Nine changes in Lions shakeup

2008-07-01 16:01

Johannesburg - As he intimated he would do, Xerox Lions rugby coach Eugene Eloff has rung the changes for Friday night's Currie Cup match against the Falcons at Ellis Park.

Although not all the changes are due to under-performance, it is a Lions starting team with seven new faces and two positional changes from the one that squandered a win against the Free State Cheetahs last weekend.

Eloff has selected a new halfback paring in Louis Strydom and Chris Jonck, with Jaco van Schalkwyk moving to outside centre in the absence of injured Jaco Pretorius and because Jannie Boshoff is not available for personal reasons.

As expected wing Dusty Noble has been dropped and, on his series of performances this season, is probably lucky to still be on the bench. He is replaced by Heini Gordon.

In a totally revamped front row JC Janse van Rensburg moves to loosehead in place of Heinke van der Merwe who is rested together with hooker Willie Wepener. They have been two of the really stand-out forwards in a losing team and thoroughly deserve the break.

Takes over on the tighthead

Former Springbok Lawrence Sephaka is back from overseas duty and takes over on the tighthead while Etthienne Reynecke gets a rare but deserved start at hooker.

Wilhelm Koch replaces Willem Alberts, who is rested, at No 8 and Anton van Zyl comes in at lock for the injured Gerhard Mostert.

It is certainly not a team shuffled because Eloff takes the Falcons lightly. The Lions, at the bottom of the log, are very much aware that the Falcons have scored the most Currie Cup tries to date, have thrown away a victory against a workmanlike Boland Cavaliers side and have beaten Griquas convincingly.

The team:

Earl Rose, Louis Ludik, Jaco van Schalkwyk , Walter Venter, Heini Gordon, Louis Strydom, Chris Jonck, Wilhelm Koch, Franco van der Merwe , Cobus Grobbelaar, Anton van Zyl, Dewald Senekal, Lawrence Sephaka, Ethienne Reynecke, JC Janse van Rensburg.

Replacements: Willie Wepener, Gert Muller, Heinke van der Merwe, Justin Wheeler, Jano Vermaak, Michael Killian, Dusty Noble.

- SAPA