Veteran loose forward Willem Alberts will make his first start of the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season when the Lions face the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday.

Alberts, who featured off the bench against the Stormers and the team’s first tour match against the Waratahs last weekend, comes in at flank in place of the injured Vincent Tshituka.

There are a further two changes to the starting lineup with Pieter Jansen starting ahead of Jan-Henning Campher, while Wandisile Simelane gets a start at outside centre, with Manuel Rass dropping out of the match-day squad altogether.

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Meanwhile, Shaun Reynolds will provide cover from the bench, with Courtnall Skosan also included among the reserves after having missed last week’s defeat in Sydney.

Kick-off in Melbourne on Saturday is at 10:15am.

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Tyrone Green, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Elton Jantjies (c), 9 Andre Warner, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Jan-Hemming Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Shaun Reynolds 23 Courtnall Skosan.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images