Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has selected a virtually unchanged team to face Edinburgh on Friday in their final United Rugby Championship tour match this year.
Johannesburg - The Lions are slowly, but surely, building some new and exciting combinations as coach Ivan van Rooyen and his think-tank have once again opted for steadiness in matchday selection, relying on the building momentum of a core group of players.
Van Rooyen has selected a virtually unchanged team to face Edinburgh on Friday in their final United Rugby Championship tour match this year. There is only one enforced change to the team: Edwill van der Merwe, who sustained a concussion last week during their victory against Cardiff, has not recovered in time for the clash against the Scottish franchise.
He will be replaced by the abrasive and stocky Stean Pienaar on the wing. The only other change to the starting XV is a rotational one, with the burly Ruan Venter packing down on the blindside of the scrum, which drops the equally impressive Emmanuel Tshituka to the bench.
Otherwise, the Lions have the luxury of consistency on their side and it is starting to produce a cohesive unit. Henco van Wyk and last week’s man of the match, Marius Louw, get another opportunity to grow their partnership, as do Gianni Lombard and Sanele Nohamba.
Up-front captain Reinhard Nothnagel and Pieter Jansen van Vuren have a similar opportunity, as do the front-row of Ruan Dreyer, PJ Botha and Sti Sithole. Botha, in particular, is building a decent rapport with his locks – the 24-year-old connected with his targets at lineout time with a 93% success rate last week, the highest on that particular matchday.
The encounter at Edinburgh Rugby Stadium will be the Lions’ toughest assignment on this tour. Edinburgh have lost only one of their last eight league matches there, and are currently this season’s most prolific try-scorers, having dotted down on 14 occasions so far. They will also be desperate to return to winning ways after two recent defeats in South Africa.
The Lions defence, which arguably won them the game against Cardiff, will once again come under immense pressure on an expected wet and cold evening, and the Joburgers will certainly have to up their efforts in that department, as well as on attack if they are to threaten another internationally-laden outfit.
Lions Starting XV: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Quan Horn, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Sibusiso Sangweni, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel (capt), 4 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Sti Sithole
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Emmanuel Tshituka, 20 Ruhan Straeuli, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Jordan Hendrikse, 23 Zander du Plessis
IOL Sport