Good guy Johan Ackermann will be the bearer of bad news to at least one of his star loose forwards in the comings days as the Lions prepare for Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final against the Sharks at Ellis Park.
Much of the Lions’ success this season has been due to their outrageously talented loose forwards, but with all of them fit and available, two men could miss out this weekend.
The return to South Africa from Australia on Monday afternoon of Sevens star Kwagga Smith – who’s available to play on Saturday – means Ackermann has a big decision to make around the makeup of his backrow.
It’s a given captain Warren Whiteley will play at eighthman, while Jaco Kriel is set to wear the No6 jersey, but it’s anyone’s guess at this stage who’ll don the No7 jumper and who’ll sit on the bench.
Warwick Tecklenburg and Derick Minnie have been rotated at blindside flank all season, with the industrious Willie Britz filling Whiteley’s shoes while the captain was on Springbok duty.
Smith is now also available – a player with great skills, but also pace and power, and who shone from off the bench in his debut season.
The Sevens star didn’t play against the Cheetahs last weekend because he was on duty for the BlitzBoks in Australia, but he’s a player Ackermann is almost certain to consider this week. “Kwagga has done a tremendous job for us,” said the Lions coach last week. “He’s proved to everyone that there’s a place for small guys to play up front. He’ll be back and he’ll bring a lot of energy to the set-up.”
Britz, most comfortable at No8, can, however, also play in the second row and could find himself as the lock replacement this weekend. With Whiteley one of the Lions’ leading jumpers in the set-piece, Ackermann will more than likely go into the Sharks clash with just the two specialist starting locks – Martin Muller and Franco Mostert.
There’s also some deliberation to be done about who starts in the front row this weekend.
Ruan Dreyer and Schalk van der Merwe have been outstanding as the tighthead and loosehead props, but Jacques van Rooyen has also performed well recently, while Julian Redelinghuys was the first choice No3 until he picked up an injury in the earlier rounds of the competition. And then there’s the small matter of hooker – Robbie Coetzee has been the first choice man, and played in the No2 jersey last weekend, but many will feel the robust and powerful Armand van der Merwe should start.
Among the backs, only centres Alwyn Hollenbach and Stokkies Hanekom are unavailable, which will make Ackermann’s job a little easier. Marnitz Boshoff’s return to fitness, and the fact he started at No10 last weekend, means he will play at flyhalf, with Ross Cronjé his scrumhalf. In the centres will be Howard Mnisi and Lionel Mapoe and on the wings Courtnall Skosan and Ruan Combrinck. But who’ll wear the No15?
Young Jaco van der Walt moved to the back to make place for Boshoff last week, but it appears as if the more experienced Andries Coetzee could be fit to play this weekend and likely to take his place at fullback. That would result in Van der Walt shifting to the bench, alongside Mark Richards, both of whom cover every position in the backline.
Ackermann will name his line-up tomorrow. - The Star