The Lions have named an unchanged match 23 for Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final against the Boland Cavaliers at Ellis Park.
Cash van Rooyen’s side sealed top spot with a 37-7 win over Griquas in Joburg in the final round of the league stage, and the same group has been trusted to take the Pride into a second successive final.
Veteran hooker PJ Botha again captains the side and anchors a front row alongside SJ Kotze and RF Schoeman. Dylan Sjoblom partners Ruan Delport in the second row, while the loose trio of Ruan Venter, Jarod Cairns and WJ Steenkamp complete a settled pack.
TEAM: Good and bad news for Boland
Nico Steyn continues with Chris Smith as the halfback pairing, with Richard Kriel and Henco van Wyk in the midfield. In the back three, Springbok fullback Quan Horn is joined by former Stormers wing Angelo Davids and Kelly Mpeku.
Junior Boks scrumhalf Haashim Pead features on a powerful bench, alongside flanker Renzo du Plessis and flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela.
LIONS – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 RF Schoeman, 2 PJ Botha (c), 1 SJ Kotze.
Bench: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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