Sunwolves head coach Tony Brown named his side Thursday to take on the Johannesburg-based Lions at the weekend at Singapore National Stadium.

The run-on side shows six changes and one positional switch from the team that started last week's heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the Reds, with two starters from that game and a replacement -- Michael Little, Pauliasi Manu and Sam Prattley -- all ruled out of Saturday's game as the result of concussion.

(Tony Brown)

Brown -- who takes charge of the team for the first time this season -- has, however, been able to call upon a number of players who have been in camp with him with Japan's extended Rugby World Cup training squad, as the competition enters its sixth round.

"This is a tough competition and as it goes on we pick up a lot of injuries so it is really important to have a bigger squad. So this weekend with the Japanese players coming in, it's a really good opportunity for them to put their best performance on the field leading into the World Cup at the end of the year," Brown said on a stormy wet day in the island state.

Masataka Mikami, Koo Ji Won, Grant Hattingh, Harumichi Tatekawa and Ryohei Yamanaka all make their first Super Rugby starts of the season with Fumiaki Tanaka and Takuya Yamasawa on the bench.

Mikami and Koo join Atsushi Sakate in the front row with Hattingh pairing up with Tom Rowe in the engine room, as prop Hiroshi Yamashita and lock Uwe Helu drop to the bench.

The back row, which was so dominant during the first 40 minutes of last week's game, remains the same, with Ben Gunter and Dan Pryor -- who leads the team in the absence of Little and Craig Millar -- on the flank, and Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco at No. 8.

Jamie Booth and Hayden Parker line up again at halfback, with Tatekawa taking over from Sione Teaupa at inside center and Jason Emery moving from fullback to outside center.

Semisi Masirewa is promoted from the bench and will wear the No. 11 jersey in place of Hosea Saumaki, with Gerhard van den Heever making his sixth start of the season on the right wing and Yamanaka named at fullback.

Nathan Vella, Alex Woonton and Yamashita make up the front-row replacements with Helu and Amanaki Lelei Mafi set to provide explosive power when they take to the field.

Tanaka, Yamasawa (who is on his Super Rugby debut) and Saumaki are the reserve backs.

"After last week's loss the boys are a bit gutted," Pryor said. "But we had a look at the video and just to get better we need to make smarter decisions around the field. We need to play smarter footy, conserve energy and play a high-tempo game."

The game comes as the team learned they will no longer be part of Super Rugby when the current broadcast deal ends following the 2020 season, and Brown is hoping the side can show that the tournament will be inferior without them.

"I think we have proved to everyone we are good enough to compete with the best teams in this competition. We just need to get smarter and win those close games," Brown said, referring to the three losses of eight points or less that the team have suffered this season.

The Japan Rugby Football Union have scheduled a press conference back in Tokyo on Friday afternoon to explain SANZAAR's decision, which is set to be made public a few hours earlier in Sydney.