Vodacom United Rugby Championship action returns this weekend as the Lions travel to Cape Town at 15:30 (SA Time) to take on the unbeaten DHL Stormers in Round 7 of the competition. Ivan van Rooyen’s men will take confidence into the upcoming summer series of local derbies, with a recent win over neighbours the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria in Round 6.
The Joburg franchise will be boosted by the return of PJ Botha in the hooking position. Botha made his return from injury during last week’s trip to Newcastle in the EPCR Challenge Cup. Van Rooyen has gone with a settled 23, which features Dylan Sjoblom and Siba Qom, who both showed impressive performances in recent weeks.
A main attraction ahead of this mouth-watering derby will certainly be at the breakdown, where both teams possess the services of accurate poachers in the form of Jarod Cairns and Paul de Villiers for the hosts, as well as dynamic ball carriers in loose play.
Lions: 1. SJ Kotze, 2. PJ Botha, 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 4. Etienne Oosthuizen, 5. Reinhard Nothnagel, 6. Jarod Cairns, 7. Ruan Venter, 8. Francke Horn (c), 9. Morne van den Berg, 10. Chris Smith, 11. Eduan Keyter, 12. Bronson Mills, 13. Erich Cronje, 14. Kelly Mpeku, 15. Quan Horn. Replacements: 16. Franco Marais, 17. Edward Davids, 18. RF Schoeman, 19. Dylan Sjoblom, 20. Darrien Landsberg, 21. Siba Qoma, 22. Nico Steyn, 23. Richard Kriel.