The Lions are shaking things up for their upcoming Vodacom URC showdown this Saturday at Ellis Park, facing off against Connacht. With a quartet of changes in their lineup, the highlight is the powerhouse Batho Hlekani taking the blindside flanker role, while Ruan Venter shifts to the second row filling in for the sidelined Etienne Oosthuizen. There’s fresh energy on the bench too, with hooker Morné Brandon and utility forward Siba Qoma making their returns.
This match is not just another notch on the season’s belt for PJ Botha, who will be celebrating a significant career milestone. The starting hooker is set to make his 100th appearance for the Lions, a feat that brings a special aura to the game.
"When I was still at school, I thought it would be nice to maybe play one or two matches for a franchise in an international competition,"
said Botha, a proud product of Hoërskool Monument.
"To now reach 100 is incredible. The time has flown. It’s a privilege for me to reach this milestone, and I’m grateful that it will happen in a home match."
While the Lions prepare to defend their turf, they are well aware of the threat posed by Connacht, who are coming off a fresh victory against the Stormers in Cape Town. Julian Redelinghuys, the Lions' scrum coach, emphasized readiness and strategic gameplay.
"We know what they will bring. We know their game model. It’s not easy to defend or attack against it, but if we do what we need to do well, I am sure there will be opportunities,"
he stated, hinting at the intense preparation the team has undergone this week.
Currently, the Lions hold the fourth position in the URC standings, with Connacht trailing not far behind in ninth place, just a point shy of the eighth-placed Bulls. It’s set to be a clash that could shuffle the ranks significantly.
LIONS TEAM: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Ruan Venter, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze. Bench: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Siba Qoma, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Nico Steyn, 23 Kelly Mpeku.
2,100 posts
The Lions are shaking things up for their upcoming Vodacom URC showdown this Saturday at Ellis Park, facing off against Connacht. With a quartet of changes in their lineup, the highlight is the powerhouse Batho Hlekani taking the blindside flanker role, while Ruan Venter shifts to the second row filling in for the sidelined Etienne Oosthuizen. There’s fresh energy on the bench too, with hooker Morné Brandon and utility forward Siba Qoma making their returns.
This match is not just another notch on the season’s belt for PJ Botha, who will be celebrating a significant career milestone. The starting hooker is set to make his 100th appearance for the Lions, a feat that brings a special aura to the game.
"When I was still at school, I thought it would be nice to maybe play one or two matches for a franchise in an international competition,"
said Botha, a proud product of Hoërskool Monument."To now reach 100 is incredible. The time has flown. It’s a privilege for me to reach this milestone, and I’m grateful that it will happen in a home match."
While the Lions prepare to defend their turf, they are well aware of the threat posed by Connacht, who are coming off a fresh victory against the Stormers in Cape Town. Julian Redelinghuys, the Lions' scrum coach, emphasized readiness and strategic gameplay.
"We know what they will bring. We know their game model. It’s not easy to defend or attack against it, but if we do what we need to do well, I am sure there will be opportunities,"
he stated, hinting at the intense preparation the team has undergone this week.Currently, the Lions hold the fourth position in the URC standings, with Connacht trailing not far behind in ninth place, just a point shy of the eighth-placed Bulls. It’s set to be a clash that could shuffle the ranks significantly.
LIONS TEAM: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Ruan Venter, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze. Bench: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Siba Qoma, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Nico Steyn, 23 Kelly Mpeku.