It’s musical chairs once again for the Lions as Coach Ivan van Rooyen tweaks his lineup ahead of the crunch match against the undefeated Ulster this Saturday at Ellis Park. With the stakes high and spirits buoyed by a recent triumph, the Lions are gearing up for what could be their toughest test yet in this season's URC.
In the forward pack, there's a shuffle due to necessity and strategy. Jarod Cairns steps up to replace flanker JC Pretorius, who’s out with a knee injury that’s benched him for four long months. Meanwhile, Reinhard Nothnagel has earned himself a starting spot after a stellar performance off the bench in the Lions' 29-18 victory over the Scarlets. This sees Darrien Landsberg moving to a backup role. In the backline, there’s fresh blood with Bronson Mills taking over the inside centre position from Richard Kriel, who’s out of the match 23 this week.
The number 9 jersey remains with Nico Steyn, holding the fort as Morne van den Berg is on the mend from a minor injury before he joins the Springbok squad. Adding to the bench strength, Gianni Lombard is set to provide cover for flyhalf, stepping in for the injured Lubabalo Dobela.
"Winning will bring the Lions fans back,"
The Lions are not just fighting for points but also to reclaim the hearts of their supporters after a rocky start to their campaign. This weekend’s game is pivotal, especially after Ulster's recent scalp-taking of the Sharks with a 34-26 win in Durban. However, the Lions are not at full strength, missing key players like Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma, Jaco Visagie, and Rynhardt Jonker, which adds an extra layer of challenge.
The team lineup for the Lions is as follows: Quan Horn, Eduan Keyter, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Angelo Davids, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, Francke Horn (c), Ruan Venter, Jarod Cairns, Reinhard Nothnagel, Etienne Oosthuizen, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Franco Marais, SJ Kotze. Coming off the bench are Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis, Layton Horn, Gianni Lombard, and Kelly Mpeku.
This reshuffling demonstrates the Lions’ adaptability and depth, qualities they’ll need in spades to topple the formidable Ulster team this weekend.
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It’s musical chairs once again for the Lions as Coach Ivan van Rooyen tweaks his lineup ahead of the crunch match against the undefeated Ulster this Saturday at Ellis Park. With the stakes high and spirits buoyed by a recent triumph, the Lions are gearing up for what could be their toughest test yet in this season's URC.
In the forward pack, there's a shuffle due to necessity and strategy. Jarod Cairns steps up to replace flanker JC Pretorius, who’s out with a knee injury that’s benched him for four long months. Meanwhile, Reinhard Nothnagel has earned himself a starting spot after a stellar performance off the bench in the Lions' 29-18 victory over the Scarlets. This sees Darrien Landsberg moving to a backup role. In the backline, there’s fresh blood with Bronson Mills taking over the inside centre position from Richard Kriel, who’s out of the match 23 this week.
The number 9 jersey remains with Nico Steyn, holding the fort as Morne van den Berg is on the mend from a minor injury before he joins the Springbok squad. Adding to the bench strength, Gianni Lombard is set to provide cover for flyhalf, stepping in for the injured Lubabalo Dobela.
"Winning will bring the Lions fans back,"
The Lions are not just fighting for points but also to reclaim the hearts of their supporters after a rocky start to their campaign. This weekend’s game is pivotal, especially after Ulster's recent scalp-taking of the Sharks with a 34-26 win in Durban. However, the Lions are not at full strength, missing key players like Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma, Jaco Visagie, and Rynhardt Jonker, which adds an extra layer of challenge.
The team lineup for the Lions is as follows: Quan Horn, Eduan Keyter, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Angelo Davids, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, Francke Horn (c), Ruan Venter, Jarod Cairns, Reinhard Nothnagel, Etienne Oosthuizen, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Franco Marais, SJ Kotze. Coming off the bench are Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis, Layton Horn, Gianni Lombard, and Kelly Mpeku.
This reshuffling demonstrates the Lions’ adaptability and depth, qualities they’ll need in spades to topple the formidable Ulster team this weekend.