Lions change it up
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Lions coach Swys de Bruin has made a couple of changes to his team for the Super Rugby Final.
The Lions arrived in Christchurch this week, ahead of their encounter with the eight-time champions Crusaders on Saturday.
The Lions starting XV shows two changes.
Cyle Brink is back, after missing the semifinal win over the Waratahs last week with a shoulder niggle.
His return sees Lourens Erasmus drop down to the replacement bench and Hacjivah Dayimani drop out of the matchday 23.
The other change is tactical – with Aphiwe Dyantyi being replaced by Courtnall Skosan on the left wing.
Dyantyi also drops down to the replacement bench.
The rest of the matchday 23 is unchanged from last week.
Twelve of the players in the starting XV also featured in the 17-25 loss to the Crusaders in last year’s Final in Johannesburg.
Loose forward Ruan Ackermann has moved on with his father, Johan, to Gloucester in the Premiership.
His place in the starting XV has been taken by captain Warren Whiteley – who missed the 2017 Final through injury.
Jaco Kriel, who played on the flank, is currently injured and will head to Gloucester soon. Brink, who played off the bench in 2017, starts on the flank.
Marvin Orie, one of the finds of the season for the Lions, starts in the place of Andries Ferreira – who is injured.
Springboks Armand van der Merwe (Sharks), Francois de Klerk (Sale Sharks) and Rohan Janse van Rensburg (currently injured, but also heading to Sale Sharks) all played off the bench last year.
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrink, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Albertus Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques Van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 23 Howard Mnisi.
Date: Saturday, August 4
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch.
Kick-off: 19.35 (09.35 SA time; 07.35 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson, Nic Berry
TMO: Shane McDermott
