17 October 2026
Chris Smith will captain the 10bet Lions in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener against La Rochelle at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre. The Johannesburg-based franchise resolved to fulfil the historic fixture following the sudden death of teammate Hyron Andrews on Friday morning. The 31-year-old lock forward passed away at the team's hotel in France.
The visitors face a massive task on the pitch while navigating a profound emotional toll. Flyhalf Chris Smith takes the leadership reins from regular skipper Francke Horn, who was sidelined earlier in the week due to an Achilles injury. Head coach Ivan van Rooyen has reshuffled his match-day squad, drafting Morné Brandon to hooker and welcoming back tighthead prop Conraad van Vuuren to secure the front row.
Sikhumbuzo Notshe anchors the scrum at No 8, flanked by Siba Qoma and Siba Mahashe in a revamped loose trio. In the backline, inside centre Bronson Mills makes his return to action alongside left winger Erich Cronjé. On-loan hooker Tiaan Lange is poised to make his official Lions debut from the bench if called upon.
10bet Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith (c), 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Siba Qoma, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Morné Brandon, 1 Boan Venter. Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Richard Kriel, 23 Boeta Chamberlain.