Emirates Lions will be without their inspirational leader, Jaco Kriel ahead of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Munster on Saturday at Emirates Airline Park.

Kriel, who suffered an injury in the 51st minute last Sunday, is the only change to the starting XV named by head coach Ivan van Rooyen for tomorrow’s clash against the Irish outfit.

“It’s sad to lose Jaco to injury. He underwent surgery on his arm yesterday, so he’ll be sidelined for an extended period. We wish him a successful recovery,” said Van Rooyen.

The Lions mentor went on to say that although his team claimed a much-needed win against Cardiff Rugby, the emphasis remains on improvement and minimizing mistakes.

“Last week’s win was a real confidence booster for us however we are not getting ahead of ourselves. The hard work continues and the intent to improve each week remains our theme,” he said.

“Munster are a fantastic side and have an impeccable record in this competition. Ours will be to ensure we play to our strengths and execute the things we spoke about in the week effectively,” he concluded.

We welcome @Munsterrugby to Emirates Airline Park on Saturday for @vodacom #URC action!

Don’t miss a moment of the action, get your tickets here: https://t.co/cRgfeGtNMU#LIOvMUN pic.twitter.com/TIy5z51qE1

— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) March 17, 2022

Inside centre, Burger Odendaal takes over the captaincy reigns in the absence of Kriel.

Kick-off is at 14:00

Emirates Lions

1. Sti Sithole, 2. Jaco Visagie, 3. Carlu Sadie, 4. Ruben Schoeman, 5. Reinhard Nothnagel, 6. Sibusiso Sangweni, 7. Vincent Tshituka, 8. Francke Horn, 9. Morne van den Berg, 10. Jordan Hendrikse, 11. Edwill van der Merwe, 12. Burger Odendaal (Captain), 13. Wandisile Simelane, 14. Stean Pienaar, 15. Quan Horn. Replacements: 16. PJ Botha, 17. JP Smith, 18. Ruan Dreyer, 19. Ruan Venter, 20. Emmanuel Tshituka, 21. Nico Steyn /Ginter Smuts, 22. Manuel Rass, 23. Tiaan Swanepoel.