Will the Lions roar at Newlands?
Lions caretaker head coach Johan Ackermann has decided to stick with continuity in his first team selection to take on the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.
Ackermann has been thrust into the head coaching job following the massive fall out that lead to John Mitchell's suspension from the top job.
To avoid mass changes taking place the former Springbok lock has decided to stick with the side that defeated the Sharks 38-28 where possible.
There are just two changes, which are both injury enforced as props JC Janse van Rensburg and Jacobie Adriaanse take over from CJ van der Linde (hamstring) and Pat Cilliers (calf) in the front row.
On the bench Baby Boks lock Ruan Botha takes over from Ettienne Oosthuizen, while Jaco Kriel and Michael Bondesio are preferred to Cobus Grobbelaar and Ross Cronje.
Former Sharks centre Waylon Murray is again on the bench as he continues his comeback from a series of long-term injuries.
"It is good to know you've got the same loose trio, same locks, same nine and ten and centres for a change. It keeps the continuity going," Ackermann told the media.
The match will offer the Lions a golden opportunity to pick up two wins on the trot, as the Stormers have been forced to shuffle their pack around with a number of injury disruptions. The team will also be eager to make a point of putting in a big performance in Mitchell's absence.
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Butch James, 11 Anthonie Volminck, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 CJ van der Linde/Ruaan Dreyer, 18 Ruan Botha, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Michael Bondesio, 21 Waylon Murray, 22 Ruan Combrinck.
Date: Saturday, June 30
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina), Jason Jaftha (South Africa)
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee (South Africa)
