Faf de Klerk sidelined in Australia as questions around his contractual obligations continue

With his future at the Lions still in the balance‚ scrumhalf Faf de Klerk is again an absentee from the match day squad in Australia.

De Klerk featured against the Western Force in their first game on tour‚ but he was left out of the squad that vanquished the Melbourne Rebels 47-10 last weekend.

He has again been omitted from the team sheet for Friday's clash against the Brumbies in Canberra.

De Klerk has been made an offer by Sale Sharks to join them after the Super Rugby season‚ but the Lions insisted they are still in negotiations about the player's release with the English Premiership club.

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The club claimed on Monday that they had secured to Springbok's services for three years.

Whether questions around his contractual obligations are proving a distraction is not clear‚ but Lions coach Johan Ackermann again opted to confine De Klerk to the sidelines.

Ackermann made five changes to his side to play the Brumbies.

The en mass rotation of the Lions' front row has become a theme and Ackermann has again gone for wholesale change.

• Du Preez gushes over the performance of debutant wing NkosiRobert du Preez isn't prone to bouts of gushing but he stopped tantalisingly short in running the rule over the performance of debutant wing S'bu Nkosi against the Western Force. 

Corné Fourie‚ Robbie Coetzee and Johannes Jonker replace Jacques van Rooyen‚ Malcolm Marx and Ruan Dreyer respectively.

In the second and back rows there are changes too.

Andries Ferreira returns to lock in place of Lourens Erasmus‚ while Cyle Brink makes way for Ruan Ackermann.

Justin Ackerman will join the squad in Australia as back-up for the injured Hencus van Wyk.

• Sharks coach not too bothered by lack of bonus pointsYou can't have your cake and eat it‚ Sharks coach Robert du Preez reasoned as his team chalked up another Super Rugby win without a bonus point. 

Friday's game will be the Lions last on tour before they return to home to face the Bulls at Ellis Park next Saturday.

The Lions top Africa section two‚ a healthy 10 points clear of the Sharks‚ with the Jaguares now a distant third‚ 18 points behind the leaders.

The Lions team to play the Brumbies is:

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Andries Coetzee; Sylvian Mahuza‚ Lionel Mapoe‚ Harold Vorster‚ Courtnall Skosan; Elton Jantjies‚ Ross Cronjé; Warren Whiteley (captain)‚ Ruan Ackermann‚ Kwagga Smith; Franco Mostert‚ Andries Ferreira; Johannes Jonker‚ Robbie Coetzee, Corné Fourie.

Substitutes: Malcolm Marx‚ Jacques van Rooyen‚ Ruan Dreyer‚ Lourens Erasmus‚ Robert Kruger/Cyle Brink; Dillon Smit‚ Jacques Nel‚ Anthony Volmink.

 - TMG Digital/TMG Sport