Cronje gets a start in 50th Lions match
Faithful Lions servant Ross Cronje has been rewarded for his 50th appearance in a Lions jersey with a starting berth at scrumhalf for Saturday's Super Rugby clash against the Waratahs at Ellis Park.
Cronje, 27, who grew up in the Sharks structures, joined the Lions in 2009 after 14 appearances for the Sharks Currie Cup side and just a single appearance in Super Rugby for the Durban franchise.
He has had to play second fiddle to Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk for the past two seasons, but still features regularly in the Jo'burg franchise's Super Rugby set-up.
The Lions host the Waratahs at Ellis Park in a Super Rugby clash this weekend and the run-on side shows three changes.
Harold Vorster, Cronje and Robbie Coetzee are in the starting line-up. Vorster replaces injured midfielder Howard Mnisi, who has been ruled out for the entire season with a serious knee injury, while Coetzee is rotated with Malcolm Marx.
Mnisi is expected to be operated on next week.
Dylan Smith has recovered from his shoulder injury and joins the substitutes bench, as does Sylvian Mahuza.
In an unrelated move, Stokkies Hanekom has been loaned to the Southern Kings for the rest of the Super Rugby season while Koch Marx joined Griquas, also on loan.
Lions assistant coach Swys de Bruin concedes that they may have been a touch 'underdone' in their narrow 28-25 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week and it is simply a case of gelling as a unit again.
(Video by Brenden Nel)
Lions team: 1. Jacques V Rooyen, 2. Robbie Coetzee, 3. Ruan Dreyer, 4. Andries Ferreira, 5. Franco Mostert, 6. Jaco Kriel, 7. Ruan Ackermann, 8. Warren Whiteley (c), 9. Ross Cronje, 10. Elton Jantjies, 11. Courtnall Skosan, 12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 13. Harold Vorster, 14. Lionel Mapoe, 15. Andries Coetzee.
Reserves: 16. Malcolm Marx, 17. Dylan Smith, 18. Johannes Jonker, 19. Lourens Erasmus, 20. Kwagga Smith, 21. Faf de Klerk, 22. Sylvian Mahuza, 23. Jaco vd Walt.