Cape Town - The Chiefs have announced their team to play the Lions in their Vodacom Super Rugby clash in Pukekohe on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 09:35 SA time.

According to the allblacks.com website, flank Sam Cane gets a start with Tanerau Latimer moving to the left of the scrum while Liam Messam is out with a rib injury.

One of last week’s try scoring props, Toby Smith, gets his first start since his injury in round one, while other try scoring prop and crowd favourite, Sona Taumalolo, sits on the bench.

Lock Brodie Retallick has been given his first rest of the year, which sees Michael Fitzgerald starting in the number five jersey. Kane Thompson comes back in at No 8 after a minor neck injury with Scott Waldrom, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Maritino Nemani coming on to the reserve bench.

Coach Dave Rennie said “As we are only half way into the competition we are using this game to give some players who have not had much game time an opportunity they deserve.”

Teams:

Chiefs:
15 Andrew Horrell, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Kane Thompson, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Tanerau Latimer, 5 Michael Fitzgerald, 4 Craig Clarke (captain), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Toby Smith

Substitutes: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Arizona Taumalolo, 18 Alex Bradley, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Tawera Kerr- Barlow, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Maritino Nemani

Lions:
15 Andrie Coetzee, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Lionel Mapoe, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Josh Strauss (captain), 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen/JC Janse van Rensburg

Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Cobus Grobbelaar, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Tian Meyer, 21 James Kamana, 22 Michael Killian