Kwagga Smith will take over as Lions captain in the absence of the rested Malcolm Marx in their clash against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Stand-in skipper Marx will sit out this match, with the in-form Smith taking the captain’s armband in the continued absence of regular captain Warren Whiteley.
Young hooker Jan-Henning Campher will make his first start for the Lions since joining from the Vodacom Bulls earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Johannes Jonker rotates with tighthead prop Carlü Sadie, who drops to the bench.
The only other change from the team that beat the Highlanders in Johannesburg sees Nic Groom replace Ross Cronje at scrumhalf. Cronje will undergo a small procedural operation which will keep him out of action for a week.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Kwagga Smith (c), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Jan-Henning Campher, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Piet Jansen, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Carlü Sadie, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Hacjivah Dayimani, 22 Shaun Reynolds, 23 Tyrone Green.
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
