Lions coach Johan Ackermann will bring out most of his big guns for their second Super Rugby pre-season outing.
The Lions, who return to Super Rugby in 2014 after sitting out last year, head to Port Elizabeth where they will face the Southern Kings on Saturday.
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A number of senior players – including Springbok lock Franco van der Merwe, Jaco Kriel, Julian Redelinghuys, Jacques van Rooyen, Marnitz Boshoff, Andries Coetzee, Michael Bondesio and newly-appointed skipper Warren Whiteley – were rested when they Lions faced a NWU-Pukke selection and the Leopards Vodacom Cup team last Friday.
Ackermann confirmed to this website that those players will be part of this week’s matchday squads – which will see one team head to Polokwane to face a Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup team and another side travel to PE to meet the Kings.
“I will give a few younger players I still want to evaluate a run, but the players who were rested [last week] will be among a group of more senior players who will feature this coming weekend,” the Lions mentor said.
He said there are still some guys at scrumhalf, lock, front row and at centre he would still like to see a bit more of.
“We want to thrown them in at the deep end and see what they have,” he said of this week’s team selections.
“There are some senior players who we know what they are capable of, but we want them to have some game time and they will travel to Polokwane to get a run.”
The good news is that other than some “bumps and bruises”, there are no serious injuries after last week’s opening act – which saw the Lions dispatch a Leopards Vodacom Cup team 31-24, before recording a 52-14 win over the NWU Pukke team.
Ackermann admitted that certain aspects of the performances last week were not good, but it did show them which major aspects requires work.
“We also have a better idea of the form and capability of certain players,” he told this website.
“From that perspective the games were of huge benefit to us.”
The next two weeks – when they face the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, February 1 and the Sharks at Ellis Park a week later – the Lions will be under a bit more pressure.
“I am glad that we have these two [remaining] games, to resolve certain issues.
“However, it was a good start to be able to see certain aspects [of our game] and see what adjustments we need to make.
“The next two weeks will be a good build-up, with progressively stronger opposition.”
Ackermann aid aspects such as poor ball retention, too many 50-50 passes and decision-making at the breakdown will be among the aspects receiving attention this week.
“We’ll have to be a lot more clinical in that regard when we return to Super Rugby,” he added.
Looks like a wise build up for Ackers and his young guns. Easy opposition first up, and then stronger and stronger opposition. The Kings won’t be a walkover, if one looks at how close they ran the Cheetahs. And also one can’t expect a flawless showing in your first warm up game.
@ Lion4ever:
The make-up of the final squad will be interesting, especially the loose forwards.
With Whitely having been named as squad captain, and presumably as the 8th man, that leaves only the flankers as options in terms of on field substitution. (Presuming of course that JA intends to keep his captain n for a full 80 minutes.)
I would imagine that it’s a “shoe in” that Minnie will start most games at open side, so where does JA use the likes of Willie Britz? IMHO he had hs best performances in recent times as an 8th man. (but could at a push play blind side.) So unless JA brings his captain off for a part of the game(s) we may well see Britz purely as injury cover. (I certainly hope JA doesn’t slot Britz into the second row.(Pun intended))
I assume Jaco Kriel will be used as an “impact player”, which is a bit of a pity, because his explosive speed and ability to get over the gain line could be really exploited if used correctly.
I just can’t see a “balanced” set of loosies with the experience needed at SR level.
Hope I’ve got the wrong end of the stick.
Rambling again.
@ Scrumdown: Excellent loosies, and some fine backline players.
Concerns must be mostly amongst the tight 5 and scrumhalf. I reckon Coetzee is a shoo in at FB, with Volmink and Helberg having played well on the wing. Hanekom, de Bruyn and Hollenbach all fine centres, and with Elton, Willie and Boshoff all good flyhalves. Only Franco in the tight 5 inspire confidence.
@ Cheetah4eva:
I’m not too worried about the front row funnily enough. JA seems to be able to take “nobodies” and mould them into a decent scrumming front row.
I’m sh1t scared about the lock options. vd Merwe is solid, but the rest are somewhat “nat ater die ore”, and let’s be honest, the Lions’ line-out has been abysmal (for the most part) for years now.
I’m hoping that Willie Wepener manages to get the throwing in part right, but history shows that the “underlings” in the Lions’ hooking department aren’t too accurate at finding their jumpers. (Probably sh1t at darts as well!)
Maar nou ja. We live in hope (But die in vain?)
Helberg out wide has done ok, and while Volmink (and others) have blistering pace, it counts for little if every time an Islander gets the ball he runs over you and scores. (IE The tackling???????????????????????)
Depth at Scrumhalf is a MAJOR concern. I’m TOTALLY gobsmacked that they allowed Tiaan Meyer to move to Griquas and can only assume that with no major sponsor announced as yet it has got to be a finance issue.
Let’s see what transpires. I just hope the injuries stay away or else the Lions and all of my fellow supporters are in for a VERY long SR season filled with “I told you so” moments.
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