Boan Venter will have added motivation when he runs out for Edinburgh against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Springbok prop will start at loosehead prop and face the very team he is set to join at the end of the season.
That subplot has not been lost on Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen who said this week he fully expects Venter to arrive in Joburg with a point to prove.
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“Boan has done really well over the past year for Edinburgh and the Boks. I think he will want to prove a point on Saturday before he joins us next season.”
Venter has established himself as a powerful presence in the Edinburgh pack and will be eager to help his current team get one over his future employers.
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However, Venter’s countrymen, prop Pierre Schoeman and winger Duhan van der Merwe, both miss this Vodacom URC clash.
Schoeman is rested following his Six Nations exploits, with Van der Merwe sidelined due to an ankle injury.
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The Lions sit seventh on the URC table on 33 points and 12th placed Edinburgh – who suffered a heavy defeat 40-19 defeat to Ulster at home last time out – need a win to close the 10-point gap as the race for the playoffs heat up.
EDINBURGH – 15 Harry Paterson, 14 Malelili Satala, 13 Matt Currie, 12 Mosese Tuipulotu, 11 Jack Brown, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Magnus Bradbury (c), 7 Freddy Douglas, 6 Ben Muncaster, 5 Glen Young, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Boan Venter
Bench: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 James Whitcombe, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Callum Hunter-Hill, 20 Liam McConnell, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Piers O’Conor.
Photo: Ewan Bootman/SNS Group via Getty Images
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