Johannesburg - Western Province have been boosted by the inclusion of some experienced campaigners for their Currie meeting with the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday (kick-off 5pm).
Props Ali Vermaak and Sazi Sandi will bolster the front row, while Adre Smith will start in the second row.
In the loose trio, Junior Pokomela will start at the back of the scrum, and in the backline, Ebenezer Tshimanga completes the starting line-up changes to the team that secured their second win in the competition against the Pumas at Mbombela Stadium two weeks ago.
Centre Rikus Pretorius makes his return on the replacements bench, having been sidelined with concussion.
Western Province coach Jerome Paarwater said that he is looking forward to seeing what the players coming in can add up in Johannesburg.
"It is great to have some experience coming in for this game against what will be a motivated Sigma Lions side.
"We know that we will have to be at our best if we are to make it another win away from home, so we will need full focus for 80 minutes," he said.
Western Province team: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Ebenezer Tshimanga, 10 Timothy Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Junior Pokomela, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Adre Smith, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Keke Morabe, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 23 Rikus Pretorius.
IOL Sport