Lions drop Earl Rose

Lions coach Dick Muir has dropped Springbok Earl Rose to the bench for the Super 14 match against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday in one of four changes to the starting side that went down against Crusaders last weekend.

Rose is replace by Michael Killian - and the swap comes as no surprise after the frailties of the Springbok fullback were again exposed against Crusaders.

On the left wing Springbok Tonderai Chavanga gets a start in place of Wandile Mjekevu, and former All Black flyhalf Carlos Spencer replaces Burton Francis who is injured.

Lock Nico Luus, who was flown in by the Lions over the weekend for the injured George Earle, starts in the only change to the pack.

Muir explained the start for Luus as an uncertainty about his fitness. "We want to use him and will rather start to see how he goes than bring him on later and find he can't keep up," Muir said.

Heinke van der Merwe again starts from the bench. There is also the good news that Todd Clever is fit after leaving the field with an injured shoulder last weekend.

Lions coach Dick Muir feels it's a case of using their chances on Friday. "We are really positive about getting a result this weekend," he said from Queenstown where the side prepared until Wednesday.

"We've had a good week's preparation and go into this game confident - and because a win for the Highlanders is just as important as it is for us, this will be a tough tussle with lots of pressure on us.

"The side that absorbs the pressure best and uses their chances should come out as winners - and I'm confident it will be us.

"We're obviously disappointed in not getting the result last weekend. We played much smarter in the first half, but then again leaked tries that kept them in the hunt.

"The result was we had to start playing catch-up rugby and that brought more mistakes after the break.

"Again it was a case of one or two errors in the first half that cost us. As we grow in experience and as a team hopefully we will start eliminating those mistakes."

The Lions leave for Dunedin on Thursday morning.

Lions team: Michael Killian, Wigan Pekeur, Walter Venter, Doppies la Grange, Tonderai Chavanga, Carlos Spencer, Jano Vermaak, Todd Clever, Derick Minnie, Cobus Grobbelaar (capt.), Franco van der Merwe, Nico Luus, Ross Geldenhuys, Hannes Franklin, JC Janse van Rensburg.

Replacements: Charles Emslie, Heinke van der Merwe, Willem Stoltz, Robert Kruger, JPJoubert, Wandile Mjekevu, Earl Rose.