Both captain Baywatch Grobbelaar and barn-storming number 8 Willem Alberts have had to withdraw from an otherwise unchanged Lions outfit to take on Western Province on Saturday.
Both players picked up injuries in the Lions’ 19-30 loss to the Sharks and while the pair was initially named to start, neither has recovered sufficiently. Grobbelaar and Alberts have injured a shoulder and an Achilles heel respectively.
Derrick Minnie, who almost single-handedly turned the tide against the Sharks last week, comes in for Grobbelaar, while American Eagles skipper Todd Clever will start at the back of the scrum. Former Sharks lock Joe Snyman and young openside flanker Biscuit van Deventer come onto the bench.
Jano Vermaak will take over the captaincy from Grobbelaar.
15 Earl Rose, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Alwyn Hollenbach, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Henno Mentz, 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Jano Vermaak (capt), 8 Todd Clever, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Willem Stoltz, 4 Nico Luus, 3 Gert Muller, 2 Hans Van Dyk, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Derek Harwood, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Johan van Deventer, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Ruan Boshoff, 22 Pieter Engelbrecht.

Shame. 😈
Huge losses for the Lions….oh well…better go change my starting 15 on FL
@McLovin (Comment 1) : they’re gonna get killed without Alberts.
@Pokkel (Comment 2) : yeah, me too. Need to get rid of Alberts
@robdylan (Comment 3) :
They still have that gamebreaking ability of Earl Rose!! 😉