Lions bring in tall timber for Jaguares
The 22-year-old Erasmus, a mainstay of the Golden Lions team in their unbeaten Currie Cup run last year, will run out at lock alongside Franco Mostert against the Jaguares at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Erasmus made his Super Rugby debut when coming off the bench against the Cheetahs earlier in the season.
The 2.00-metre tall Erasmus went on – in the Lions' first home game of the season – in the 62nd minute of that match.
This is one of six changes to the side that beat the Blues at Ellis Park last week.
Corné Fourie and Armand van der Merwe starts in the new-look front row, with Malcolm Marx and Dylan Smith dropping down to the replacement bench.
Cyle Brink dons the No.7 jersey in place of Warwick Tecklenburg.
In the backline Francois de Klerk will start at scrumhalf, with Ross Cronje on the bench, while Howard Mnisi will start at centre and Rohan Janse van Rensburg will play off the bench.
Lions: 15 Jaco van der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi , 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Lourens Erasmus, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Warwick Tecklenburg, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Sylvian Mahuza
Date: Saturday May 21
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT; 10.00 Argentina time)
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
TMO: Willie Vos (South Africa)
