Emirates Lions will take on the Jaguares in their first encounter of the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
The 25th edition of Vodacom Super Rugby kicks off this weekend, starting with an exciting South African derby between the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls in Durban on January 31.
DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions start their respective campaigns on Saturday and Sunday.
The Lions head coach, Ivan van Rooyen, has selected his strongest team to take on the home team.
The match will be played in Argentina on February 2 at 1am South African time.
Elton Jantjies will lead the Lions in their opening match.
He has 134 career Super Rugby caps (121 for the Super Lions) while his career points stand on 1 092.
This includes twelve tries, 261 conversions, 164 penalties and six drop goals.
Adding to his 13 Super matches and eleven points for the Stormers, he has scored 1 103 points in Super Rugby, only the fifth player in the competition’s history to achieve this feat.
Dan Carter 1 708, Morne Steyn 1 449, Beauden Barrett 1 211, Elton Jantjies 1 103, Stirling Mortlock 1 037.
Courtnall Skosan holds the record for the most Emirates Lions tries, 33 after 72 matches.
Included in the Emirates Lions travelling squad were a number of new faces, including the experienced former Springbok prop, Jannie du Plessis, who is set to make his first Vodacom Super Rugby appearance since 2015.
Players making their Vodacom Super Rugby debuts this weekend are: Ruben Schoeman and Tiaan Swanepoel in the starting line-up and Morne van der Berg and Manuel Rass from the bench.
The 25th edition of Vodacom Super Rugby kicks off this weekend, starting with an exciting South African derby between the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls in Durban on Friday evening.
DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions start their respective campaigns on Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am will lead an exciting Cell C Sharks team in their opening Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Jonsson Kings Park, Durban, on Friday evening, with a number of players set to make their competition debut for both teams. Kick-off is at 7.10pm.
The Vodacom Bulls welcome back former Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn who last played for the Pretoria outfit in 2013, and is the only three-time Vodacom Super Rugby champion who remains within the South African circuit. His duel with Bosch is bound to play a key role in the outcome of the match.
Springbok Rugby World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi will lead the DHL Stormers in the No 8 jersey when they host the Hurricanes in their first Vodacom Super Rugby match of 2020 on Saturday. Kick-off at DHL Newlands is at 3.05pm.
Wales and British and Irish Lions international Jamie Roberts will make his DHL Stormers debut alongside ten Springboks named in the match day squad for the opening round clash with the Kiwis. Roberts will start at inside centre.
