The inclusion of Junior Springbok star Ethan Adams on senior debut headlines a rejigged Lions match 23 to face the Sharks XV in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
The Pride, fifth on the Currie Cup log, need a win to keep their playoff hopes on track after last week’s 38-29 home defeat by the Boland Cavaliers. They are three points behind fourth-placed Boland with two rounds remaining.
Head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi has made wholesale changes up front, selecting an entirely new front row of Juan Schoeman, Armand Combrinck and Conrad van Vuuren.
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Siba Qoma moves from the flank to lock alongside JD Hattingh, while Zian Cilliers and Latica Nela return to the starting lineup at scrumhalf and right wing, respectively.
Captain Jarod Cairns will run out at blindside flanker in a reshuffled back row with openside Thando Biyela and No 8 Renzo du Plessis.
Nicknamed ‘The Tank’, Adams is among the replacements and could make his senior Lions debut. The 19-year-old has already featured for the Lions U23 side and starred at centre as the Junior Boks defended their Junior World Championship title last month.
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The Sharks sit seventh after last week’s heavy 55-21 defeat by Griquas and also need victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive. The Durban outfit has won three of the previous five meetings between the teams.
LIONS – 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Keagan Smith, 13 Likhona Finca, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Latica Nela, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Zian Cilliers, 8 Renzo du Plessis, 7 Jarod Cairns (c), 6 Thando Biyela, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Siba Qoma, 3 Conrad van Vuuren, 2 Armand Combrinck, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Bench: 16 Mahle Sithole, 17 Liyema Ntshanga, 18 Siya Dube, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 Vuyo Gwiji, 21 Asad Moos, 22 Ethan Adams, 23 Luke Cannon.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Lions line up The Tank for Sharks takedown appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The inclusion of Junior Springbok star Ethan Adams on senior debut headlines a rejigged Lions match 23 to face the Sharks XV in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
The post Lions line up The Tank for Sharks takedown appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
