Share

Lions welcome Bondesio back

Johannesburg - Lions coach John Mitchell was relieved to welcome back scrumhalf Michael Bondesio to the run-on side for Saturday's Currie Cup clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Mitchell said on Wednesday that Bondesio was critical to the side after his replacement for the Blue Bulls match, Rudy Paige, did not instill confidence in the coach.

Since the loss of Jano Vermaak to the Blue Bulls earlier in the season, the Lions have struggled with depth in the scrumhalf position.

After Paige's lacklustre performance on Saturday, he was dropped from the side altogether.

"Rudy got a great education last week and he knows what is required and I certainly won't accept a half back in the squad going forward if you can't make your tackles," said Mitchell.

The Lions opted for a 5/2 split on the bench with James Kamana and Dylan des Fountain the only backline replacements.

With Paige out of the team, centre Doppies la Grange will be the backup scrumhalf.

While the Cheetahs are the leading try scoring team in the Currie Cup, with 47 tries, Mitchell said he was not concerned about his side's defensive structures.

"Nothing really changes as we always work on our defence," he said.

"We work a lot on organisation and the data base helps us to bring up trends of the opposition and you also have to allow for the element of surprise."

Teams:

Free Sate Cheetahs:

15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Philip Snyman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Philip van der Walt, 6 Lappies Labuschagne, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe

Substitutes: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Andries Strauss

Golden Lions:
15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Doppies la Grange, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg

Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 David Bulbring, 19 Warren Whiteley, 20 Burton Francis, 21 James Kamana, 22 Dylan des Fountain

* Click HERE for the latest Currie Cup odds on BET.CO.ZA
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE