Lions forced to tweak team for Currie Cup Final

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Golden Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen has named his team to face the Free State Cheetahs in this year's Currie Cup Final in Bloemfontein.

There is one change to the starting XV from the one that beat Griquas in the semis.

Prop Sithembiso Sithole has been ruled out of Saturday's match due to a torn calf muscle he sustained during training on Thursday.

Sithole's absence means Dylan Smith moves into the starting XV and Nathan McBeth comes onto the bench.

READ: Currie Cup Final results 1939-2019

The Lions are coming off a 34-19 win over Griquas, while the Free State Cheetahs beat the Sharks 51-30 in the other semifinal.

Golden Lions: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Duncan Matthews, 11 Stean Pienaar, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Ross Cronje (captain), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Dylan Smith.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Len Massyn, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jan-Louis la Grange, 23 Jamba Ulengo.

Date: Saturday, September 7

Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen

Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs, Egon Seconds

TMO: Shaun Veldsman