Van Niekerk comes back

Published: Thursday, 22. December, 2011 in category Top 14

Joe van Niekerk, the Springbok loose forward who now captains Toulon, is back in the squad to play Lyon on Friday.

Van Niekerk, who has been much plagued by injury, underwent an operation for a collapsed lung on 19 October this year, an injury sustained against Perpignan in Toulon.

In the squad for the first time is the England lock Simon Shaw.

Scrumhalf Sébastien Tillous-Borde is out because of a neck injury.

The Toulon squad to play Lyon:

Forwards: Steffon Armitage, Sébastien Bruno, Kristian Chesney, Laurent Emmanuelli, Pierrick Gunther, Carl Hayman, Davit Kubriashvili, Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Jean-Charles Orioli, Dean Schofield, Simon Shaw, Leonardo Senatore, Joe van Niekerk.

Backs: Mathieu Bastareaud, Matt Giteau, Matt Henjak, Benjamin Lapeyre, Christian Loamanu, Gabriele Lovobalavu, Laurent Magnaval, Alexis Palisson, Luke Rooney, David Smith, Jonny Wilkinson.