Lions coach John Mitchell believes that his team needs to improve in a few key areas if they are to get the better of the Griquas in their Currie Cup match in Kimberley on Saturday.

Mitchell explained that his team had been their own worst enemies in their tight opening round victory over the Pumas last weekend and expects his team to protect possession more carefully against the Griquas.

"Last week we made it hard for ourselves, because we didn't look after the ball and keep it for long enough. We put ourselves under pressure in that area and when we did hold onto the ball and fulfilled our roles defensively we were good," said the Lions boss.

When the two teams met in Kimberley last year the Griquas walked away with a 26-20 victory and the memory of that loss is still fresh in the mind of Lions skipper Doppies la Grange.

"Griquas take pride in their home games and they shocked a few big teams last year," he said.

The hard-hitting centre rejected the idea that Griquas should be considered as Currie Cup minnows, and explained that his side will have to be on their toes if they want to take victory on Saturday.

"I don't know if there are any small teams in the Currie Cup anymore, we're definitely not going to approach them any differently than we did for the Pumas game," said the Lions captain.