Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has fielded an overhauled team for the Challenge Cup opener against Perpignan at the Stade Aime Giral on Sunday.

Regulars such as captain Marius Louw, halfback Sanele Nohamba and No 8 Francke Horn have all remained in Johannesburg to prepare for next week’s second-round clash against the Premiership’s Newcastle Falcons.

The Lions matchday squad features a completely overhauled starting XV from the team that hammered Dragons at Ellis Park last week. This includes a mix of notable pairings, with competition debuts for Etienne Oosthuizen and Raynard Roets in the second row, winger Boldwin Hansen and centre Erich Cronje.

Also making their club debuts off the bench are prop Conraad van Vuuren, loose forward Izan Esterhuizen, and scrumhalf Johan Mulder.

Van Rooyen has opted for a youthful halfback pairing in Nico Steyn and Jordan Hendrikse with the latter returning to the starting lineup for the first time since the Lions faced Edinburgh in round 2 of the Vodacom URC.

Veteran hooker Jaco Visagie wears the captains armband while Springbok Andries Coetzee gets the nod at fullback.

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Rabz Maxwane , 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Boldwin Hansen, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Hanru Sirgel, 7 Ruhan Straeuli, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Raynard Roets, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Ruan Smith, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Morgan Naude , 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Izan Esterhuizen, 20 Travis Gordon, 21 Johan Mulder, 22 Gianni Lombard, 23 Rynhardt Jonker/ Sibusiso Sangweni.