The Lions are fretting over injuries to three key players ahead of their vital Super Rugby clash with the Highlanders.
And, added to that, the team that is finally selected by coach Johan Ackermann will only have one proper training session together before the match at Ellis Park.
The call-up of Warren Whiteley, Robbie Coetzee, Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies and Lionel Mapoe to the first Springbok training camp of the season – currently being held in Johannesburg – has hit the Lions hard as they look to bounce back after going down to the Bulls last weekend.
The five players will only train with their teammates again tomorrow and then have their customary captain’s run on Friday. But more worrying for Ackermann are the injuries to Mapoe, Jantjies and Coetzee.
Mapoe missed the Bulls game with a knee injury and remains doubtful for the Highlanders game, while hooker Coetzee was a late withdrawal last weekend after he picked up a calf strain. Neither took part in any of the on-field activities with the Boks on Monday. Jantjies, too, was among the players who watched proceedings from the sidelines, but he should be fine come the weekend.
“We’ll know more about Lionel and Robbie later in the week,” said Lions assistant coach Swys de Bruyn. “We’re hoping for good news because we need all our best players.
“It’s not going to be an easy week, what with five guys at the Boks and a few injuries. It’s quite a challenging time for us.” The Lions have five games remaining before the knockout games arrive and according to De Bruyn they’re going to have to win just about all of them if they’re to qualify for the playoffs.
“It’s a tough few weeks ahead for us. Every win is going to be a bonus. We’ve looked at the log and it seems as if you’ll need 40, 41 points to make the play-offs, so it’s going to be very difficult,” he said. The team that finished sixth last year ended with 42 points, but in the three years before that the points total was much higher for the sixth-placed team. In 2013 it was 54 points, in 2012 it was 59 points and in 2011 it was 57.
“We’re playing some big teams in the next month or so, but we’ll always back ourselves at home. This weekend our game kicks off at 3pm and that suits us very nicely; the guys enjoy afternoon games,” said De Bruyn. He added an “interesting” match was on the cards as the Highlanders play a very similar brand of rugby to the Lions.
“The styles are very much the same. They’ve got an exciting back three who’re good on their feet and like running with the ball, while their three loose-forwards are also a lot like ours. I think the two teams have a lot in common about the way they want to play.”
The Highlanders are currently fifth in the standings, having won seven of their 10 games. The Lions are eighth with six wins from 11. Ackermann is set to name his lineup tomorrow.
Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that Lions prop Schalk van der Merwe has allegedly agreed to take up an offer with Montpellier in France. The Top Division club is coached by former Bok boss Jake White. There was no word from the Lions on the matter, but indications are that Van der Merwe will join the club at the end of this season. - The Star