It's shuffle time for the Lions as they gear up to tackle Benetton in Treviso this Saturday, aiming to claw their way to a maiden victory in this season's Vodacom URC. Despite a heartbreaker last week against Zebre, where they led until the dying minutes only to lose 22-20, and a previous stumble against Cardiff, hope springs anew with some strategic lineup changes.
Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is back in the spotlight, snagging the No 9 jersey after finishing his Rugby Championship commitments. His return sends Nico Steyn to warm the bench, a tactical switch by Coach Ivan van Rooyen. The front row sees Asenathi Ntlabakanye bulldozing back into the No 3 shirt, while the lock slots are filled by the sturdy duo of Ruan Delport and Etienne Oosthuizen.
In the loose trio, JC Pretorius makes a comeback from injury, replacing Renzo du Plessis, with Ruan Venter and the steadfast Francke Horn, continuing as captain, completing the back row. The backline remains explosive with Angelo Davids, who's already dotted down in both tour matches, joining forces with Eduan Keyter and Springbok fullback Quan Horn.
"Lions brace for Benetton beast"
Coach Van Rooyen is banking on continuity to finally break the winless streak, sticking with Chris Smith at flyhalf. Off the bench, Jarod Cairns, Conrad van Vuuren, Sam Francis, and Manuel Rass are set to inject fresh energy into the game.
"Benetton bring huge fight"
The Lions are under no illusions about the challenge ahead in Treviso against a Benetton team riding high from their nail-biting 16-14 victory over last season’s champions, Glasgow Warriors. But with new and returning firepower, the Lions are hungry for that elusive win.
Kick-off is set for 4 pm (SA time), promising a fierce showdown at the Stadio Monigo.
LIONS – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Eduan Keyter, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze. Bench: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 RF Schoeman, 18 Conrad van Vuuren, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Jarod Cairns, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Manuel Rass.
2,193 posts
It's shuffle time for the Lions as they gear up to tackle Benetton in Treviso this Saturday, aiming to claw their way to a maiden victory in this season's Vodacom URC. Despite a heartbreaker last week against Zebre, where they led until the dying minutes only to lose 22-20, and a previous stumble against Cardiff, hope springs anew with some strategic lineup changes.
Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is back in the spotlight, snagging the No 9 jersey after finishing his Rugby Championship commitments. His return sends Nico Steyn to warm the bench, a tactical switch by Coach Ivan van Rooyen. The front row sees Asenathi Ntlabakanye bulldozing back into the No 3 shirt, while the lock slots are filled by the sturdy duo of Ruan Delport and Etienne Oosthuizen.
In the loose trio, JC Pretorius makes a comeback from injury, replacing Renzo du Plessis, with Ruan Venter and the steadfast Francke Horn, continuing as captain, completing the back row. The backline remains explosive with Angelo Davids, who's already dotted down in both tour matches, joining forces with Eduan Keyter and Springbok fullback Quan Horn.
"Lions brace for Benetton beast"
Coach Van Rooyen is banking on continuity to finally break the winless streak, sticking with Chris Smith at flyhalf. Off the bench, Jarod Cairns, Conrad van Vuuren, Sam Francis, and Manuel Rass are set to inject fresh energy into the game.
"Benetton bring huge fight"
The Lions are under no illusions about the challenge ahead in Treviso against a Benetton team riding high from their nail-biting 16-14 victory over last season’s champions, Glasgow Warriors. But with new and returning firepower, the Lions are hungry for that elusive win.
Kick-off is set for 4 pm (SA time), promising a fierce showdown at the Stadio Monigo.
LIONS – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Eduan Keyter, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze. Bench: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 RF Schoeman, 18 Conrad van Vuuren, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Jarod Cairns, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Manuel Rass.