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Lions playmaker back for Bulls

The Golden Lions will have flyhalf Jaco van der Walt back for their trip to Loftus Versfeld to face the Blue Bulls on Saturday.

 

The specialist pivot has been out for two weeks with a knee injury, forcing coach Johan Ackermann to pick utility backs Nicolaas Hanekom and Andries Coetzee in his place.

 

Van der Walt passed a fitness test on Thursday morning, which prompted a slight reshuffle of the backline.

 

Coetzee will provide cover at fullback, while Ruan Combrinck will run out at left wing against the Blue Bulls.

 

Derick Minnie has taken the captaincy reins from Lionel Mapoe and will start at No.8 whilst Willie Wepener starts in the hooker berth. 

 

On the bench, Mark Richards could make his Lions debut should he get a run out.

 

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Nicolaas Hanekom, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Derick Minnie, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Schalk van der Merwe

Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Willie Britz, 20 Albertus Smith, 21 Mark Richards, 22 Howard Mnisi.

 

Date: Saturday, September 6

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen 

Assistant referees: Jaco Pretorius, Cobus Wessels

TMO: Willie Vos

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