Irish on the Highveld: Lions skipper Louw hopes Leinster are cowed by Ellis Park altitude factor

Lions captain Marius Louw hopes Ellis Park's altitude fear factor will play on Leinster's mind ahead of Saturday afternoon's United Rugby Championship clash.

Leinster will be playing in South Africa for a second time, but last season's visits to the Sharks and Stormers were coastal affairs.

Saturday's meeting with the Lions, and next week's fixture against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, will be their first experience of the lung-burning Highveld.

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What could be a significant crumb of comfort for the deliberately understrength visitors, who are unchallenged at the top of the URC log and still have Champions Cup semi-final commitments to consider, is that Ireland's lesser lights in Connacht and Ulster have collected wins at Ellis Park. Munster is the only losing Irish team in Doornfontein. 

Louw, who, before converting to playing at centre for the Sharks, was reared on Highveld rugby as a rampaging blindside loose forward when he captained Bloemfontein's Grey College, said playing at altitude remains a formidable prospect, even for South African players.

"When I was at the Sharks, I played at Ellis Park multiple times and I never got used to it," Louw said.

"Travelling here for away teams is definitely something we look at, but they are a very professional team and they pride themselves on work rate.

"It's not like they will ever give up, but we do want to play the altitude factor into our favour, but they haven't been here, and we want to throw as many punches as we can."

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The Lions will also have to plot their Leinster trap without the