He pointed to the set pieces and defence as other key areas that will be getting attention this week.

"We are putting a lot of work into our set pieces - to ensure we secure quality first phase possession.

"We are also continuing to work on our defence to ensure we remain as solid as possible," he added.