Lions select fourth pivot
His shift from fullback to flyhalf is one of the changes to the side which suffered a 27-14 defeat to Western Province in Cape Town last weekend.
Coetzee replaces Stokkies Hanekom, who was a late stand-in after Jaco van der Walt did not recover in time from a knee injury he sustained against the Kings the previous week.
"We obviously chucked Stokkies into the deep water and if you analyse the game, and the type of game he had to play against an in-form Province side, he did really well," Lions coach Johan Ackermann said at the team announcement in Johannesburg on Thursday.
"It is disruptive when you have a specialist number-10 pulling out then you have to change your plans but, hopefully, we are better prepared this week."
Alwyn Hollenbach forms a new midfield combination with Hanekom, after fully recovered from injury.
The veteran replaces the promising Harold Vorster as Ackermann continues to expand his depth and give players an opportunity to find form.
"With Deon van Rensburg and Alwyn Hollenbach fully fit now, it was a question of when to phase them in," Ackermann said.
"Alwyn will guide Boeboes Coetzee nicely if we lose structure and, going into round four, we need to give Alwyn game time if he is going to be part of the rest of our season."
The Johannesburg-based side also welcomes back inspirational captain Warren Whiteley, who returns to Currie Cup action after he travelling to Argentina with the Springbok squad, replacing Willie Britz.
He will form a new loose trio with Jaco Kriel, who earns a starting berth ahead of Derick Minnie.
In the other change to the pack, Armand van der Merwe will start at hooker on a rotational shift with Robbie Coetzee.
Ruan Combrinck will be covering the last line of defence, moving from the wing, while Courtnall Skosan will occupy that position.
Prior to their defeat in Cape Town last weekend, the Lions had scored two convincing victories which included a 60-19 demolition of the Kings in Johannesburg.
Ackermann said the Lions were not accurate enough against Western Province, while lapses in defence kept his side out of the match.
"It is something to rectify ... in hindsight, I probably should have let the guys go for poles at 20-14 with nine minutes to go, instead of going for the corner to make it 20-17 to keep us in the game," he said.
"If we scored there, we probably would have said it was the right call, so it was perhaps a bit of decision-making from my side and one or two errors on the day)."
Golden Lions team: Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Stokkies Hanekom, Alwyn Hollenbach, Courtnall Skosan, Andries Coetzee, Ross Cronje, Warren Whiteley (captain), Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, MB Lusaseni, Ruan Dreyer, Armand van der Merwe, Schalk van der Merwe.
Replacements: Robbie Coetzee, Jacques van Rooyen, Willie Britz, Derick Minnie, Kwagga Smith, Ricky Schroeder, Howard Mnisi.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
