Lions coach Swys de Bruin has selected his strongest available side for their match against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Warren Whiteley will lead the Lions in the first match of their 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign. The starting XV includes Springboks such as Malcolm Marx, Aphiwe Dyantyi and Elton Jantjies, as well as a few new faces in Carlu Sadie and Rhyno Herbst.
The Lions will be searching for their first victory on Argentinian soil. They were hammered 49-35 the last time they visited Buenos Aires.
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Flank Cyle Brink, hooker Robbie Coetzee, prop Johannes Jonker and scrumhalf Ross Cronjé are all recovering from long-term injuries and won’t feature in the coming match. Flank Kwagga Smith (calf) and lock Stephan Lewies (pectoral tear) are expected to be fit for the second game of the campaign.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyanti, 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Nic Groom, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Frans van Wyk, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Robert Kruger, 21 Gianni Lombard/Dillon Smit, 22 Wandisile Simelane, 23 Ruan Combrinck.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
