Lions coach Swys de Bruin has made eight changes to his starting XV to face the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.

Aphiwe Dyantyi has recovered from a pectoral injury and will start on the left wing in place of Madosh Tambwe, who drops out of the match-day squad entirely.

Lionel Mapoe will form the centre combination with Harold Vorster, who shifts to inside centre, while scrumhalf Nic Groom will make his first start for the Lions, replacing Dillon Smit.

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Among the forwards, Cyle Brink and Marnus Schoeman, also making his first start, complete the loose trio with Kwagga Smith, who is at No 8.

Captain Franco Mostert will form the second row with the incoming Lourens Erasmus.

In the front row, Ruan Dreyer and Jacques van Rooyen make way for Jacobie Adriaanse and Dylan Smith respectively.

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrink, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Franco Mostert (c), 4 Lourens Erasmus, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Ashlon Davids, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sylvian Mahuza.

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