Super shake-up for Lions
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has made 12 changes to his team to face the Western Force in the final Australasian tour match.
The Lions – after tour defeats to the Chiefs, Highlanders and Waratahs – will hope to end their losing streak in Perth on Saturday.
In the forwards Ackermann made six changes – including the entire front row.
Corne Fourie, Armand van der Merwe and Ruan Dreyer all move into the starting line-up front row berths, with Rudi Matthee and Franco Mostert the new selections at lock.
Warwick Tecklenburg is also promoted from the bench, in place of Derick Minnie (concussion).
In the backline, Ross Cronje will start at scrumhalf in place of Francois de Klerk.
Anthony Volmink comes into the starting XV at left wing, while Alwyn Hollenbach has been drafted in at inside centre and Deon van Rensburg moved to outside centre in place of the injured Lionel Mapoe.
Coenie van Wyk will run out at fullback in place of the injured Courtnall Skosan (hamstring).
Ackermann, speaking to rugby365 from the team's training base in Perth, said five of the changes were injury-enforced, while the others are purely rotational.
"In the front row and at scrumhalf I decided to rotate [the players] a bit," the Lions mentor said.
"It is the fourth week of our tour and a guy like [prop] Julian [Redelinghuys] is bruised and battered. We also had a short turn-around [just six days].
"The guys who have played less are still training with lots of energy and enthusiasm. That is what we will need, for those who start [this week] to give us a solid foundation. We can bring on the other guys off the bench."
"In the midfield we were forced to change, because of Lionel Mapoe's [MCL knee] injury. We also lost two locks [to injury] in Martin [Muller] and MB [Luvuyiso Lusaseni] and we had to change there as well."
Ackermann told rugby365 that he believes the new faces will bring "energy", while the guys coming off the bench will make the impact they need in the second half.
Willie Britz, primarily a loose forward, will provide cover at lock off the bench.
"We flew in Stephan de Wit as [loose forward] cover," Ackermann said.
Lions: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 JW Jonker, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Rudi Matthee, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Willie Britz, 20 Stephan de Wit, 21 Francois de Klerk, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Stefan Watermeyer.
Date: Saturday, May 24
Venue: nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 17.40 AWST (09.40 GMT; 11.40 SA time)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: James Leckie (Australia), Ian Smith (Australia)
TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)
