Howard Mnisi will make his long-awaited return from injury when the Lions take on the Bulls in a Super Rugby warm-up at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Mnisi, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Lions’ Super Rugby opener in February last year, has been named at inside centre for the match against the Bulls.

Coach Swys de Bruin has also appointed the 28-year-old as the captain of an otherwise youthful side.

The most experienced members of the match-day squad are front rowers Jacobie Adriaanse and Corne Fourie.

Lions – 15 Giani Lombard, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Manuel Pass, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Marco Janse van Renburg, 8 Willie Engelbrech, 7 Hacjiva Dayimani, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 PJ Steenkamp, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Sti Sithole.
Subs: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Cohen Kieweit, 18 Jaco Willemse, 19 Jo-Hanko de Villiers, 20 James Venter, 21 Len Massyn, 22 Christiaan Meyer, 23 Shaun Reynolds, 24 Louis van der Schyff, 25 Wandisile Simelane.

Bulls team

Photo: Anne Laing/HSM Images