Edwill, Marius bid adieu in Lions final URC match against Ospreys
The Lions play their final URC match of the season against Ospreys at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Lions wing Edwill Van der Merwe will make his final appearance for the union in their URC clash against Ospreys on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Gallo Images
Lions stalwarts Edwill van der Merwe and Marius Louw will bid adieu to the union in their final United Rugby Championship (URC) match of the season against Ospreys at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 5:15pm).
It has been a bitterly disappointing campaign for the Lions, but they will be eager to send off two of their senior stars who have put a lot into the union over the past few years.
Van Der Merwe has been immense and become a cult favourite at the Lions since arriving from the Stormers in 2021, and departs for the Sharks at the end of this season.
Louw arrived from the Sharks in 2022 and quickly made himself an indispensable member of the team as he was handed the captaincy reins, and leaves for English Premiership side Sale Sharks.
Van Der Merwe has been named on his regular left wing for the Ospreys clash, while Louw will make his final appearance off the bench at some stage in the match.
In a boost to the Lions Henco van Wyk returns to the starting side after recovering from an injury niggle, while the only other changes to the starting XV that went down to Scarlets last weekend, see Lubabalo Dobela slot in at flyhalf and Juan Schoeman at prop.
Kade Wolhuter, Morgan Naude and Rynhardt Jonker all drop out of the match 23, while Morne Brandon, Izan Esterhuizen and WJ Steenkamp are the other new faces on the bench.
Dead rubber
It is a dead rubber game for both the Lions and Ospreys, with neither able to make the URC playoffs, but the hosts will be very motivated to bounce back from a terrible performance against Scarlets.
They will also want to give Van Der Merwe and Louw the perfect send off and finish their season on a high at the same time.
Ospreys have also been a bogey team for the Lions in recent times, winning the last three games between them, so the Johannesburg side will be eager to make things right on that front as well.
Lions powerhouse prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye highlighted the need to give their teammates a proper send off before they move onto their new clubs.
'This weekend is an opportunity for us to send off some guys on a positive note and play high-quality rugby,' said Ntlabakanye earlier in the week.
'For Edwill and Marius that are leaving, we must send them off well. They have been great servants to the Lions. We need to put a spectacle for them and end the season off on a high note.'
LIONS XV
Quan Horn, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Edwill van der Merwe, Lubabalo Dobela, Nico Steyn, Jarod Cairns, Renzo du Plessis, JC Pretorius, Ruan Delport, Ruan Venter, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Jaco Visagie (c), Juan Schoeman
Bench: Morne Brandon, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Izan Esterhuizen, WJ Steenkamp, Layton Horn, Marius Louw, Kelly Mpeku
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