Injury-plagued Lions shift Taute to centre
The Lions have been forced to re-shuffle their side once again with injuries limiting coach John Mitchell’s options for the clash with the Stormers on Saturday.
Regular fullback Jaco Taute moves to outside centre, where he will partner Doppies la Grange in the midfield in the absence of the injured Alwyn Hollenbach.
Kiwi flyer James Kamana takes over in the No.15 jersey, and will link up in the back three with wings Deon van Rensburg and Andries Coetzee.
Coetzee will make his Super Rugby debut on the wing, and replaces Michael Killian, who has been dropped from the starting XV and takes up a spot on the bench.
Butch James starts at flyhalf once again with Elton Jantjies still unavailable, and will rely on service from Pumas scrumhalf Tian Meyer, who has replaced regular No.9 Michael Bondesio, who is out with a hamstring injury.
The Lions’ front row woes have been slightly eased by the return of tighthead prop Patric Cilliers, who has recovered from the illness that kept him out of the defeat to the Sharks. Cilliers takes over from Jacobie Adriaanse, who drops onto the bench.
The Lions’ lengthy injury list now includes Jantjies (foot), Bondesio (hamstring), Hollenbach (hamstring), Waylon Murray (knee), Lionel Mapoe (hamstring), JC Janse van Rensburg (toe), CJ van der Linde (groin), Wikus van Heerden (concussion), Michael Rhodes (knee), Dylan Des Fountain (knee) and Bandise Maku (shoulder).
Mitchell told the Beeld newspaper that ten guaranteed starters from his strongest XV were out injured at the moment.
The luckless Lions coach lamented: “In my 16 years as a professional coach in rugby this is the biggest injury list I’ve ever seen.”
Lions: 15 James Kamana, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Andries Coetzee, 10 Butch James, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss (captain), 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Marius Coetzer, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Stephan Greeff, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Ross Cronjé, 21 Michael Killian, 22 Ruan Combrinck.
Date: Saturday, March 24
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee (South Africa)
