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Pieter Jordaan
Johannesburg - Martin Bezuidenhout will get his chance in the Lions' starting line-up on Saturday when they play the Chiefs in a Super Rugby match at Coca-Cola Park.
Kick-off is at 19:10.
Orkney-born Bezuidenhout, 21, replaces Bandise Maku at hooker. Maku has a slight ankle injury and was therefore not considered.
In a second change to the Lions' front row, Pat Cilliers returns at tighthead prop in place of Jacobie Adriaanse, who was concussed against the Stormers.
However, eyes will be on Bezuidenhout who is a hard worker in the tight loose, but will be tested in the set phases.
Maku and his locks struggled for a number of weeks to "find" one another in the lineouts before the problem was finally resolved against the Stormers last week.
Now it's up to Bezuidenhout to see that the change at hooker does not impact negatively on the lineout success.
Lions coach John Mitchell has also decided to axe lineout specialist David de Villiers after one week.
Former captain Franco van der Merwe is back in the engine room. Van der Merwe has been tasked with managing the lineout options and has a lot to prove as there has been a major dip in his form since the beginning of the year.
His inclusion shows the Lions are seeking greater mobility for a game in which both teams are expected to play attacking rugby.
The fourth and final change to the Lions team is the inclusion of Lionel Mapoe on the wing after he had to withdraw on short notice with an injury last week.
The rest of the team is unchanged and Burton Francis is rewarded for his good form at flyhalf against the Stormers, with Elton Jantjies still among the substitutes.
Jantjies, Mapoe, Maku and centre Waylon Murray are the four Lions that were on Wednesday included in a squad of 51 players for a national team planning session on May 1-2.
Mapoe's return to the Lions team means that Jaco Taute, who has often provided the spark in the Lions backline this year, is only a substitute.
Mitchell has decided to persevere with the more experienced Michael Killian over Taute.
The Lions coach has prepared his team for a tough match against the Chiefs - the team from the Waikato province for whom Mitchell previously played 134 games, most of them as captain.
The Chiefs will announce their side on Thursday and could make a few changes to the pack after their defeat against the Crusaders.
Teams:
Lions:
15 Michael Killian, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange (captain), 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
Chiefs:
TBA
Johannesburg - Martin Bezuidenhout will get his chance in the Lions' starting line-up on Saturday when they play the Chiefs in a Super Rugby match at Coca-Cola Park.
Kick-off is at 19:10.
Orkney-born Bezuidenhout, 21, replaces Bandise Maku at hooker. Maku has a slight ankle injury and was therefore not considered.
In a second change to the Lions' front row, Pat Cilliers returns at tighthead prop in place of Jacobie Adriaanse, who was concussed against the Stormers.
However, eyes will be on Bezuidenhout who is a hard worker in the tight loose, but will be tested in the set phases.
Maku and his locks struggled for a number of weeks to "find" one another in the lineouts before the problem was finally resolved against the Stormers last week.
Now it's up to Bezuidenhout to see that the change at hooker does not impact negatively on the lineout success.
Lions coach John Mitchell has also decided to axe lineout specialist David de Villiers after one week.
Former captain Franco van der Merwe is back in the engine room. Van der Merwe has been tasked with managing the lineout options and has a lot to prove as there has been a major dip in his form since the beginning of the year.
His inclusion shows the Lions are seeking greater mobility for a game in which both teams are expected to play attacking rugby.
The fourth and final change to the Lions team is the inclusion of Lionel Mapoe on the wing after he had to withdraw on short notice with an injury last week.
The rest of the team is unchanged and Burton Francis is rewarded for his good form at flyhalf against the Stormers, with Elton Jantjies still among the substitutes.
Jantjies, Mapoe, Maku and centre Waylon Murray are the four Lions that were on Wednesday included in a squad of 51 players for a national team planning session on May 1-2.
Mapoe's return to the Lions team means that Jaco Taute, who has often provided the spark in the Lions backline this year, is only a substitute.
Mitchell has decided to persevere with the more experienced Michael Killian over Taute.
The Lions coach has prepared his team for a tough match against the Chiefs - the team from the Waikato province for whom Mitchell previously played 134 games, most of them as captain.
The Chiefs will announce their side on Thursday and could make a few changes to the pack after their defeat against the Crusaders.
Teams:
Lions:
15 Michael Killian, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange (captain), 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
Chiefs:
TBA
