Lions march to Bloemfontein
Lions will be facing the Cheetahs in their first match of the Super Rugby series.
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The Lions will be marching to Bloemfontein with their full-strength team which includes six debutants to take on their rivals, the Cheetahs, in the first 2014 Super Rugby match of the season.
“If we can stick together for a season or two we will become a formidable group of players,” said head coach of the Lions Johan Ackermann at the Press Conference on Thursday February 13.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drostkie said that they are an unknown entity and that his team is weary of the Lions.
“I think that we are a little bit unknown in the Super Rugby context, but we have to focus on our routine and what we want to do. It will take a game or two for the players to get used to the Super Rugby. But we have put them in pressure situations this week so that they know how to handle it.”
“We are looking for consistency,” said Lions captain Warren Whiteley. “Of course there is a lot of excitement among the players. We are also a team with a lot of potential and we are looking forward to the campaign.”
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has named his 23-man side to face the Cheetahs for the opening game of the 2014 Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
The match promises to be an exciting encounter with the Lions side looking forward to their first Vodacom Super Rugby game, following readmission to the competition.
The starting Lions XV includes six Super Rugby debutants, namely Chrysander Botha, Marnitz Boshoff, Franco Mostert, Julian Redelinghuys, Robbie Coetzee and Schalk van der Merwe.
The kick-off is at 17:00.
The team is:
15. Chrysander Botha
14. Deon van Rensburg
13. Lionel Mapoe
12. Stefan Watermeyer
11. Ruan Combrinck
10. Marnitz Boshoff
9. Michael Bondesio
8. Warren Whiteley
7. Derick Minnie
6. Jaco Kriel
5. Franco van der Merwe
4. Franco Mostert
3. Julian Redelinghuys
2. Robbie Coetzee
1. Schalk van der Merwe
16. Willie Wepener
17. Jacques van Rooyen
18. Ruan Dreyer
19. Willie Britz
20. Warwick Tecklenburg
21. Faf de Klerk
22. Coenie van Wyk
23. Alwyn Hollenbach