Ruan Combrinck back for Lions against Stormers
Although the Bulls will enjoy a bye this weekend, South African rugby enthusiasts can still look forward to a lot of action, with the local derby between the Lions and the Stormers in Johannesburg likely to be the main attraction.
The Lions will welcome back stalwart, Springbok winger Ruan Combrinck, for their important Super Rugby derby against the Stormers on Saturday afternoon in Johannesburg. The game at Emirates Airline Park kicks off at 17:15.
On Friday morning an unchanged Sharks side played against the in-form Hurricanes in Napier in the final fixture on their overseas tour.
The Bulls have a bye this weekend, and in the remaining South African Conference game, the Jaguares host the Crusaders in Buenos Aires on Saturday evening.
The Lions welcome back the hard-running Combrinck following his recovery from the shoulder injury he suffered a few months ago in Japan. His return is one of two changes in the Highveld team’s line-up against their Cape Town rivals.
Combrinck replaces Sylvian Mahuza on the right wing, while the other change sees the return of lock Marvin Orie to the starting line-up in a rotational switch with Andries Ferreira.
Swys de Bruin’s team, who will enter the match with the comfort of knowing that they have a bye next week before their Australasian tour, will be determined to bounce back to winning ways after losing their 2017 final rematch against the Crusaders last Sunday. The Cape side, meanwhile, travels to Gauteng for the second week in a row, where they will seek their first away-win this season.
The Stormers made several injury-enforced changes to their starting line-up. Injuries to scrumhalf Justin Phillips (rib) and flanker Cobus Wiese (hamstring) saw Jano Vermaak – in what will be his first start of the season – and Chris van Zyl being drafted in. Van Zyl slots in the second row alongside Jan de Klerk, with Pieter-Steph du Toit moving to the flank.
The Lions have won their last 17 South African derbies, with their last home defeat against South African opposition being in February 2015 against the Cape side.
TEAMS: LIONS VS STORMERS
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert (captain), 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith. Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Marco Jansen van Vuuren, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Sylvian Mahuza.
Stormers: 15 SP Marais, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Ramone Samuels, 1 Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Kobus van Dyk, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Jaco Coetzee, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Craig Barry.
Match information:
Date: Saturday, 7 April
SA time: 17:15
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge and AJ Jacobs
Television match official: Willie Vos
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