Lions boss Swys de Bruin has picked a starting team including 12 Springboks to take on the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby final in Christchurch.
Another Bok player, wing Aphiwe Dyantyi, has to be happy with a place on the bench after hurting his hamstring in the semifinal win against the Waratahs last weekend.
Dyantyi’s place in the starting team is taken by the more experienced and fully-fit Courtnall Skosan, who came on as a replacement last Saturday.
In the only other change to the run-on side that faced the Waratahs, flank Cyle Brink, who missed the game because of a shoulder problem, returns to make up the first-choice back row which also includes captain Warren Whiteley and Man of the Match from a week ago, Kwagga Smith.
LIONS:
15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 23 Howard Mnisi.