THE Lions yesterday showed their cards and reinforced their decision to concentrate on the United Rugby Championship (URC) when they revealed wholesale changes to their match-day 23 to face Benetton this weekend.
Head coach Ivan van Rooyen has made 11 changes to the run-on side that lost to the Ospreys last weekend, for their EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 clash in Treviso against the Italian outfit, sparing no department as he tests new combinations and the depth of his squad.
Only prop Conrad van Vuuren, flanks JC Pretorius and Emmanuel Tshituka, and flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse retain their positions in the starting side for today’s clash (kick-off 6.30pm) from the team that endured a frustrating 36-21 loss in Swansea previously.
Richard Kriel also started in that defeat but will move from the wing to outside centre against Benetton, pairing with Zander du Plessis in the midfield.
Incumbent captain Marius Louw will be rested, with hooker Jaco Visagie taking over those duties, while also packing down with Morgan Naude and Conrad van Vuuren on either side of him at the set-piece.
Van Rooyen and Co were always going to have to gamble with their Challenge Cup picks, especially due to the fact that they have massive fixtures ahead against Leinster, Munster, Cardiff, Glasgow and the Stormers in the URC that will be impacted by logistical considerations.
A top eight finish is the priority in that competition, and due to the fact that they find themselves 11th on 34 points, it is clear that the men from Doornfontein will approach the cup competition with a much more conservative approach this weekend in game-plan and tactics.
Benetton are enjoying a decent season so far.
They are in the top half of the URC in sixth, with three points more than the visitors after having won eight of their 13 matches. During the group phase of the Challenge Cup they only lost to the Ospreys on Matchday 1, beating Perpignan, Newcastle and Montpellier comfortably after that.
Their recent form, however, has been middle of the road with two victories and two defeats in the URC, their most recent outing a narrow 18-14 triumph over Connacht at today’s venue, Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
Head coach Marco Bortolami has opted for consistency in his selections for the clash, liberated in his choices by homeground advantage, making only four changes to his starting XV, and opting for a 6-2 split on his bench.
This approach was not wholly unexpected from either side. Earlier this week, Lions assistant coach Julian Redelinghuys opined that the match would most likely be dominated by the forwards and they, too, have opted for a similar division among their replacements.
“The last time we played here,” the former Springbok prop said, “they ended up with a 15-10 win, so it wasn’t a high scoring game.
“They are a good defensive team and a good set-piece team. Their head coach is also their forwards coach, so they really pride themselves on their set-piece, especially their line-out.
“They also have great variation on attack, so there is plenty for us to watch out for. We are taking them very seriously.
“They are a team who have a lot of Italian internationals that have come off a really successful Six Nations. I think they will be full of confidence coming into this game, especially after their last-minute win over Connacht over the past weekend.”
Despite the numerous changes Van Rooyen has made, his side has a similar look and feel to the one that surprised all and sundry in December by beating Perpignan 35-15, and to the one that contributed a gutsy performance in a 13-3 loss to Montpellier – both cup matches in France – a month later.
It will, nevertheless, remain a difficult assignment for a fringe Lions outfit. Previous encounters against the Italian franchise have been close affairs, the average score 28-22 in favour of the Joburgers.
Should the Lions manage a victory, they will remain in Europe for another week, facing either Pau or Connacht in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. With those crucial URC games before then, however, it would not be surprising if they opt to play this very same side in that game, too – should they dare to beat their hosts this weekend.
Squads
Benetton starting XV: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Nacho Brex, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Sebastian Negri da Ollegio, 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Eli Snyman (capt), 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosue Zilocchi, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Henry Stowers, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Andy Uren, 23 Tomas Albornoz
Lions starting XV: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Richard Kriel, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Hanru Sirgel, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie (capt), 1 Morgan Naude
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Izan Esterhuizen, 21 Francke Horn, 22 Nico Steyn, 23 Erich Cronje