Lions

● Coach Johan Ackermann may have left but the Lions have continuity running through the spine of their playing ranks. Of the players who featured in last year’s Super Rugby final only Faf de Klerk and Ruan Ackermann have left the franchise. Captain Warren Whiteley is back from injury, which is a huge boost, but the team is relatively inexperienced in their coaching set-up. They however have the experience in their playing resources to mitigate any shortfalls in their brains trust. The Lions appear to have a favourable draw. They have six home matches and trips to Pretoria and Buenos Aires in their first eight matches. In fact, if they beat the Sharks and the Bulls in the first three rounds, they might build the momentum needed for another run on the play-offs. Once there, however, they are going to need an extra gear. The Lions appear to be the flag-bearer in the local conference but first they need to beat the Sharks.