The Emirates Lions will head to Belfast in their final tour fixture of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (VURC) to face Irish side, Ulster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday.

Carlu Sadie makes a return to the starting line-up, with Reinhard Nothnagel and Sibusiso Sangweni collecting their first starting berths in the VURC.

Nothnagel comes in for the injured Pieter Jansen van Vuren, while Sangweni features in what reflects a few selection rotations in the match 23.

Commenting on last week’s performance against Glasgow Warriors, Emirates Lions head coach, Ivan van Rooyen, was upbeat ahead of his team’s fourth round encounter.

“There were quite a few aspects we felt we improved on in our performance against Glasgow Warriors last week, and that’s the kind of momentum we want to take into the Ulster game.”

“This is the final game of our 4-week tour so naturally we want to end it on a high,” he concluded.

Wilhelm van der Sluys, Emmanuel Tshituka and flyhalf Fred Zeilinga will all have an opportunity to make their tournament debuts off the substitutes bench on Friday.

Kicks-off is at 20:35 (SA time).

Referee: Mike Adamson

Emirates Lions

1. Sti Sithole
2. Jaco Visagie
3. Carlu Sadie
4. Ruben Schoeman
5. Reinhard Nothnagel
6. Sibusiso Sangweni
7. Vincent Tshituka
8. Ruhan Straeuli
9. Andre Warner
10. EW Viljoen
11. Rabz Maxwane
12. Burger Odendaal (c)
13. Manuel Rass
14. Stean Pienaar
15. Divan Rossouw

Replacements

16. PJ Botha
17. Ruan Dreyer
18. Asenathi Ntlabakanye
19. Wilhelm van der Sluys
20. Emmanuel Tshituka
21. Morne van den Berg
22. Fred Zeilinga
23. Wandisile Simelane

• • The Lions u20s will be in action in the semi-final of the SA Rugby u20 Cup against the Cell C Sharks at Emirates Airline Park on Friday.

The Lions ended their campaign top of the log, after five wins and one draw. The previous encounter between the Lions and the visitors from Durban ended in a 27-15 win for the Jozi side.

The match kicks-off at 13:00.

Lions U20

1. Heiko Pohlmann
2. Jacques-Lois du Toit
3. Sibusiso Shongwe
4. Babalo Makana
5. Conor van Buuren
6. Jarod Cairns
7. Ruan Venter
8. Izan Esterhuizen
9. Nico Steyn
10. Jurich Claasens
11. Boldwin Hansen
12. Tyler Bocks (c)
13. Ngia Selengbe
14. Indiphile Tyeda
15. Quan Horn

Replacements

16. Allister Williams
17. Okuhle Siyeni
18. Kabous Bezuidenhout
19. Justin Kalamer
20. Sisonke Vumazonke
21. Sihlalo Benge
22. Josh Jonas
23. Setshaba Mokoena
24. Henco van Wyk
25. Joshua van Vreden
26. Prince Mulea