Boks duo miss Lions clash

Springboks Jannes Labuschagne and Heinke van der Merwe have both been ruled out of the Golden Lions side for Wednesday night’s clash against the British and Irish Lions.

Lock Labuschagne and prop van der Merwe are injured and will miss the clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

Golden Lions coach Hans Coetzee though, can still call on South African international fly-half Andre Pretorius and his fellow Springbok, prop Lawrence Sephaka, as key components of the team.

The replacements’ bench, meanwhile, includes two forwards bound for Guinness Premiership club Saracens next season – hooker Ethienne Reynecke and flanker Ernst Joubert.

Golden Lions: L Ludik; M Killian, J Boshoff, D la Grange, D Noble; A Pretorius, J Vermaak; L Sephaka, W Wepener, G Muller, B Mockford, W Stoltz, C Grobbelaar, F van der Merwe, W Alberts.

Replacements: E Reynecke, J Van Rensburg, E Joubert, T Clever, C Jonck, W Venter, E Rose.