Coach Swys de Bruin has been forced to reshuffle the Lions’ back row after Warren Whiteley was ruled out of Saturday’s match against the Highlanders at Ellis Park.
Whiteley will sit out the encounter due to the knee bone bruise he is nursing, with hooker Malcolm Marx taking over the captaincy.
In Whiteley’s absence, Kwagga Smith shifts to No 8 and Marnus Schoeman takes his spot at openside flank. Fit-again Cyle Brink comes straight into the starting lineup at blindside flank with Vincent Tshituka dropping to the bench.
In the only other change, Dylan Smith replaces Sti Sithole at loosehead prop.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (c), 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Shaun Reynolds, 23 Tyrone Green.
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
