Pumas centre Ryan Nell has taken over the captaincy for their Currie Cup clash against the Golden Lions in Nelspruit on Friday. 

Nell takes the armband from lock Hugo Kloppers, who has dropped out of the match 22.

There are three changes to the starting XV, all coming among the forwards as Kloppers’ place is taken by Cameron Lindsay.

Francois Kleinhans comes in at No 8 as an extra fetcher, replacing Jeandré Rudolph who drops to the bench, while specialist tighthead prop Marné Coetzee replaces Andrew Beerwinkel.

Pumas – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Morné Joubert, 13 Neil Maritz, 12 Ryan Nell (c), 11 Ruwellyn Isbel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Francois Kleinhans, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Cameron Lindsay, 4 Le Roux Roets, 3 Marné Coetzee, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Morgan Naudé.
Subs: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Andrew Beerwinkel, 18 Stefan Willemse, 19 Jeandré Rudolph, 20 Abri Griesel, 21 Kobus Marais, 22 Henco Marais.

Photo:  Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)