Cronje leads Lions B team to BA
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has decided to field a totally different starting XV to the one that thrashed the Southern Kings 57-21 at Ellis Park last weekend.
It is a bold decision by Ackermann as they risk relinquishing top spot on the combined Super Rugby standings if they lose to the Jaguares.
"This is a great opportunity for our whole group to experience and express themselves at Super Rugby level and to make sure everybody is prepared at the highest level," said Ackermann.
"The 15 players that stay behind will have time to work hard physically for the next round of important Super Rugby matches that lie ahead. It also gives us the chance to do some medical rehabilitation with some of them. With the long travelling hours to Argentina one loses a lot of time that could have been spent working with these players.
"That being said, we have a lot of faith in the players that we send to Argentina. They have been part of our extended squad for the whole year and must be ready to play in a play-off game should we need them and we regard this as vital preparation,"
Some of the Lions' star players that will not be travelling to Argentina includes Springboks Elton Jantjies, Francois de Klerk, Jaco Kriel, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Franco Mostert and Julian Redelinghuys.
Lions: 15 Sylvian Mahuza, 14 Koch Marx, 13 Nicolaas Hanekom, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ross Cronjé (captain), 8 Cyle Brink, 7 Robert Kruger, 6 Stef de Witt, 5 Lourens Erasmus, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Jacques van Rooyen, 2 Armand van der der Merwe, 1 Corné Fourie.
Replacements – from: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Clinton Theron, 18 Pieter Scholtz, 19 Fabian Booysen, 20 Ruaan Lerm, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Shaun Reynolds, 24 Bobby de Wee, 25 Ashlon Davids.
Date: Saturday, July 16
Venue: Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Kick-off: 18.40 (23.40 SA Time; 21.40 GMT)
Referee: Rohan Hoffman
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner, Federico Anselmi
TMO: Santiago Borsani
