Butch James has been named in the Lions starting line up to face the Sharks this weekend as replacement for the injured Jaco Taute.

Butch James has served his four week ban for a shoulder charge and is one of four changes for the Lions.

In all there are four changes to the team that lost to the Western Force in Perth last weekend.

Hendrik Roodt starts at left lock which moves Franco van der Merwe to right lock.

Franco van der Merwe came in to the team as replacement for Ruan Botha who was called up to the SA U/20 team.

Michael Killian drops out and is replaced by Anthonie Volminck on the wing.

On the bench Springbok centre Waylon Murray makes a welcome return from injury that has kept him off the field until now.

Mitchell says Murray is not quite ready yet to play at this level but that he has no option but to bench Murray with all the midfield injuries the Lions are experiencing.

Murray had a 40-minute run with Pirates in a club match last weekend.

He comes onto the bench in James Kamana's place. Ettienne Oosthuizen is also on the bench where he replaces Jaco Kriel.

Lions:

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Butch James, 11 Anthonie Volminck, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 CJ van der Linde

Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Etienne Oosthuizen, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Waylon Murray, 22 Ruan Combrinck