Lions on the hunt for first win against Benetton
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Griqua Harnu Sirgel will step into the boots of Lions flank Ruan Venter when the Jozi team faces Benetton at the Stadio Minigo in Trevis on Sunday.
Venter is nursing a toe injury and will sit out this week while Morgan Naude starts in the front row ahead of Corne Fourie.
Yet to record a win this season, after an opening defeat to Stormers and the narrow defeat to Edinburgh in Round Two, Sunday’s fixture will be another big challenge for the Johannesburg side.
They face a confident unbeaten Benetton at home.
Benetton edged out Cardiff by a single point in the Welsh capital in their season-opener and secured a draw againt Munster last weekend
“The team that will use its chances will win,” Jaque Fourie, defence coach of the Lions, told a media briefing earlier in the week.
“We want to play rugby with the ball in hand. In the conditions we expect, it is important to keep the ball.
“We must not allow them to dictate the game with their kicking. We have to put pressure on them and be physical for the first 40 minutes.”
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Hanru Sirgel, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Morgan Naude.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 JC Pretorius, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Andries Coetzee
Date: Sunday, November 5
Venue: Stadio Minigo, Trevis
Kick-off: 14.30 ITA (13.30 GMT; 15.30 SA time)
Referee: Peter Martin
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Oisin Quinn
TMO: Olly Hodges
