New look front row for Lions

A new look Lions front row is set to face the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday as head coach Johan Ackermann names his side for the Super Rugby match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Johannesburg - A new look Lions front row is set to face the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday as head coach Johan Ackermann names his side for the Super Rugby match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday at 5.10pm.

Malcolm Marx and Julian Redelinghuys have been sidelined due to injuries sustained in last week's match against the Stormers. Ackermann has made an additional three changes to the starting lineup from the one which beat the Cape side 29-22.

Corne Fourie, Armand van der Merwe and Ruan Dreyer pack down in the front row, while Cyle Brink joins captain Warren Whiteley and Warwick Tecklenburg in the back row as Jaco Kriel shifts to the bench. Faf de Klerk replaces Ross Cronje at scrumhalf and Howard Mnisi comes in for Rohan Janse van Rensburg at inside centre.

Currie Cup hooker Ramone Samuels has been drafted in from the Currie Cup side to cover and Jacques van Rooyen comes in as the prop substitute. The Lions also suffered a blow with the news that fullback Andries Coetzee suffered an injury in training that is set to rule him out of action for six to eight weeks.

Lions team: 15 Jaco van der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Corne Fourie Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Jaco Kriel, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 JW Bell, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg - African News Agency (ANA)