Whiteley: Lions searching for one percenters

THEY may have featured in back-to-back finals, and become the dominant team in South Africa, but the Lions have pushed the reset button and are starting from point zero when the new Super Rugby season kicks off this weekend.

In fact, despite their strong core group of players and their powerful showing of the last few years, the Lions feel they still have to keep improving, to keep up with the rest of the teams in the competition.

“We’ve achieved nothing yet in this competition,” stressed captain Warren Whiteley yesterday, referring to his side losing twice in the final. “We’re starting all over again this weekend and will keep searching for the ‘one percenters’ to get better. We have to; we can’t stay the same, can’t be the same team we were last year. The competition keeps evolving and the teams keep getting better and stronger, and we have to keep up with them as well.”

De Bruin’s first matchday squad includes eight Springboks in the run-on side to take on the Sharks tomorrow, with no surprises in the 23. In the absence of injured wings Courtnall Skosan and Ruan Combrinck, Sylvian Mahuza and rookie Aphiwe Dyantyi get an opportunity, while the centres are Lionel Mapoe and Harold Vorster, with the duo of Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Howard Mnisi playing off the bench.

And the new-look loose trio comprises of Whiteley, Kwagga Smith and Cyle Brink.

De Bruin said he was excited to see rookies like Dyantyi and bench-warmer Hacjivah Dayimani get an opportunity. “Aphiwe is a great team man and deserves his chance. Hacjivah, as well, is one of our rising young stars and he can play at No 7 and 8, and even on the wing,” he said.