Combrinck hits 50 for Lions

Ruan Combrinck will make his 50th appearance for the Lions when they host the Sharks in their Super Rugby quarter-final in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Combrinck lines up on the right wing as Lions head coach Johan Ackermann names the same matchday squad which beat the Sharks in their final regular season match in Durban last weekend.

The run-on side includes 10 Springboks and will be captained by openside flanker Jaco Kriel, who took over the leadership role from regular skipper Warren Whiteley who is injured.

Fly-half Elton Jantjies is the overall leading point scorer in Super Rugby 2017 with 166 points. His 47 conversions is also a new Lions record for a year, breaking his record of 44 conversions in 2016.

The Lions have scored 81 tries thus far, equalling the 2016 record of 81 team tries, with the play-offs remaining.

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Jaco Kriel (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen 
Replacements: 16 Akker vd Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Sylvian Mahuza

Date: Saturday, July 22
Venue: Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 14:30 local (12:30 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: Jaco van Heerden, Egon Seconds
TMO: Marius Jonker