Rabs is back for Lions to face Dragons

Wing Rabs Maxwane is back in the Emirates Lions team for Sunday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with the Dragons at Emirates Airlines Park.

Maxwane comes in for Quan Horn, who returns to fullback in a positional switch from the side that went down to the DHL Stormers in the last game before the break for the international window. Horn, who has played most of his rugby in the last line of defence, takes up that position in place of Andries Coetzee.

The game against the Dragons will also see the first appearance of the season in the match 23 of Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who both come onto the replacements, or as it should be in modern rugby, finishers bench.

Lions coach Cash van Rooyen has stuck largely to the continuity mantra this season and so far it has served him well, with the Lions considered to be punching above their weight before losing home games to Ulster and the Stormers. The Lions have been better away from home than they have been at their supposed fortress this season, and after being so good on tour, they have lost a bit of momentum.

They should though be able to use a combination of early summer heat and the altitude to their advantage against a Dragons team that has also been much improved on last year. The Lions had a good record against Welsh teams in Johannesburg last year, in fact they have a good record against Wales this year after their successful recent tour, and should start as favourites to get their campaign back on track with a good win.

Emirates Lions team: Quan Horn, Rabz Maxwane, Henco van Wyk, Marius Louw, Edwill van der Merwe, Jordan Hendrikse, Sanele Nohamba, Francke Horn, Ruhan Straeuli, Emmanuel Tshituka, Reinhard Nothnagel (captain), Ruben Schoeman, Ruan Dreyer, PJ Botha, Sti Sithole. Replacements: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Sibusiso Sangweni, Andre Warner, Gianni Lombard, Zander du Plessis.