Johannesburg - The absence of Warren Whiteley in the Lions team won’t change the way they play, said coach Johan Ackermann when he announced the team to take on the Highlanders in a Super Rugby semi-final at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Whiteley lost his race to recover from a calf injury picked up against the Crusaders last weekend and is replaced at No 8 by Ruan Ackermann.
The other changes to the team that will play in their first Super Rugby semi-final are on the bench where Ross Cronje and Cyle Brink also miss out through injury. In their places come Dillon Smit and Steph de Witt.
“Warren missing out doesn’t change anything,” said Ackermann on Thursday when he named his 23-man squad.
“We’ll miss Warren… he’s an inspirational leader, but the message always has been that everyone here at the Lions must be ready when called on for duty.
“We now need back-up, in the form of Steph and Dillon, and they’re ready. They played Super Rugby just two weeks ago against the Jaguares.
“The door to the team has opened up and they’ll step in and take their chance.”
Ackermann, the coach’s son, has played at No 8 before this season and also started against the Highlanders earlier in the year when the Lions toured New Zealand. “He’s not unfamiliar with the position and is ready … nothing is new to him at this stage of the season,” said the coach.
The Lions are expecting a crowd of close to 50 000 on Saturday, with the figure standing at 40 000 on Thursday afternoon.
The winner of Saturday’s match will advance to the final where they will meet either the Hurricanes or Chiefs who meet in the first semi-final on Saturday morning (SA time).
Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Ruan Ackermann, Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel (capt), Franco Mostert, Andries Ferreira, Julian Redelinghuys, Malcolm Marx, Dylan Smith. Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Corne Fourie, Jacques van Rooyen, Lourens Erasmus, Steph de Witt, Dillon Smit, Howard Mnisi, Jaco van der Walt
The Star