Mitchell retains his losing combination
Lions coach John Mitchell on Wednesday left his side unchanged for their Super Rugby clash against the defending champion Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.
Mitchell selected the same team that went down 3-25 to the Blues last Friday.
It was arguably the Lions’ poorest performance of the season against the Blues last weekend, but Mitchell feels the squad needs some stability.
It will be the Lions’ 11th match of the season, of which they have won just one, and such have been their injury woes that this match will see the rare sight of the Lions fielding the same lock pairing in a third consecutive match – Franco van der Merwe and Ruan Botha pairing up in the second row.
Mitchell is obviously striving for as much continuity and thereby hoping for more co-ordination by keeping the players together.
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Cobus Grobbelaar, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Tian Meyer, 21 Ruan Combrinck, 22 James Kamana.
Date: Saturday, May 19
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19.40 (09.40 GMT)
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
TMO: Steve Lesczcynski (Australia)
