Horn returns to the Lions side for his 50th cap

Emirates Lions fullback Quan Horn returns to the side to play his 50th match for his team as coach Ivan van Rooyen made a number of changes from the side that lost to Munster for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Cardiff.

Asenathi Ntlabakanye returns to the tighthead position, a move that necessitates Ruan Dreyer swopping to the loosehead for the game.

There is also a new look loose trio as Ruan Venter joins JC Pretorius and Francke Horn. This means Emmanual Tshituka drops to the bench for the game.

“We need to get as many points out of this week’s game, and then again next week. But the top-eight dream is still alive for us, and that’s genuinely something that we talk about and train for every day,” forwards coach Barend Pieterse said this week, underlining the importance of getting a win in the match.

Commenting on the opposition ahead of Saturday, the former Lions lock expects them to have studied recent performances and draw tactics to employ against Marius Louw’s men.

“They are a good team and they’ll get confidence from that game against Munster we played here [two weeks ago], and take stuff out of that.

“But from our side, we have to be better in our set piece, particularly the execution. We have to be in their face, we can’t let them run on to us, and on defence we have to get off the line.

“We have to give our backs solid enough ball from our scrums and lineouts and when we’re close to our tryline, we have to come away with points,” he concluded.

With Sanele Nohamba continuing at flyhalf, Jordan Hendrikse will play off the bench while Hanru Sirgel returns to the match day 23 for this game as well.

Kick-off is at 6:15pm

EMIRATES LIONS: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje, Marius Louw (captain), Edwill van der Merwe; Sanele Nohamba, Morne van den Berg; Francke Horn, Ruan Venter, JC Pretorius, Ruan Delport, Willem Alberts, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer.

REPLACEMENTS: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Conraad van Vuren, Reinhard Nothnagel, Emmanuel Tshituka, Hanru Sirgel, Jordan Hendrikse, Gianni Lombard.