Kriel back for Lions

The Emirates Lions have returned winger Richard Kriel to their starting line-up as one of two changes made from their big victory over the Dragons in the EPCR Challenge Cup for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby in Johannesburg against the Vodacom Bulls.

Kriel was off with an injury but now will face his brother David, who has been included in the midfield for the Bulls. Kriel replaces Tapiwa Mafura on the wing while the other change sees Ruan Delport come in for the injured Darrien Landsberg.

This also prompts a change on the bench which sees WJ Steenkamp come in to face his former team as well.

While the game is massive, defensive coach Jaque Fourie believes the side needs to see the game in context and not make it more personal than it should be.

“We still want to focus on what we want to do, and it is important that we don’t make it bigger than it is. It is already a massive occasion, the Bulls against the Lions is always a big occasion. So we don’t want to blow it up too much.

“We know what to expect from them and what they will bring. They bring physicality with their pack of forwards and when they get go-forward and get in behind you it becomes a tough day. So we know what we have to do to counter that,” he concluded.

EMIRATES LIONS: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe; Sam Francis, Morne van den Berg; Francke Horn (captain), Ruan Venter, JC Pretorius, Ruan Delport, Etienne Oosthuizen, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, PJ Botha, Juan Schoeman.

REPLACEMENTS: Jaco Visagie, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Raynard Roets, WJ Steenkamp, Nico Steyn, Gianni Lombard, Manny Rass.