Dayimani will pack down at No. 8 against the defending champions in a team reshaped from the one that again lost to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Coach Swys de Bruin‚ who this season has enthusiastically espoused the virtues of a rotation policy‚ opted to leave the likes of Dayimani out of his squad for last week’s trip to South America. The dynamic backrower however finds himself in the starting lineup for only his fourth Super Rugby cap against the eight-time champions.
Dayimani‚ who seamlessly transitions into the backs‚ will provide De Bruin options as the coach has only included two backliners on the bench.
In the absence of Ross Cronje‚ scrumhalf Dillon Smit will be in the starting line-up for the first time in Super Rugby‚ Harold Vorster returns to the midfield and Madosh Tambwe starts on the left wing in the place of the injured Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Matt Todd‚ meanwhile‚ has been restored to the side of the scrum for the Crusaders after he missed last week’s victory over the Bulls with a rib injury.
Todd adds great value to the Crusaders on the deck‚ while his link play is mostly out of the top drawer.
At scrumhalf Bryn Hall rotates with Mitch Drummond‚ who drops to the bench‚ while Seta Tamanivalu‚ an early try-scorer in last year’s final at the same venue‚ is back in the starting lineup at the expense of Manasa Mataele.
Flyhalf Mike Delaney comes onto the bench after recovering from a knee injury.
The Lions are in desperate need of a win after three underwhelming performances against the Blues‚ the Sunwolves and the Jaguares. Their solitary win in that period came against the Sunwolves but even then they failed to earn a bonus point.
Both teams have lost two games this season but the Crusaders have a game in hand over the side they vanquished in last year’s final.
Teams
Lions - Andries Coetzee; Sylvian Mahuza‚ Lionel Mapoe‚ Harold Vorster‚ Madosh Tambwe; Elton Jantjies‚ Dillon Smit; Hacjivah Dayimani‚ Cyle Brink‚ Kwagga Smith; Franco Mostert (captain)‚ Andries Ferreira; Ruan Dreyer‚ Malcolm Marx‚ Dylan Smith. Substitutes: Corne Fourie‚ Jacques van Rooyen‚ Jacobie Adriaanse‚ Lourens Erasmus‚ Marvin Orie‚ Marnus Schoeman; Howard Mnisi‚ Shaun Reynolds.
Crusaders – David Havili; Seta Tamanivalu‚ Jack Goodhue‚ Ryan Crotty‚ George Bridge; Mitchell Hunt‚ Bryn Hall; Jordan Tafua‚ Matt Todd‚ Heiden Bedwell-Curtis; Sam Whitelock‚ Scott Barrett‚ Michael Alaalatoa‚ Codie Taylor‚ Tim Perry. Substitutes: Ben Funnell‚ Wyan Crockett‚ Oliver Jager‚ Quinton Strange‚ Tom Sanders; Mitchell Drummond‚ Mike Delaney‚ Manasa Mataela.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Kick-off: 14.30
Hacjivah Dayimani thrown into the Lions' den
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Dayimani will pack down at No. 8 against the defending champions in a team reshaped from the one that again lost to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Coach Swys de Bruin‚ who this season has enthusiastically espoused the virtues of a rotation policy‚ opted to leave the likes of Dayimani out of his squad for last week’s trip to South America. The dynamic backrower however finds himself in the starting lineup for only his fourth Super Rugby cap against the eight-time champions.
Dayimani‚ who seamlessly transitions into the backs‚ will provide De Bruin options as the coach has only included two backliners on the bench.
In the absence of Ross Cronje‚ scrumhalf Dillon Smit will be in the starting line-up for the first time in Super Rugby‚ Harold Vorster returns to the midfield and Madosh Tambwe starts on the left wing in the place of the injured Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Matt Todd‚ meanwhile‚ has been restored to the side of the scrum for the Crusaders after he missed last week’s victory over the Bulls with a rib injury.
Todd adds great value to the Crusaders on the deck‚ while his link play is mostly out of the top drawer.
At scrumhalf Bryn Hall rotates with Mitch Drummond‚ who drops to the bench‚ while Seta Tamanivalu‚ an early try-scorer in last year’s final at the same venue‚ is back in the starting lineup at the expense of Manasa Mataele.
Flyhalf Mike Delaney comes onto the bench after recovering from a knee injury.
The Lions are in desperate need of a win after three underwhelming performances against the Blues‚ the Sunwolves and the Jaguares. Their solitary win in that period came against the Sunwolves but even then they failed to earn a bonus point.
Both teams have lost two games this season but the Crusaders have a game in hand over the side they vanquished in last year’s final.
Teams
Lions - Andries Coetzee; Sylvian Mahuza‚ Lionel Mapoe‚ Harold Vorster‚ Madosh Tambwe; Elton Jantjies‚ Dillon Smit; Hacjivah Dayimani‚ Cyle Brink‚ Kwagga Smith; Franco Mostert (captain)‚ Andries Ferreira; Ruan Dreyer‚ Malcolm Marx‚ Dylan Smith. Substitutes: Corne Fourie‚ Jacques van Rooyen‚ Jacobie Adriaanse‚ Lourens Erasmus‚ Marvin Orie‚ Marnus Schoeman; Howard Mnisi‚ Shaun Reynolds.
Crusaders – David Havili; Seta Tamanivalu‚ Jack Goodhue‚ Ryan Crotty‚ George Bridge; Mitchell Hunt‚ Bryn Hall; Jordan Tafua‚ Matt Todd‚ Heiden Bedwell-Curtis; Sam Whitelock‚ Scott Barrett‚ Michael Alaalatoa‚ Codie Taylor‚ Tim Perry. Substitutes: Ben Funnell‚ Wyan Crockett‚ Oliver Jager‚ Quinton Strange‚ Tom Sanders; Mitchell Drummond‚ Mike Delaney‚ Manasa Mataela.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Kick-off: 14.30
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos