Ruan Ackermann will start at No 8 for the Lions in Saturday's semi-final against the Highlanders at Ellis Park.

Ackermann's inclusion comes after captain Warren Whiteley was ruled out with a calf injury he sustained in the quarter-final against the Crusaders. Jaco Kriel will take over the captaincy. 

'The decision about Warren was made today,' said Lions coach Johan Ackermann. 'I haven't had a chance to talk to Ruan yet. He must just play his normal game.'

Meanwhile, replacement scrumhalf Ross Cronjé has not recovered from a contusion injury and his place on the bench is taken by Dillon Smit.

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Corné Fourie, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Steph de Witt, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Jaco van der Walt.

Super Rugby teams (Semi-finals)

Photo: Anne Laing/HSM Images