Lake leads Ospreys as Morgan sits out Lions finale
United Rugby Championship: Lions v OspreysVenue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg Date: Saturday, 17 May Kick off: 16:15 BSTCoverage: Watch live S4C coverage via iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app. Highlights on the BBC Sport website and app.
Ospreys make seven personnel changes as they round off their United Rugby Championship (URC) season at Lions on Saturday.Hooker Dewi Lake will lead the side with British and Irish Lions-bound Jac Morgan left out of a contest between two sides already eliminated from the play-off race.Flanker Harri Deaves replaces Morgan in the back-row alongside incoming blind-side Will Griffiths. James Ratti switches to lock where James Fender also replaces Montpellier-bound Adam Beard.Prop Steffan Thomas replaces Gareth Thomas at loose-head.Behind the scrum Reuben Morgan-Williams takes over the nine jersey from Kieran Hardy, while Luke Morgan and Ryan Conbeer come onto the wings in place of Daniel Kasende and Keelan Giles.Twenty-year-old prop Kian Hire could make his debut off the bench.Lions make three changes to the starting XV beaten by Scarlets last weekend.Centre Henco van Wyk returns after injury, while Lubabalo Dobela comes in at fly-half and Juan Schoeman at prop.
Both sides have suffered a disappointing drop in form during the latter part of the season.Lions have won just one of their past six league games and are 13th in the table, while Ospreys are 11th having won only one of their previous four.The Welsh side's only victory in their past seven URC visits to South Africa was against Stormers in April 2024, but they have won their previous three meetings with the Lions in all competitions - including a 30-14 victory in a Challenge Cup match switched to Parc y Scarlets earlier this season.
Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Edwill van der Merwe; Lubabalo Dobela, Nico Steyn; Juan Schoeman, Jaco Visagie (capt), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter, Ruan Delport, JC Pretorius, Renzo du Plessis, Jarod Cairns.Replacements: Morne Brandon, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Izan Esterhuizen, WJ Steenkamp, Layton Horn, Marius Louw, Kelly Mpeku.Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Luke Morgan, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Steffan Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Tom Botha, James Ratti, James Fender, Will Griffiths, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morse.Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Kian Hire, Lewis Jones, Lewis Lloyd, Kieran Hardy, Owen Williams, Iestyn Hopkins.Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)Assistant referees: Christopher Allison & Dylen November (SARU)TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
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Scotsman
2 hours ago
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The Sun
2 hours ago
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Imane Khelif breaks silence after leaked medical report ‘proves Olympic gender-row boxer is a biological male'
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But World Boxing has ruled that Khelif is ineligible to enter future events as a woman without first submitting to the same chromosome testing that has already triggered the boxer's disqualification at global level. The governing body - provisionally approved to run Olympic boxing in LA - announced that all athletes in its competitions over 18 years old must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex. The test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood. Khelif has failed to provide any evidence of having female chromosomes in the nine months since the gender scandal erupted. In February, Khelif spoke out in her defence and wrote: 'For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorised, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option. 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Reuters
4 hours ago
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World Boxing apologises after naming Khelif in mandatory sex testing announcement
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