Golden Lions mix youth and experience

February 24 – The Golden Lions have selected a mixture of youth and experience in their Vodacom Cup side to play DHL Western Province at Newlands on Saturday. The match will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Super Rugby clash between the Stormers and the Lions. The Golden Lions team is an early manifestation of the depth the union is striving for and includes a number of players that were regulars in a reasonably successful Currie Cup campaign last year and who also have some with Super Rugby experience. Andre Pretorius at flyhalf and Tonderai Chavhanga are the two Springboks in the side that also sees the Vodacom Cup winning captain in 2009 and former Springbok Sevens captain, Jonathan Mokuena start on the bench. Former Sharks flank Michael Rhodes will play his first match for the Lions at lock where he partners David Bulbring. The team is: Marius Delport, Tonderai Chavhanga, Jannie Boshoff, Alwyn Hollenbach, Dusty Noble, Andre Pretorius, Michael Bondesio, Dries van Schalkwyk, Robert Kruger, Renaldo Bothma, David Bulbring, Michael Rhodes, Jacobie Adriaanse, Edgar Marutlulle, Wayne Swart. Replacements: Ashley Kohler, Ross Geldenhuys, Johan Snyman, Jonathan Mokuena, JP Joubert, Hein Cronje, Hoffman Maritz.