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Pieter Jordaan
Johannesburg – Former Stormers centre Dylan des Fountain has been included in the Lions’ starting line-up for Friday night’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park.
Des Fountain, who is on loan to the Lions from Italian club side Aironi and has played a few Vodacom Cup games, gets his chance due to an injury to Waylon Murray. While Des Fountain only recently recovered from a knee injury, he has to step up as a centre partner for captain Doppies la Grange as an emergency measure.
Des Fountain’s last Super Rugby match for the Stormers was against the Cheetahs in 2009.
Young hooker Edgar Marutlulle also gets a well-deserved chance in the starting line-up as Bandise Maku is injured and Martin Bezuidenhout did not play well against the Chiefs.
“Waylon has injured his ankle and may not be able to tour Australasia with us. Bandise’s chances of making the tour are also in the balance. I’m definitely not taking injured players along,” said Lions coach John Mitchell.
The coach also made other changes to see “who the players are that I can depend on”.
Jano Vermaak’s poor performance at scrumhalf against the Chiefs has opened the door for Rory Kockott at scrumhalf. Kockott and Burton Francis will form the halfback pairing.
Former Cheetahs player David de Villiers also returns at lock, replacing Franco van der Merwe.
Tighthead prop Kevin Buys and flank Josh Strauss replace Patric Cilliers and Michael Rhodes respectively.
“Our bye came at just the right time. We were the last team to get one,” said Mitchell.
“It’s a mentally and physically taxing season. The players are now well rested and would like to replicate the energy and enthusiasm with which we started the season.”
Teams
Lions:
15 Michael Killian, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Dylan des Fontain, 12 Doppies La Grange (captain), 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Franco Van der Merwe, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
Cheetahs:
TBA
Johannesburg – Former Stormers centre Dylan des Fountain has been included in the Lions’ starting line-up for Friday night’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park.
Des Fountain, who is on loan to the Lions from Italian club side Aironi and has played a few Vodacom Cup games, gets his chance due to an injury to Waylon Murray. While Des Fountain only recently recovered from a knee injury, he has to step up as a centre partner for captain Doppies la Grange as an emergency measure.
Des Fountain’s last Super Rugby match for the Stormers was against the Cheetahs in 2009.
Young hooker Edgar Marutlulle also gets a well-deserved chance in the starting line-up as Bandise Maku is injured and Martin Bezuidenhout did not play well against the Chiefs.
“Waylon has injured his ankle and may not be able to tour Australasia with us. Bandise’s chances of making the tour are also in the balance. I’m definitely not taking injured players along,” said Lions coach John Mitchell.
The coach also made other changes to see “who the players are that I can depend on”.
Jano Vermaak’s poor performance at scrumhalf against the Chiefs has opened the door for Rory Kockott at scrumhalf. Kockott and Burton Francis will form the halfback pairing.
Former Cheetahs player David de Villiers also returns at lock, replacing Franco van der Merwe.
Tighthead prop Kevin Buys and flank Josh Strauss replace Patric Cilliers and Michael Rhodes respectively.
“Our bye came at just the right time. We were the last team to get one,” said Mitchell.
“It’s a mentally and physically taxing season. The players are now well rested and would like to replicate the energy and enthusiasm with which we started the season.”
Teams
Lions:
15 Michael Killian, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Dylan des Fontain, 12 Doppies La Grange (captain), 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Franco Van der Merwe, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
Cheetahs:
TBA
