The Lions retain starting fifteen

Oct 26 • General News, International, National • 2423 Views • Comments Off on The Lions retain starting fifteen

Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo

October 26 – With the exception of prop JC Janse van Rensburg who is bracketed on the bench with last week’s prop replacement Jacobie Adriaanse, MTN Golden Lions coach John Mitchell has retained the squad of 22 that beat Western Province in the semi-final for the Absa Currie Cup final against the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.

Last week’s starting side is unchanged – and World Cup prop CJ van der Linde who was included in the side after a hamstring injury to Van Rensburg will start again. The versatile Van der Linde did duty on the loosehead side where he has been selected again to face probably the Sharks’ front row full house of three World Cup Boks in Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis and his brother Jannie. The Sharks side has not been announced.

On the bench the uncertainty regarding Van Rensburg’s injury has led to the bracketing of the two replacement props. Adriaanse was on the bench last weekend and saw ten minutes of action in the second half as a blood replacement.

“We’ll wait till just before the game before making the call on JC’s fitness,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.

It is the Lions first home final since 2002 when they lost to the Blue Bulls and their first final since 2007, when they lost in the final two minutes from time against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. Some 65 000 spectators will pack into a full house at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday with all the tickets sold out.

Three of the 2007 side involved in the Bloemfontein final are again in the match-22, albeit that Van Rensburg is bracketed as a replacement: lock Franco van der Merwe, replacement Cobus Grobbelaar who was then the run-on No 6 flank, and Van Rensburg who was on the bench but came on right at the end.

The MTN Golden Lions team to play the Sharks (kick-off 5.30pm) is:

15 Jaco Taute

14 Deon van Rensburg

13 Doppies la Grange

12 Alwyn Hollenbach

11 Michael Killian

10 Elton Jantjies

9 Michael Bondesio

8 Joshua Strauss (capt.)

7. Michael Rhodes

6. Derick Minnie

5 Franco van der Merwe

4 Wikus van Heerden

3 Patric Cilliers

2 Bandise Maku

1 CJ van der Linde.

Replacements:

16 Martin Bezuidenhout

17 Jacobie Adriaanse/ JC Janse van Rensburg

18 Warren Whiteley

19 Cobus Grobbelaar

20 Butch James

21 Dylan Des Fountain

22 James Kamana.

(www.lionsrugby.co.za)

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