Hattingh, Kevani start for Lions against Kavaliers

Wits Rugby Stadium plays host to Round 5 of the Carling Currie Cup when the Fidelity ADT Lions welcome the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers from Wellington on Friday (3pm). Head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi’s side will be eager to maintain the winning record at home in the competition thus far, with hopes to remedy last week’s 31-19 stumble against reigning champions the Suzuki Griquas in Kimberely last week.

With the business end of the competition well under way and play-off spots up for grabs, victory for the home side at Wits on Friday would move them closer to a semi-final spot with two matches remaining of the regular season (Hollywoodbets Sharks XV and DHL Stormers XXIII).

Looking ahead to Round 5, Nkosi has handed Junior Springbok lock JD Hattingh and exciting centre Exauce Kevani their first starts of the season, so too scrumhalf Layton Horn. Also in the starting XV is Siba Qoma who joins last week’s try-scorer Thando Biyela and captain Jarod Cairns as the back row combination.

Rabz Maxwane returns to the left wing after missing out last week.

Nkosi said: “We’ve made a few changes; some of them tactical and obviously a few guys coming back from injury. We particularly look forward to guys like Siba Qoma and Juan Schoeman returning. Their impact and experience will certainly be welcome.

“We were quite disappointed with last week’s result, so we really want to make amends this week against Boland on Friday. We are fully aware of the toughness and the challenge they present.

“Important for us was to get the balance and continuity in selection right considering it being a short competition- so bringing in fresh bodies coupled with the experience will hopefully get us a really good response from the team from a performance and result point of view.”

Fidelity ADT Lions starting XV: 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Keagan Smith, 13 Exauce Kevani, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Rabz Maxwane; 10 Sam Francis, 9 Layton Horn; 8 Jarod Cairns (capt), 7 Siba Qoma, 6 Thando Biyela; 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Dylan Sjoblom; 3 Ruan Swart, 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Cecil Parsons. Replacements: 16 Armand Combrinck, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Conrad van Vuuren, 19 Marco Ferreira, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Asad Moos, 22 Likhona Finca, 23 Luke Cannon.

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers starting XV: 15 Jayden Bantom, 14 Cornell Engelbrecht, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Xavier Mitchell; 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Louis Schreuder; 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Khwezi Mafu, 6 Gift Dlamini; 5 Marlyn Williams (capt), 4 Johnré Stopforth; 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Joshua Eras, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede. Replacements: 16 Darnell Osuagwu, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Heiko Pohlmann, 19 Jeandré Leonard, 20 Sibusiso Sangweni, 21 Thurlow Marsh, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 James Tedder.