Lions coach John Mitchell has named veteran Springbok flank Wikus van Heerden on the bench for what is likely to be his team’s final Currie Cup match of the season.
The Lions will face the Pumas in a Round 14 match in Johannesburg and can only slip into the play-offs through the backdoor if either the Blue Bulls or Free State Cheetahs fail to collect any points in their respective matches against Griquas and the Leopards this weekend.
While Mitchell’s men are expected to collect a full-house five points against the Pumas, they still need a huge favour from either Griquas or the Leopards.
After naming his team, it was also revealed that Mitchell was still sweating over the fitness of star inside centre Doppies la Grange, who pulled a hamstring early in last week’s 37-43 loss to the Cheetahs.
La Grange has been bracketed with Burton Francis at No.12 for Friday’s game. This also has a knock-on effect on the replacements bench – where Francis, Marius Delport and youngster Wandile Mjekevu have all been bracketed around the utility backline positions.
The forward pack shows several changes for the final league fixture – the most noteworthy being the loose forward combination.
Warren Whiteley starts at No.8, Joshua Strauss moves from eighthman to blindside flank and Van Heerden drops down to the bench.
Trevor Hall also starts ahead of George Earle at lock.
Lions: 15 Michael Killian, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange/Burton Francis, 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe (captain), 4 Trevor Hall, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Wikus van Heerden, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Francis/Marius Delport, 22 Delport/Wandile Mjekevu.
Date: Friday, October 8
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende, Madel de Villiers
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
This article is courtesy of rugby365.com
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‘After naming his team, it was also revealed that Mitchell was still sweating over the fitness of star inside centre Doppies la Grange’
😯
bwahahahahahaha
Trevor Hall lock? Isnt/wasnt he a centre or am I ‘deurmekaar’ 😳
Picked Lions on LMS, so they better bring their winning game.
@Jarson (Comment 2) :
You are thinking of Dean Hall. He played wing for the Lions and Boks before becoming VERY injury prone!!
@wpw (Comment 4) : Oh ja, 😳
@wpw (Comment 1) : Not really sure why you find that so amusing ❓ 🙄
@wpw (Comment 4) : Yeah, Dean Hall, good player. Not for him the niceties of running around defenders, rather take the direct route and run right through them!
@Greg (Comment 6) :
Lets just say Doppies is not good enough to make any of the other top unions’ starting line-ups nevermind the bench!!
He is a poor man’s De Wet Barry!! 😆 😈
The title of this article is mischievous at best…
@klempie (Comment 9) :
Well it does come from rugby365 and if you had done your homework you’d know that Jan de Koning is a HUGE Lions supporter. 🙄
Wikus is a World Cup winning Bok isn’t he?? He also started quite a few games while Burger was suspended.
@wpw (Comment 8) : wpw, gan blaas doppies… 🙄
@wpw (Comment 8) : Not so sure about any other union, maybe not the best 12 in the country, but certainly has had a very good season.
He has, in fact, been a star for the Lions!
@wpw (Comment 10) : I think he meant the axe-ing part 🙂
What a misleading title ..Rugby 365 and sensationalism.
wpw you guys took the worlds best centre from us ! 😈
@Jarson (Comment 13) : You sir, are the sharp tool in the toolbox. Wes can like to be real spanner.
doppies is a star in benoni!
Klempie can likes to be a real tool. 😆
Lol @ Megatron 😈
anyone who’s watched wikus since his return from injury will tell you he has been terrible and only in the team on reputation alone! Whether he can regain his pre-world cup form is the big question.
Griquas has signed Earl Rose, as flyhalf cover untill the end of 2011 😯 . Is that what they used Basson’s transfer fee for 🙄
@Megatron (Comment 19) : Not really his return from injury. I’d say his return from Europe. Maybe PDV has point about the game over there being to slow.
@Jarson (Comment 2) : Perhaps you are thinking of Trevor Halstead.
@lostfish (Comment 22) : You see the confusion
@Jarson (Comment 23) : I can. I was confused a bit by that the other day.
@wpw (Comment 8) : Except maybe for JdV Doppies was the form centre in the second round. He`d walk into any of the top sides.
Team reshuffled due to injuries. 😯
La grange confirmed out Francis moves to Fullback replacing Killian
Kilian vanishes.
Murray moves inside center
Delport off the bench to replace Murray at 13
V Heerden in For Strauss (injured)
Lions – revised: 15 Burton Francis, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Waylon Murray, 11 Deon Van Rensburg, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco Van der Merwe (captain), 4 Trevor Hall, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 JP Joubert, 20 Wandile Mjekevu, 21 Renaldo Bothma, 22 Pieter Engelbrecht.