The Lions retain starting fifteen
Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo
October 26 – With the exception of prop JC Janse van Rensburg who is bracketed on the bench with last week’s prop replacement Jacobie Adriaanse, MTN Golden Lions coach John Mitchell has retained the squad of 22 that beat Western Province in the semi-final for the Absa Currie Cup final against the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.
Last week’s starting side is unchanged – and World Cup prop CJ van der Linde who was included in the side after a hamstring injury to Van Rensburg will start again. The versatile Van der Linde did duty on the loosehead side where he has been selected again to face probably the Sharks’ front row full house of three World Cup Boks in Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis and his brother Jannie. The Sharks side has not been announced.
On the bench the uncertainty regarding Van Rensburg’s injury has led to the bracketing of the two replacement props. Adriaanse was on the bench last weekend and saw ten minutes of action in the second half as a blood replacement.
“We’ll wait till just before the game before making the call on JC’s fitness,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.
It is the Lions first home final since 2002 when they lost to the Blue Bulls and their first final since 2007, when they lost in the final two minutes from time against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. Some 65 000 spectators will pack into a full house at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday with all the tickets sold out.
Three of the 2007 side involved in the Bloemfontein final are again in the match-22, albeit that Van Rensburg is bracketed as a replacement: lock Franco van der Merwe, replacement Cobus Grobbelaar who was then the run-on No 6 flank, and Van Rensburg who was on the bench but came on right at the end.
The MTN Golden Lions team to play the Sharks (kick-off 5.30pm) is:
15 Jaco Taute
14 Deon van Rensburg
13 Doppies la Grange
12 Alwyn Hollenbach
11 Michael Killian
10 Elton Jantjies
9 Michael Bondesio
8 Joshua Strauss (capt.)
7. Michael Rhodes
6. Derick Minnie
5 Franco van der Merwe
4 Wikus van Heerden
3 Patric Cilliers
2 Bandise Maku
1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements:
16 Martin Bezuidenhout
17 Jacobie Adriaanse/ JC Janse van Rensburg
18 Warren Whiteley
19 Cobus Grobbelaar
20 Butch James
21 Dylan Des Fountain
22 James Kamana.
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