Will Lions play Chiefs on Saturday?

THE question that now arises is whether the Emirates Lions are ready for their toughest test thus far on tour when they face the Chiefs this coming Saturday, 5 March, in Hamilton.

The match will start at 06:15 (SA time).

The team opened its campaign on a good note when it beat the Sunwolves the previous weekend in the first round of the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign. In their second match of the tour, Emirates Lions will play against the strong but difficult side, the Chiefs, and they would like to extend their winning streak.

“We know that we are playing in New Zealand and that it is difficult to take back home the win. But we have prepared to the best of our ability and we are going out there to do our job,” said head coach of the Emirates Lions, Johan Ackermann.

He has opted for three changes to his side to the starting line-up and as many on the bench for this encounter.

Harold Vorster will partner Lionel Mapoe in midfield, with Howard Mnisi moving to the bench. Among the forwards the old KES pairing of Malcolm Marx and Dylan Smith gets a start in the red- and-white jersey.

Akker van der Merwe will wear the number 16 jumper and next to him on the bench is Corné Fourie, while Fabian Booysen will make his Super Rugby debut should he get a run.

The red-and-white Emirates Lions jersey will sport the blue-and-white colours of the Els for Autism Foundation in its numbers on the back, in support of golfer Ernie Els, international ambassador of the Lions.

The teams are:

Emirates Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley (captain), Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Andries Ferreira, Julian Redelinghuys, Malcolm Marx, Dylan Smith. Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Corné Fourie, Ruan Dreyer, Robert Kruger, Fabian Booysen, Jaco van der Walt, Howard Mnisi, Rohan Janse van Rensburg.

Chiefs: Damian McKenzie, Latu Vaeno, Seta Tamanivalu, Charlie Ngatai, James Lowe, Aaron Cruden (co-captain), Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Maama Vaipulu, Sam Cane (co-captain), Tom Sanders, Brodie Retallick, Michael Allardis, Hiroshi Yamashita, Rhys Marshall, Pauliasi Manu. Replacements: Nathan Harris, Mitchell Graham, Siate Tokolahi, Taleni Seu, Michael Leitch, Brad Weber, Anton Lienert-Brown, Glen Fisiiahi.

The South African Vodacom Super Rugby franchises will look to build momentum this weekend as round two of the competition kicks off and the rust begins to wear off.

Three local franchises, the DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Cell C Sharks, started the competition with a bang last week as they registered morale-boosting bonus-point victories. They will undoubtedly look to continue this form as most of the teams begin to find their feet in the competition.

The Toyota Cheetahs and Vodacom Bulls, meanwhile, will be determined to improve on their form in the opening round and register their first victories of the season to avoid slipping further behind the pace-setters early in the competition.

SA’s sixth franchise, the Southern Kings, have a bye.

South Africa’s rugby faithful will be in for a treat later in the day, with three back-to-back home games between the Vodacom Bulls and Rebels at Loftus Versfeld at 15:00, the Toyota Cheetahs and DHL Stormers at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein at 17:15, and the Cell C Sharks taking on the Jaguares at Growthpoint Kings Point in Durban at 19:20.

In the other matches, the Crusaders meet the Blues in Christchurch and the Waratahs host the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday, and on Saturday last season’s finalists, the Highlanders and Hurricanes meet in Dunedin, and the Reds go up against the Force in Brisbane.

Vodacom Bulls vs Rebels

Vodacom Bulls coach Nollis Marais has made only one personnel change to his starting team, with centre Burger Odendaal replacing Springbok Jesse Kriel, who has been ruled out due to concussion.

Dries Swanepoel has been named as a replacement centre on the bench, and should he take to the field, he will make his Vodacom Super Rugby debut.

The match will mark a significant milestone in lock Grant Hattingh’s career as he will earn his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap. Hattingh made his debut in the series for the Emirates Lions in 2012 and played nine matches for the Johannesburg franchise.

The Vodacom Bulls will enter the match with the same pack that featured against the DHL Stormers last week.

The teams are:

Vodacom Bulls: Warrick Gelant, Travis Ismaiel, Jan Serfontein, Burger Odendaal, Bjorn Basson, Francois Brummer, Rudy Paige, Arno Botha, Jannes Kirsten, Nic de Jager, Grant Hattingh, RG Snyman, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Lizo Gqoboka, Hencus van Wyk, Jason Jenkins, Roelof Smit, Piet van Zyl, Tian Schoeman, Dries Swanepoel.

Rebels: TBC

Toyota Cheetahs vs DHL Stormers

Toyota Cheetahs flanker Paul Schoeman has been handed a started with Boom Prinsloo moving to the bench in a rotational switch.

In the only change on the Toyota Cheetahs bench, Francois Uys, who captained the side last year, replaces Reniel Hugo.

DHL Stormers coach Robbie Fleck also made only one change to his starting team that defeated the Vodacom Bulls, with Junior Springbok wing Leolin Zas earning his first start as a replacement for Kobus van Wyk, who is nursing an ankle injury.

Huw Jones has been named on the DHL Stormers’ bench.

The teams are:

Toyota Cheetahs: Clayton Blommetjies, Sergeal Petersen, Francois Venter (captain), William Small-Smith, Raymond Rhule, Fred Zeilinga, Shaun Venter, Niell Jordaan, Uzair Cassiem, Paul Schoeman, Lood de Jager, Carl Wegner, Maks van Dyk, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Charles Marais. Replacements: Jacques du Toit, Ox Nche, Luan de Bruin, Francois Uys, Boom Prinsloo, Henco Venter, Tian Meyer, Niel Marais.

DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Dillyn Leyds, Johnny Kotze, Juan de Jongh (co-captain), Leoplin Zas, Robert du Preez, Jano Vermaak, Nizaam Carr, Schalk Burger, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Oli Kebble. Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, JC Janse van Rensburg, Frans Malherbe (co-captain), JD Schickerling, Siya Kolisi, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones.

Cell C Sharks vs Jaguares

Springbok and Cell C Sharks wing JP Pietersen will start the match as a replacement for his national teammate Lwazi Mvovo, who suffered an ankle injury against the Southern Kings last week.

The other change to the starting team is at lock, where Springbok Stephan Lewies returns from a serious knee injury in place of Hyron Andrews. Andrews in turn takes over from David McDuling on the bench.

Pietersen will be the most experienced player on the field for the Durban side, with 122 Vodacom Super Rugby caps to his name.

The teams are:

Cell C Sharks: Willie le Roux, Odwa Ndungane, Paul Jordaan, Andre Esterhuizen, JP Pietersen, Joe Pietersen, Cobus Reinach, Daniel du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Marcell Coetzee, Stephan Lewies, Etienne Oosthuizen, Coenie Oosthuizen, Franco Marais, Tendai Mtawarira (captain). Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Juan Schoeman, Lourens Adriaanse, Hyron Andrews, Philip van der Walt, Michael Claassens, Garth April, S’bura Sithole.

Jaguares: TBC