Lions hand Junior Bok Adams debut as Van Rooyen warns of Leinster's structural 'superpower'

The Lions will open their United Rugby Championship campaign against defending champions Leinster at Ellis Park on Saturday, with Junior Springbok scrum-half Ethan Adams poised to make his senior debut off the bench in Johannesburg.

Adams is among the replacements named by head coach Ivan van Rooyen, alongside fellow youngster Zian Cilliers, as the Lions look to make an early statement against Leo Cullen’s side. The fixture carries extra weight after the Lions suffered a heavy quarter-final defeat at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin last May — a result Van Rooyen says has left “scar tissue” in the squad.

“Well, you would have had to play them somewhere,” Van Rooyen said of the opening-round draw. “Game one at home will be a challenge for us. I don’t think it’s too soon. The best way to get back onto the horse is to jump back onto it.”

The Lions have bolstered their squad considerably during the off-season. Newly-signed Springbok prop Boan Venter, returning from Edinburgh, starts in the front row, while Boeta Chamberlain and Hyron Andrews are also included in the matchday 23 as the SA Shield holders seek to signal their URC ambitions from the outset.

Despite the reinforcements, Van Rooyen identified Leinster’s ability to disrupt opponents’ structure as the primary threat his side must neutralise.

“Leinster are quite good at getting the opposition to play out of their system,” he said. “Their superpower is to get you out of your structure, so it will be important for us to get back into momentum and re-apply the pressure. Their defensive system is really good, so if you are 50/50 on attack they get the upper hand — there’s a big challenge for us ahead.”

The Lions’ starting XV is captained by Francke Horne, with Chris Smith at fly-half and Nico Steyn starting at scrum-half. Adams, should he be called upon, will become one of the most high-profile young players to make a senior Lions appearance in recent seasons.

Lions matchday 23: Boeta Chamberlain; Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje; Chris Smith, Nico Steyn; Boan Venter, PJ Botha, Sebastian de Klerk, Etienne Oosthuizen, Ruan Delport, Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horne (capt). Replacements: Morne Brandon, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Hyron Andrews, Siba Qoma, JC Pretorius, Zian Cilliers, Ethan Adams.