Blitzboks star Pretorius to make Lions debut on bench against Stade Francais

Sevens star JC Pretorius will make his Lions debut off the bench ahead of the Lions' Challenge Cup encounter against French outfit Stade Francais at Stade Jean Bouin Stadium in Paris.

The Lions are undefeated in the competition thus far - having won and drawn their first two Challenge Cup matches so far.

Springbok star Jaco Kriel returns to the starting line-up, with Gianni Lombard taking over from Jordan Hendrikse, who suffered an ankle niggle in last week's United Rugby Championship defeat to Munster. 

Pretorius, who is known for his exploits for the Blitzboks, will have his first bite of international 15-man rugby for the franchise off the bench alongside former Paarl Boys pupil Rhynardt Rijnsburger.

Lions attack coachRicardo Loubscher believes Saturday's challenge in Paris will be an opportunity to turn his side's fate around.

"The last few weeks have been tough for us on the road, but the team spirit remains high and the focus for us has been on how we can turn things around leading up to Saturday," he said.

"The willingness and commitment from the guys remains, so it's for us to go out and execute.

"Once we get going, we'll be able to get ourselves into favourable areas of the field where it's all about making good decisions and being more clinical in terms of finishing our opportunities."

Loubscher, a former coach at Stade Francais in 2019, understands first-hand what gets them going especially at home.

"They are obviously on a high at the moment with some decent results in their domestic competition. Speaking from experience, they are a different team at home," said Loubscher.

"They are more passionate in front of their home fans combined with providing entertainment through their style of rugby."

Kick-off is at 15:00 SA