De Bruin rings the changes as Lions gear up for Chiefs
SWYS DE BRUIN has made nine personnel changes to his Lions team for Friday’s round 10 Super Rugby match against the Chiefs in Hamilton. And a further two players who ran out last weekend will play in different positions this week.
What it effectively means is that the Lions, who are desperate to get some rhythm and momentum behind them, will be a very changed side from the one that looked out-of-sorts against the Brumbies in Canberra last weekend. In an effort to blood new, young players, and find the right combinations, following the departure of several stalwarts to Europe after last season’s run to the final, De Bruin has chopped and changed his team JUNIOR SPRINGBOK assistant coach Bafana Nhleko said the Argentina Under-20s would pose different challenges to Georgia and the Namibia XV as they began their preparations for their final U20 International Series match at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch today.
The Junior Boks returned to the regularly this year. And that lack of continuity in selection has showed on the field as the Lions have won just four of their eight matches.
They are currently in fifth, and last, place in the South African conference and after facing the Chiefs on Friday travel to Christchurch to take on the champion Crusaders before returning home. The only combination that is unchanged from last week is the still new midfield pairing of Franco Naude and Lionel Mapoe. For the rest, De Bruin has made alterations all over the place, of which some are forced, some are due to rotation and some are due to players being fit and available again.
Players being rested this week include Andries Coetzee, Elton Jantjies and Malcolm Marx, who is on the bench, with their places being taken by Sylvian Mahuza, Gianni Lombard and training field after a recovery day following their 50-8 victory against the Namibia XV, and the intensity and tempo was up with an eye on what will be a physical battle against Los Pumitas.
“We are quite happy with the results in the tournament so far, but for us the important thing is to be Robbie Coetzee respectively. Courtnall Skosan also returns on the wing after not featuring in Canberra, while Ross Cronje also gets a run again, and swaps places with Nic Groom.
Up front, the much-awaited return to the team of Warren Whiteley, at clinical,” said Nhleko.
“We created opportunities against Namibia and we feel that we didn’t take all of them, while we would also like to improve on our breakdowns and attack, and to build on our defence.
“Our other focus is on the small detail that ultimately makes a difference.” No 8 and as captain, and of fit-again Kwagga Smith means the backrow has a new, but familiar look about it, with Cyle Brink moving back to blindside flank. In the second row Marvin Orie is now joined by Stephan Lewies, the former Sharks man moving from flank to lock.
And in the all-changed front row De Bruin has backed his strongest props Carlu Sadie and Sti Sithole (in the absence of the injured Dylan Smith) to come good alongside Coetzee, who will be desperate for some game time having also only recently returned from a long injury layoff.
With both teams entering today’s match unbeaten, Nhleko expected the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship hosts to pose a strong challenge.
“Argentina are a good side,” said Nhleko. “They are a different proposition to the sides we faced before because they keep the ball moving and they look for passes in contact.” | WHILE many are calling Group D, the “Group of Death” following Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations draw, history shows there should be no worries for Bafana Bafana.
Stuart Baxter’s, team will be taking on former champions Ivory Coast and Morocco, as well as fellow Cosafa member Namibia at the tournament that takes place in Egypt from 21 June-19 July.
South Africa have played the three countries a total of 19 times – Ivory Coast (six), Morocco (five) and Namibia (eight). Bafana have not lost to The Elephants as well as The Atlas Lions, but have tasted defeat against the Brave Warriors in their first-ever meeting back in 1998 in the Cosafa Cup, with Namibia claiming a 3-2 win in Windhoek.
The most famous victory for Bafana over their Southern African neighbours was when former striker Benni McCarthy scored four goals at Afcon 1998 in Burkina Faso as Bafana ran out 4-1 winners. This was the match McCarthy used to burst onto the international scene and established himself as one of the most lethal strikers Bafana has ever produced. |