Eloff rings the changes

Lions coach Eugene Eloff has responded to his side's poor form by making six changes for Saturday's match against the Crusaders.

Lions coach makes six changes to face Crusaders

Lions coach Eugene Eloff has responded to his side's poor form by making six changes for Saturday's Super 14 match against the unbeaten Crusaders. Although lack of form undoubtedly influenced Eloff's selection, he also seems to have made the decision to rest some of his hardest triers in Jano Vermaak, Willie Wepener and Walter Venter for a match the Lions are unlikely to win. At the back, two new centres in Doppies la Grange and Jannie Boshoff will take the field in place of Venter and Jaco Pretorius, and scrum-half Chris Jonck gets his first start in the place of Vermaak, who is on the bench. Both Venter and Pretorius are not in the matchday 22. Joe van Niekerk retruns after a bout of 'flu and starts on the flank, with Franco van der Merwe returning to the bench. Gerhard Mostert gets a new partner at lock. Dewald Senekal starts for the first time while Anton van Zyl sits on the bench. At hooker one of the hardest-working players in the squad, Wepener, gets a break with Ethienne Reynecke in the run-on side. Lions: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Jannie Boshoff, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Joe van Niekerk, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Anton van Zyl, 19 Franco van der Merwe, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Rudi Vogt, 22 Justin St. Jerry.