Lions unveil their new captain
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Lions coach Swys de Bruin has surprised with the announcement of his team’s new captain.
Malcolm Marx will take over the captaincy of the Lions on Saturday, when they host the Bulls in a Super Rugby Round Three encounter Ellis Park.
The Springbok hooker shares the try-scoring record in Super Rugby for the Lions with 27, with speedsters Courtnall Skosan and Lionel Mapoe.
The team for this weekend shows three changes in the starting line-up and one positional.
Rhyno Herbst comes in for Marvin Orie (slight groin niggle) at lock.
Aphiwe Dyantyi replaces Courtnall Skosan in a rotational move.
Hacjivah Dayimani comes in for the injured in for Warren Whiteley – sidelined for six to eight weeks with a pectoral muscle tear.
Ruan Combrinck moves from left with to the right wing.
On the bench Springbok scrumhalf Ross Cronje makes his long-awaited return from injury.
Elton Jantjies is set to come upon a still-rare milestone this weekend.
The Lions flyhalf has scored 996 points across his Super Rugby career to date, sitting just four points shy of becoming the fifth player in the history of the competition to score 1,000 points.
Dan Carter (1,708) holds the current record as the most prolific scorer in the competition, followed by Morné Steyn (1,449), Beauden Barrett (1,120), and Stirling Mortlock (1,036).
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Marnus Schoeman, 6 Albertus Smith, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (captain), 1 Dylan Smith.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Franco Naude, 23 Courtnall Skosan.
Date: Saturday, March 2
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Paul Williams
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni, Griffon Colby
TMO Marius Jonker
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