Pollard at centre could be masterstroke, and send olive branch to Wessels

Lions are the Great South African hope There was a little cynicism and skepticism floating around the Johannesburg team before this Super Rugby season kicked off. They had lost their great leader in Johann Ackermann and many wondered if they would have the same impact in their third year since making the Super Rugby final. Those questions have been well and truly answered as they ran in seven tries away from home against the Hurricane-slaying Bulls Also in the run up to the opening of the season, in Durban, the talk was all about the exciting young Sharks and their explosive backline. The Sharks showed that their backs are indeed exciting prospects with the tries they ran in, but what was more pressing was a lack of leadership when things got tight. With a few minutes to go against the Waratahs, the Sharks continued to play and expensive and risky brand of rugby. Keegan Daniel, one of the experienced players, hurried the game on with a poorly taken line out to himself, and Kobus van Wyk threw a wild and aimless chicken-wing pass. When the time came to grind out the result, there was no one to steer the Sharks in that direction. Crusaders are carrying a great legacy The Crusaders of old were littered with some of the best players in the game, and were racking up Super Rugby title for fun. Now, after a bit of rebuilding, the Crusaders are back racking up titles, with 2018 clearly already in their sights, but their team is hitherto unheard of. The days of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are now replaced by Richie Mo’unga, David Havili, Scott Barrett, Jordan Taufua, but this new wave are playing in a legacy of Crusader’s greats, and making it look good.

South Africa should send an olive branch to David Wessels

David Wessels, only 35, is a forgotten about South African coaching asset that was literally flung to the furthest reaches of Australia and left there. Wessels was involved with the Stormers a bit from 2009, before taking up the head role at Ikeys, but then was spotted for his talent by the Australians as South Africa let him go. He did a solid job at the Force, and now at the Rebels he has some better resources and is already showing a lot of promise. South Africa is so dry on coaching talent that we need this man back. Pollard’s move to 12 a masterstroke Handre Pollard, pictured, always had the ability to play at 12, and when he was forced to move there, he proved it. The Bulls, operating with a double flyhalf backline managed to move the ball wide with ease, putting the Lions under a lot of pressure. This axis of two flyhalves, in a Larkham-Giteau for Australia, or Ford-Farrell style could be a masterstroke for the Springboks going forward. Pollard can play 12, as could Robert du Preez of the Sharks, and this allows for a more creative 10 option to really keep opposition guessing, such as Elton Jantjies.