Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Lions centre Bronson Mills are part of a strong touring squad to Europe for their Challenge Cup match against Perpignan in France and URC match against Swansea in Wales. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images The Lions have gone all-in for their two-game European tour over the coming weekends, naming a full strength squad to take on Perpignan in France in the Challenge Cup and Ospreys in Wales in the United Rugby Championship (URC). The Lions are currently on the cusp of qualifying for the Challenge Cup playoffs, and a win over Perpignanwill secure their placein the next round, and coach Ivan van Rooyen has backed his best to do that.
Their previous trip to the UK in the Challenge Cup in December saw a heavily rotated squad just go down to Newcastle Red Bulls in England, but no such gamble will be made for their final pool match in France. Following that game they return to URC action, where they will take on Ospreys in Swansea and will be hunting another win over a team they have struggled against in recent times. The Lions and Ospreys have played each other six times across the URC and Challenge Cup and share the spoils equally with three wins apiece, but three of the last four games have gone the way of the Welsh side.
However, their last meeting, at the end of last season’s URC, saw the Lions break their three match losing streak against them, edging them 29-28 at Ellis Park, and they will hope to continue their winning ways against them next weekend. On the squad front, Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been passed fit to travel, after he missed theirwin over Lyonlast weekend with a hamstring niggle, while lock Darrien Landsberg also returns from a shoulder problem. Loose forward Siba Qoma, who picked up an injury in the warm-up before this past weekend’s match, misses out on the tour, along with Bok flanker Ruan Venter, who received a red card against the Sharks and was subsequently banned for four matches.
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Powerhouse eighthman Francke Horn leads the team, with exciting rising loose forward Batho Hlekani, who was thrown into the deep end against Lyon and wasnamed man-of-the-match, also in the mix along with Jarod Cairns and Renzo du Plessis. In the backs, Bok players Morné van den Berg and Quan Horn will lead the charge, with Henco van Wyk, having made his return from injury off the bench this past weekend, gunning for a start, and calm flyhalf Chris Smith and exciting Junior Bok scrumhalf Haashim Pead also in the mix. Forwards:PJ Botha, Morné Brandon, Jarod Cairns, Eddie Davids, Renzo du Plessis, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horn, SJ Kotze, Darrien Landsberg, Siba Mahashe, Franco Marias, Reinhard Nothnagel, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Etienne Oosthuizen, RF Schoeman, Ruben Schoeman, Dylan Sjoblom, Conrad van Vuuren
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