Almost forgotten Springbok wing Ruan Combrinck is back in the Lions team for Saturday’s Super Rugby clash with the Stormers at Newlands.
Combrinck effectively takes the place of fellow Bok winger Aphiwe Dyantyi, who has moved to the bench in a rotational switch.
Courtnall Skosan, who played on the right wing last week against the Jaguares, is on the left wing.
Also back in the Lions side following their win in Buenos Aires is flank Kwagga Smith.
He’ll form a dynamic and speedy loose trio with captain Warren Whiteley and Marnus Schoeman, who keeps his place in the starting team after he scored three tries against the Jaguares.
“It’s a World Cup year, so we have to make sure we rotate the players. We won the game last weekend, so there was no need really to make changes; no one had a bad game,” said coach Swys de Bruin about Combrinck coming in for bench- sitter Dyantyi.
New lock Stephan Lewies is set to make his first start in Lions colours after he missed out last week.
And regarding his new-look loose trio, De Bruin said: “We’ve done it before (successfully against the Waratahs last season), and we’re expecting the Stormers to come hard at us after their defeat last week.
“It’s the one area where we must be very good,” added De Bruin. “To play with two six flankers is not a bad idea at this stage.”
Lions:
15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Nic Groom, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith
Substitutes:
16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Stu Sithole,19 Rhyno Herbst, 20 Hacjivah Dayimane, 21 Gianni Lombard, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 23 Sylvian Mahuza