The FIRST of two Promotion / Relegation matches, to decide wo of the MTN Lions or the Southern Kings will take part in Super Rugby 2014 will be played on Friday 26 July 2013 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth.

This follows after the Southern Kings ended last in the South African Super Rugby Conference, in fact ended stone last in the whole of 2013’s Super Rugby competition. SARU’s determination was that the team who ended last in the South African Conference will play a series of two Promotion / Relegation matches against the MTN Lions, who had to make way at the end of 2012 in favour of the Southern Kings, in rather unfortunate and bumbling circumstances engineered by SARU.

The Teams are as follows:

MTN Lions:

MTN Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to face the Southern Kings, in the first leg of the Super Rugby Promotion / Relegation series, this Friday evening in Port Elizabeth. The match gets under way at 19:10.

Ackermann has opted to include all three of the players that recently returned from their loan stints at other Super Rugby franchises. Elton Jantjies, Franco van der Merwe and Martin Bezuidenhout will all start for the MTN Lions.

On the injury front, the MTN Lions welcome back Hendrik Roodt, who has recovered from German measles. Michael Bondesio has also recovered from his calf, while Warren Whiteley also returns.

MTN Lions: 15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Dylan des Fountain, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Captain)

Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Willie Britz , 19 Warwick Tecklenburg, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Chrysander Botha.

Southern Kings:

As anticipated lock Darron Nell has been named as captain of the Southern Kings for Friday night’s Vodacom Super Rugby promotion-relegation match against the MTN Lions at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Nell takes over the captaincy reins from centre Andries Strauss, who was not considered after breaking his hand in training last Friday. Nell has led the Kings before so not too much adaptation will be required from the Eastern Cape team, who are fighting for their survival in Super Rugby after finishing last of the South African franchises in this year’s competition.

However some adaptation will be necessary in the midfield, where Shane Gates couldn’t ask for a bigger baptism at this level. Gates will start for the first time as Strauss’ replacement, and will partner Ronnie Cooke, who has been named vice-captain for this game.

In further changes to the side that struggled in Durban in the last match of the league phase of Super Rugby, SP Marais returns at fullback, while Demetri Catrakilis is back to orchestrate matters from flyhalf. Hadleigh Parkes, used as a centre earlier in the season, comes in on the right wing, with Marcello Sampson playing on the left.

While there is plenty of change at the back, the good news for the Kings is that they will have a relatively settled forward unit fronting their challenge on Friday, although the naming of Steven Sykes, the experienced former Sharks player, on the bench might be regarded as a minor surprise.

Southern Kings team: 15 SP Marais, 14 Marcello Sampson, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Shane Gates, 11 Hadleigh Parkes, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Wimpie van der Walt, 6 Cornell du Preez, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Darron Nell (Captain), 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira

Replacements: 16 Charl du Plessis, 17 Hannes Franklin, 18 Steven Sykes, 19 Devin Oosthuizen, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Waylon Murray.