JOHANNESBURG - The Lions might have gone all the way to the final last year and produced several Springboks, but no one is guaranteed a starting spot when the new Super Rugby season kicks off in a few weeks’ time.
That’s the message coach Johan Ackermann has for his players, as the runners-up from 2016 look to continue their build-up to the competition this weekend. A young team will run out against an invitational Barbarians side at Wits on Saturday; the Lions’ penultimate match before the competition kicks off on 25 February.
Ackermann hasn’t picked any of his players who’ve returned from Japan - Warren Whiteley, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Elton Jantjies and Lionel Mapoe - while several other Boks, like Faf de Klerk, Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Malcolm Marx also miss out.
Instead, Ackermann has decided to look at several fringe players and even some youngsters in the match. “I’ve got this game and next week’s clash against the Stormers to see everyone in action. It’s just fair that everyone who’s been training with us, gets a chance to stake a claim for a place in the squad,” said Ackermann.
“There are no rankings in this team and everyone must be able to step up and play if they’re called upon as was the case at times last year. There are a lot of positions to fight for, so after next week’s game everyone will have gotten 40 to 50 minutes game time to show me what they can do.”
The Lions’ Boks are likely to get game time against the Stormers in Cape Town next Saturday, but even they will have to prove they’re good enough to start the first game against the Cheetahs.
“The Bok players know what’s in my heart I only select players who perform. If you don’t perform, you move to the bench and then out of the team,” Ackermann said.
“Every single player here, whether they played for the Boks or not last year, must earn back that jersey.”
Two experienced men in the squad running out tomorrow are centre Harold Vorster, who missed most of the 2016 season because of injury, and lock Andries Ferreira, who’s returned to Joburg after playing club rugby in France.
Among the youngsters out to impress is fullback Gerrie Labuschagne, who shot to worldwide rugby-fame in 2014 when a video emerged of him landing an 80m penalty kick, at Shimla Park in Bloemfontein, while playing for the Cheetahs Under-19 team. Wing Madosh Tambwe, flyhalf Shaun Reynolds and tighthead prop Johannes Jonker, who’s arrived from Border, will also be keen to make a big impression against the club players of the Barbarians.
“We’ve been training for a while now so this is a good opportunity for me to see where we are as a squad and what we still need to work on,” said Ackermann.
“The result doesn’t mean anything to me I want to see what sort of decisions the guys make under pressure and how they handle the contact situations. It’s also a good opportunity for the players to get rugby-fit.”
Lions team:
Gerrie Labuschagne, Madosh Tambwe, Jacques Nel, Harold Vorster, Selom Gavor, Shaun Reynolds, Ross Cronje (capt), Fabian Booysen, Robert Kruger, Cyle Brink, Lourens Erasmus, Andries Ferreira, Johannes Jonker, Robbie Coetzee, Corne Fourie. Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Sti Sithole, Hencus van Wyk, JP du Preez, Bobby de Wee, Hacjiva Dayimani, Victor Sekekete, Dillon Smit, Eddie Fouche, Gerdus van der Walt, Jarryd Sage, Dean Gordon, Jean Luc Cilliers
Barbarians squad:
Aubrey McDonald, Sheldon Williamson, Marco Alberts, Khyle Verwey, Jacques Erasmus, Pieter Botha, Bradley Moolman, Johan Grobler, Robbie Petzer, Ashley Davids, Siga Masuku, Stokkies du Plessis, Hendrik van der Nest, Samuel Niemand, Francois Robertse, Pieter Mathews, Ian van Deventer, Wikus van der Berg, Ethienne Oosthuizen, Theo Becker, Rudi Mathee, Zander de Kock, Jan-Francois Bester, Armand Jordaan, Johan Pieterse, Bruce Muller, Rudi Britz, Jaco Hayward