Lions have put horror half hour behind them

Cape Town - The Golden Lions are looking forward to Friday’s Currie Cup clash against Western Province and have put last weekend’s capitulation against the Sharks behind them.

In last Saturday’s match against the Sharks at Ellis Park, the Lions led 31-5 with 30 minutes remaining, before a red card to hooker Robbie Coetzee derailed them.

The Sharks eventually ran out comfortable 47-31 winners.

Attack coach JP Ferreira says the Lions are excited about the challenge lying in wait at Newlands.

“Yes, we’ve talked about that last 30 minutes,” Ferreira told Netwerk24, but he insists they have put it behind them.

“We have a bunch of young players who are very enthusiastic about the future and they’re not letting it affect them negatively. They are ready and eager to play at Newlands.”

Prop Jacques van Rooyen will captain the Lions this weekend, after Ryan Kankowski was ruled out through injury.

The Lions also have to make do without the services of prop Ruan Dreyer, who received a call-up to the Springbok squad on Monday.

In other changes to the team that lost to the Sharks, Marco Jansen van Vuren starts at scrumhalf in place of Dillon Smit who will spend some time on the sidelines due to a fractured ankle.

Andries Ferreira will start at lock, while centre Harold Vorster gets his first Currie Cup run out of the season at outside centre.

Flanker Robert Kruger is pencilled into the starting XV but is suffering from bronchitis.

A final call on his fitness will be made on Thursday.

The encounter at Newlands kicks-off at 19:00 on Friday.

Teams:

Western Province

15 SP Marais, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg

Substitutes: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 Eddie Zandberg, 20 Steph de Wit, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Dan Kriel

Golden Lions

15 Sylvian Mahuza, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Antony Volmink, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Fabian Booysen, 7 Robert Kruger, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Jacques van Rooyen (captain) 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Corne Fourie

Substitutes: 16 Michael Willemse, 17 Johannes Jonker, 18 Rhyno Herbst, 19 Hacjivah Dayimani, 20 Jack Hart, 21 Siya Masuku, 22 Aphiwe Dyanty