The Lions team to face Griquas this weekend has been announced, with a few interesting changes seen, especially that of Josh Strauss being shifted to the second row, replacing an injured Hendrik Roodt.
The team sees a total of five changes, mostly in the forward pack. CJ van der Linde gets his first start of the Currie Cup, taing over the tighthead side of the frontrow from Jacobie Adriaanse. Cobus Grobbelaar drops to the bench in favour of Jaco Kriel, who gets a start next to debutant Willie Britz in the loose trio.
The other change is Ross Cronje getting a start ahead of Michael Bondesio at scrumhalf.
On the bench we see the long awaited return of Michael Rhodes to the Lions setup, as well as the return of Alwyn Hollenbach.
Lions: 15.Andries Coetzee, 14.JR Esterhuizen, 13.Lionel Mapoe, 12.Butch James, 11.Anthony Volmink, 10.Elton Jantjies, 9.Ross Cronje, 8.Warren Whiteley, 7.Willie Britz, 6.Jaco Kriel, 5.Franco Van der Merwe, 4.Joshua Strauss, 3.CJ Van der Linde, 2.Bandise Maku , 1.JC Janse van Rensburg (c)
Replacements: 16.Callie Visagie, 17.Ruan Dreyer, 18.Michael Rhodes, 19.Cobus Grobbelaar, 20.Michael Bondesio, 21.Alwyn Hollenbach, 22.Deon Helberg
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This is still a very strong team.
Would someone please inform me to how many of these 5 changes are forced and not tactical?
would be interesting to know
i understand adriianse has an injury . and so doesn Roodt . So 3 rotational changes then ?
@Zibbie (Comment 4) : Which brings me to my question, fourth game in, why change a winning team? Sure, it’s just the Griquas, but moment can be lost… You don’t change winning teams…