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Lions bring back Springboks forward duo ahead of Ospreys match at Ellis Park
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Lions bring back Springboks forward duo ahead of Ospreys match at Ellis Park

The Lions team is bringing two Springboks players, Morne van den Bergh and Juan Horne, back into the squad for the second round of the United Rugby Championship against Ospreys, which will take place at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Both players participated in last week's Mandela Challenge Plate match against Australia in Perth and are included in the Lions' bench. Coach Ivan van Riezen made several changes to his starting lineup of 23 players after the team's triumph over defending champions Leinster with a score of 27:26 at Ellis Park last week.

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

There was a reshuffle in the second row trio: Ciba Coma replaced Batho Hlekani, and Jacy Pretorius took the position at number 6. Ciba Mashashe moved to the bench. Henko van Wyk is unavailable due to a head injury sustained early in the victory over Leinster, so Ethan Adams replaced him in the starting fifteen.

Lions defensive coordinator, Jake Fury, believes the team still has much to improve despite the impressive first-round win. The former Springbok lock stated: 'We still had a lot of work to do after last Saturday's match against Leinster. We needed to reset because we know Ospreys will present a different challenge, but we had a good preparation week, and we are happy with what lies ahead.'

Ospreys coach Mark Jones expects the Welsh side to demonstrate physical power again, as they heavily pressured the Sharks in their debut match. Fury noted: 'Ospreys are a tough team, whether you play them at home or away. They have a large group of forwards; they work well in mauls and scrums. Against the Sharks, we saw how this aspect of their game improved. They never give up; they play 80 minutes, so we need to be clinical and put pressure on them with both the ball and without it.'

The match start time at Ellis Park is scheduled for 13:45. The Lions' declared players are: Boeta Chamberlain (15), Kelly Mpeku (14), Ethan Adams (13), Richard Kriel (12), Erich Kroonje (11), Chris Smith (10), Nico Stein (9), Boan Winter (1), P.J. Botha (2), Sebastian Lombard (3), Etienne Oosthuizen (4), Ruan Delport (5), Jacy Pretorius (6), Ciba Coma (7), Franke Horn (8, captain). Reserves: Morne Brandon (16), S.J. Kotze (17), R.F. Schuman (18), Hyron Andrews (19), Dylan Schoblom (20), Ciba Mashashe (21), Morne van den Bergh (22), Juan Horne (23).

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Lions officially confirm the move of rising star Hashim Pead to the Stormers squad
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iol.co.za

Lions officially confirm the move of rising star Hashim Pead to the Stormers squad

The Lions team has officially announced the departure of promising scrum-half Hashim Pead ahead of the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season. He will move from the Johannesburg franchise to the Stormers in Cape Town.

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

Pead, 21, began his professional career with the Lions in 2024 and quickly made significant progress. He has decided to continue his journey in the Western Cape, where he previously studied at Bishops and played school rugby.

Pead has established himself as one of the outstanding young talents at Ellis Park. He debuted in the starting lineup of the national Currie Cup against the Bulls, and later made his international debut in the Challenge Cup against the Newcastle Red Bulls.

In 2025, his achievements were recognized with the Lions 'Young Player of the Year' award, acknowledging his impressive play and development within the franchise. During that period, he was also part of the victorious Junior Springboks, who won the World Rugby U20 World Cup last year.

Pead's form attracted national attention, leading to an invitation to the Springbok national team training camp under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus for the 2025/26 season. Furthermore, he participated in the South Africa A match against Zimbabwe earlier this year.

The transfer to the Stormers marks another important stage in the career of the talented number 9. He will now return to Cape Town to continue developing with the team that became the first URC winner. This transfer nearly fell through last week because the Lions demanded a large severance fee, even though Pead had two years left on his contract.

Lions Rugby Company CEO Rudolf Strähli thanked Pead for his contribution to the franchise and wished him success in the next chapter of his career. He noted: 'Hashim has been a dedicated and exceptional talent since the start of his professional career with us in 2024. Although we are sad to see him leave Johannesburg, we respect his decision to take on a new challenge at the Stormers.'

He added: 'We thank him for his service to the Lions and wish him success in the next chapter of his career.'

Pead's departure leaves the Lions without one of their promising young scrum-halves. However, the franchise can choose from players such as Springbok Morné van den Berg, Nico Steyn, Asad Moos, and Layton Horn. Pead's arrival, nevertheless, will add depth to the Stormers' scrum-half reserves, where he will develop alongside players like Bok star Cobus Reinach, Stefan Ungerer, Imad Khan, and Ezekiel Ngobeni.

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