Double blow for Lions
STALWARTS: WHITELEY, MAPOE OUT OF WARM-UP GAME
Ackermann hands captaincy to flyhalf Elton Jantjies.
The Lions suffered a double blow yesterday when two of their Springboks, captain and No 8 Warren Whiteley and centre Lionel Mapoe, were ruled out of the Super Rugby warm-up clash against the Stormers at Newlands tomorrow.
Whiteley had his wisdom teeth removed and has not recovered in time, while Mapoe is nursing a hamstring injury.
In Whiteley’s absence, the captaincy has been handed to flyhalf Elton Jantjies, while Fabian Booysen will start in the No 8 jersey.
In midfield, powerful Bok centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg will start alongside Howard Mnisi, while Harold Vorster has been named on the bench after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Bok flank Jaco Kriel has been named on the bench with Cyle Brink starting in the openside flank position.
Johan Ackermann, who nevertheless picked a powerful line-up, is in no doubt that the Lions could be a targeted team this year.
“If I were any other franchise, I would say we need to improve and we need to get better,” he said.
“I have no doubt all the franchises want to be where we were last year and we don’t expect anything less.”
New faces include former Bulls lock Marvin Orie and 20-year-old winger Madosh Tambwe who will fill the big boots of Ruan Combrinck who will miss the first month of the competition.
Ackermann said with 14 players named on the bench in the 29-man squad it’s the last chance to impress before the February 25 opener against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
“If we want to be up there again them we need to reset the entire process and start at week one, and not concern ourselves with expectations or what we did do or didn’t do,” said Ackermann.
“It’s a new season, players and teams will improve. They will analyse us, so we need to improve on what we did last year.”