The Lions have selected a tried and tested starting XV to face the Sunwolves in Tokyo on Saturday.
Coach Johan Ackermann has gone with experience for his side's first match of the season, but added three new faces to the bench. Prop Dylan Smith, loose forward Ruan Ackermann and back Rohan Janse van Rensburg are set to make their Super Rugby debuts after featuring for the Lions in last year’s Currie Cup.
No 8 Warren Whiteley will captain the side, which boasts 451 Super Rugby caps in the starting lineup and another 66 on the bench.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrink, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Ruan Dreyer.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Jacques Van Rooyen, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Jaco van der Walt, 22 Harold Vorster, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
