Van den Berg will bring up his ton against Edinburgh

The Fidelity SecureDrive Lions will host Scottish side Edinburgh in Round 13 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Ellis Park on Saturday (2.45pm).

This weekend marks a major milestone for the franchise as Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg prepares to run out for his 100th international appearance for the Johannesburg team. Affectionately known as “Krappie”, the nuggety half back made his debut in 2019 and has since developed into one of the Lions’ most influential players, earning national honours along the way.

The Lions also welcome back fellow Springboks Ruan Venter and Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who return to the match day squad after missing the clash against the DHL Stormers - Venter due to concussion protocols and Ntlabakanye following a family bereavement.

Amongst the backs, a positional switch from centre to left wing for Erich Cronje replacing the injured Kelly Mpeku. Speedster Angelo Davids occupies the opposite wing after an impressive showing against the Stormers nearly three weeks ago.

Fresh from securing the SA Shield, head coach Ivan van Rooyen believes plenty still needs to be done towards the bigger goal which is a play-off spot for his side. The Lions mentor, looking ahead to Saturday, believes the battle upfront will be a telling one, setting the tone for this encounter, also bearing in mind that future Lion Boan Venter will be eager to give his future employers a taste of what’s to come.

“We are really proud of winning the SA Shield. But our work’s not done yet. In the last few seasons, we were dependent on other results going our way to qualify.

“We definitely feel we need to be more consistent in the scrums,” Van Rooyen said. “Boan has done really well over the past year, for Edinburgh and the Boks. I think he will want to prove a point on Saturday before he joins us next season,” he concluded.

On the bench, Van Rooyen has opted for power and late-game intensity, calling on Batho Hlekani, Renzo du Plessis and Haashim Pead, among others, to make an impact in the second half.

This fixture marks the first of four consecutive home games for the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions as they push to secure a play-off position before travelling to Ireland for their remaining fixtures of the competition.

Fidelity SecureDrive Lions starting XV: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Erich Cronje; 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg; 8 Francke Horn (capt), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Siba Mahashe; 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen; 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Renzo du Plessis, 22 Haashim Pead, 23 Richard Kriel.

SATURDAY

Fidelity SecureDrive Lions v Edinburgh Rugby

Ellis Park, Johannesburg – KO 12.45pm IRE & UK/1.45pm ITA/2.45pm SA

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 47th league game)

AR 1: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU) AR 2: Stephen Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv