Johannesburg – The Lions named a versatile 27-man squad for the team's tour of Australasia.
Ruan Dreyer, Corne Fourie, Julian Redelinghuys, Schalk van der Merwe and Jacques van Rooyen were named as props while Robbie Coetzee and new recruit Armand van der Merwe will cover the hooker berth.
MB Lusaseni, Rudi Mathee, Franco Mostert and Martin Muller have been drafted in as locks.
Among the loose forwards Willie Britz, Jaco Kriel, Derick Minnie and Warwick Tecklenburg have earned selection, while Warren Whiteley will continue to captain the side on tour.
Meanwhile, in the backline, scrumhalves Ross Cronje and Faf de Klerk have cracked the nod for the touring squad.
Utility backs included in the group are Marnitz Boshoff (flyhalf/fullback), Chrysander Botha (fullback/wing), JW Jonker (centre/wing), Lionel Mapoe (centre/wing), Courtnall Skosan (wing/centre) and Deon van Rensburg (wing/centre).
Specialist flyhalf Elton Jantjies has earned selection while winger Anthony Volmink has also booked his space in the squad. Stefan Watermeyer will cover the midfield as a specialist centre.
The Lions get their tour underway Saturday when they front the Chiefs in Hamilton.
They will then head south to take on the Highlanders in Dunedin before crossing over to Australia to play the Waratahs in Sydney and the Western Force in Perth.
The squad departs Johannesburg for New Zealand on Friday evening.
Lions squad: Marnitz Boshoff, Chrysander Botha, Willie Britz, Robbie Coetzee, Ross Cronje, Faf de Klerk, Ruan Dreyer, Corne Fourie, Elton Jantjies, JW Jonker, Jaco Kriel, MB Lusaseni, Lionel Mapoe, Rudi Mathee, Derick Minnie, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, Julian Redelinghuys, Courtnall Skosan, Warwick Tecklenburg, Armand van der Merwe, Schalk van der Merwe, Deon van Rensburg, Jacques van Rooyen, Anthony Volmink, Stefan Watermeyer, Warren Whiteley. – Sapa