Lions shuffle front pack for Friday’s Super Rugby clash against the Jaguares

The Lions have shuffled the front end of their pack for Friday's Super Rugby clash against the Jaguares at Ellis Park.

Following their heroic exertions at Newlands against the Stormers last week‚ coach Johan Ackermann has opted to press props Corné Fourie and Johannes Jonker‚ as well as hooker Akker van der Merwe into action from the start‚ while the impressive centre Harold Vorster also gets a gallop from the outset following Rohan Janse van Rensburg's knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines for a considerable amount of time this season.

Jacques van Rooyen‚ Ruan Dreyer and Malcolm Marx will all start off the bench in a match the Lions' scrumming prowess is likely to be tested for the full 80 minutes.

• Jan Serfontein to quit SA Rugby at end of the seasonBulls and Springbok centre Jan Serfontein’s disillusionment with life at the Bulls is believed to be behind his decision not to accept a new contract offer from SA Rugby. 

The starting front row will be tasked to go toe-to-toe and possibly draw the sting from the Jaguares' front men before the more celebrated trio is introduced in the second half.

Fullback Andries Coetzee passed a concussion test and will run out in his 50th Super Rugby game for the Lions.

The starting team Ackermann has assembled for this clash shows nine changes from the one that lost to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires last month.

On that occasion the weakened Lions team gave a reasonable account of themselves after the Jaguares initially threatened to record a runaway victory.

• Kriel's red card citing dismissed by judicial committeeLions coach Johan Ackermann will breathe a sigh of relief after flank Jaco Kriel was cleared of any wrongdoing following a hearing relating to foul play during last week’s match against the Stormers. 

Ackermann would have been particularly thankful that he could include flank Jaco Kriel who has been cleared of foul play by a Sanzaar judicial hearing.

“I am very thankful for the way in which Sanzaar and the panel handled my case‚” Kriel said about the hearing that looked into the aerial charge on Stormers flyhalf Robert du Preez for which he received a yellow card.

Lions team to play the Jaguares:

Andries Coetzee; Madosh Tambwe‚ Lionel Mapoe‚ Harold Vorster‚ Courtnal Skosan; Elton Jantjies‚ Ross Cronje; Warren Whiteley‚ Ruan Ackermann‚ Jaco Kriel; Franco Mostert‚ Andries Ferreira; Johannes Jonker‚ Akker van der Merwe‚ Corné Fourie.

Substitutes:

Malcolm Marx‚ Jacques van Rooyen‚ Ruan Dreyer‚ Lourens Erasmus‚ Kwagga Smith; Faf de Klerk‚ Jacques Nel‚ Sylvian Mahuza

  - TMG Digital/TMG Sport