Golden Lions change four for Sharks

Editor

Golden Lions coach Johan Ackermann has made four changes to his starting XV for Saturday's clash with the Sharks in Johannesburg.

Ackermann has kept faith with his backline that beat the Blue Bulls in Pretoria last weekend with all the changes to the run-on side made amongst the forwards.

Young lock Lourens Erasmus gets an opportunity to make his mark at senior level while flanker Kwagga Smith will join captain Jaco Kriel and Fabian Booysen in the back row.

In the front row, Julian Redelinghuys and Malcolm Marx start at tighthead prop and hooker respectively, while Ruan Dreyer, who wore the number three jersey against the Bulls, moves to loosehead prop.

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Fabian Booysen, 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Jaco Kriel (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Lourens Erasmus, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ruan Dreyer. 
Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 MB Lusaseni, 19 Stephan de Witt, 20 Jaco van der Walt, 21 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 22 Antony Volmink.

Date: Saturday, September 19
Kick-off: 14:30 local (12:10 GMT)
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant referees: Francois Pretorius, Jaco Kotze
Television match official: Willie Vos