Two rookies to debut for Lions in crucial URC clash with Leinster

The Lions team to take on Irish powerhouse Leinster in a penultimate round United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday (4pm) shows a number of changes to the side that ran out in the Challenge Cup match against Glasgow Warriors last weekend.

Loosehead prop Rhynardt Rijnsburger and blindside flank Ruan Delport will be on URC debut in the must-win match, while there is a recall for wing Stean Pienaar, who comes into the side in place of Rabz Maxwane.

Darrien Landsberg is also back in the team as a replacement for the lock positions.

Nothnagel and Van Wyk

Maxwane and promising lock-cum-flank Ruan Venter are being rested after taking knocks to the head in last weekend’s match in Glasgow.

Sadly for former captain Reinhard Nothnagel, who only recently returned to action after spending several months on the sidelines, he will be out of action once again after undergoing cheekbone surgery this last week.

The good news though is SA A centre Henco van Wyk, who has also been sidelined with a knee injury for a while, is on the road to recovery and should be back in action to feature in some of the Currie Cup.

The Lions, in 11th place in the URC standings, need to win their game against Leinster on Saturday and also beat Zebre in their last round-robin match next weekend to stand a chance of playing in the quarter-finals.

Lions: Quan Horn, Stean Pienaar, Manuel Rass, Marius Louw (capt), Edwill van der Merwe, Gianni Lombard, Sanele Nohamba, Francke Horn, Ruan Delport, Jaco Kriel, Ruben Schoeman, Willem Alberts, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, PJ Botha, Rhynhardt Rijnsurger. Bench: Morne Brandon, JP Smith, Ruan Dreyer, Darrien Landsberg, Travis Gordon, Morne van den Berg, Rynhardt Jonker, Andries Coetzee