Lions opt for 'double trouble' at halfback

The Emirates Lions have opted for “double trouble” at halfback as they look to break South Africa’s duck at the Sportsground stadium in Galway on Saturday when they face Connacht in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship match.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen has decided to partner Jordan Hendrikse and Sanele Nohamba at halfback, hoping the combination of the two boots will help them in the conditions that have so far undone all South African sides in the URC.

The fact that no local franchise has won in Connacht is a concern and the Lions would be doing not only themselves a favour but also teams with top-eight aspirations if they can pull off mission impossible on Saturday night.

Without the likes of Henco van Wyk, recovering at home with a knee injury, Erich Cronje will partner captain Marius Louw in the midfield while on the bench there is a return for Stean Cronje.

Jaco Visagie, named on the bench, will celebrate his 50th cap for the franchise if he gets onto the field.

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The Lions, now in 11th spot, but just four points behind Connacht, desperately need to take points on this tour to continue their quest of making the top eight.

But as scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys admitted from Galway, conquering the conditions is just part of the equation.

“We’ve had decent preparations this week in cold, wet weather which is great because we are expecting similar conditions come Saturday. It’s nothing new to us as we are familiar with the environment over here from previous visits.”

“The vibe inside camp is great. We tend to travel well, and the guys enjoy one another’s company. It’s also a nice opportunity to bond as a squad. Coming off a win against the Sharks two weeks ago also bodes well for team spirit,” he explained.

Redelinghuys said they were aware of the record and wanted to set things straight.

“They are a very tough side to play over here. They are a dangerous team when given front-foot momentum, coupled with the fast tempo at which they play the game.

“We have an opportunity however to challenge their set piece which is going to require our forwards to roll up their sleeves in very tough, hostile conditions over here in Galway. Our guys are up for it though- we enjoy it when it’s tough because that’s when we as a group play for one another,” he added.

Kick-off is at 7:15pm (SA time)

Emirates Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje, Marius Louw (captain), Edwill van der Merwe; Jordan Hendrikse, Sanele Nohamba; Francke Horn, Emmanuel Tshituka, JC Pretorius, Reinhardt Nothnagel, Etienne Oosthuizen, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, PJ Botha, JP Smith.

Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Morgan Naude, Conraad van Vuuren, Darrien Landsberg, Izan Esterhuizen, Hanru Sirgel, Morne van den Berg, Steam Pienaar.