Springbok Jaco Kriel returns to the Lions for Sunday’s URC match against Welsh side Scarlets in Johannesburg.
Following a lengthy period on the sidelines due to injury, the barnstorming loose forward will wear his regular No. 6 jersey.
Darrien Landsberg makes his URC debut for the Lions, joining Kriel and Emmanuel Tshituka in a loose forward combination.
Ivan Rooyen, the Lions’ head coach, has warned his charges about the Scarlets’ attacking threat.
“Scarlets are a team that enjoys attacking and keeping the ball in play. When they played the Stormers last week, the last 15-20 minutes featured a lot of attack from them, which puts teams under a lot of defensive pressure “Van Rooyen stated
“When we played them last year, we learned a lot of defensive lessons, which we’ve taken into account ahead of Sunday.”
Van Rooyen encouraged his charges to look for attacking opportunities rather than defending for long periods of time.
“It’s critical that we don’t just sit back and try to defend their attacking game, but also look at how our attacking game can put them under pressure. They are a team that keeps the ball in play, so I believe it will be a great running spectacle for fans on Sunday “the coach stated.
The Lions are seventh in the URC standings after four wins in seven games, while the Scarlets are 15th after one win in eight.
The game at Ellis Park on Sunday begins at 13:30 p.m.
Team Lions:
Quan Horn (15), Rabz Maxwane (14), Henco van Wyk (13), Marius Louw (12), and Edwill van der Merwe (11) Jordan Hendrikse, 10 Sanele Nohamba, No. 9 Emmanuel Tshituka, No. 8 Darrien Landsberg, 7, 6 Reinhard Nothnagel, 5 Jaco Kriel Ruben Schoeman (4th), Ruan Dreyer (3rd), PJ Botha (2nd), and Sti Sithole (1st)
Substitutes: Jaco Visagie (16), JP Smith (17), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (18), Ruan Venter (19), Sibusiso Sangweni (20), Andre Warner (21), Gianni Lombard (22), and Zander du Plessis (23).
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