Fresh look Emirates Lions team

Emirates Lions have had mixed results playing in their Australia tour, only pulling off one win against the Blues, thus Head coach Johann Ackermann has made wholesale changes to his team.

The local team from Johannesburg will go onto the field with ten changes to their team that lost to the Crusaders over the weekend.

“I am changing the team so that we can have some fresh players going into the match this Friday,” said Ackermann.

Emirates Lions will play against Melbourne Rebels on Friday March 21 in their penultimate Vodacom Super Rugby match abroad.

The kick-off is at 10:40 South African time on Friday.

Ackermann has opted to rotate several players for the match. In the forwards, Schalk van der Merwe, Armand van der Merwe and Ruan Dreyer will make up the front row. Robert Kruger will start at lock, while Derick Minnie has also been promoted to the starting line-up at flank.

Meanwhile, in the backline, Faf de Klerk will start at scrumhalf, with Marnitz Boshoff linking up with him at flyhalf. Courtnall Skosan fills the left wing berth, shifting Sampie Mastriet to right wing.

Elton Jantjies will start at inside centre and Jaco van der Walt will start at fullback for the match.

The team is:

15. Jaco van der Walt

14. Sampie Mastriet

13. Lionel Mapoe

12. Elton Jantjies

11. Courtnall Skosan

10. Marnitz Boshoff

9. Faf de Klerk

8. Warren Whiteley (c)

7. Warwick Tecklenburg

6. Derick Minnie

5. Franco Mostert

4. Robert Kruger

3. Ruan Dreyer

2. Armand van der Merwe

1. Schalk van der Merwe

16. Robbie Coetzee

17. Corne Fourie

18. Julian Redelinghuys

19. Andries Ferreira

20. Jaco Kriel

21. Ross Cronje

22. Harold Vorster

23. Andries Coetzee