Lions brace for top spot push

Rudolph Jacobs

The Lions could pick the fruits of their historic tour Down Tour with the Super Rugby competition reaching a crucial period over the next two weeks.

With just two games before the June Test window and just two games after that before the playoffs, the Lions will have to maintain the continuity starting with the Bulls clash at Ellis Park this weekend.

“We realised there’s still a lot of hard work to be done once we were back, but we have enjoyed the tour results,” said Lions coach Johan Ackermann.

Winning all three games on tour in Australia ensured the Lions stay in the hunt for a possible top spot and Ackermann said the time spent off the field was a great bonding measure.

“I think it was historic and very memorable,” he said. “We have a great bunch of players who really enjoy touring.

“We have done quite well the last few seasons on tour, but it’s off-the-field where the guys really enjoyed each other.”

Ackermann is expected to recall his first-choice front row of Jacques van Rooyen, Malcolm Marx and Ruan Dreyer for the Jukskei derby, while there’s a remote chance wing Ruan Combrinck (below) might return.

Ackermann said their struggles in Canberra last weekend when conditions were not ideal and the field slippery showed they have more work to do when faced with such conditions.

“There was just no fluency and they put a lot of pressure on us,” he said. “We just couldn’t get our hands on the ball which made the win even more special to end the tour like that.”

Ackermann added they were grateful and very pleased with the three wins as it kept the momentum going.

“It wasn’t pretty and we don’t know how we won that game. It was probably one of the games where we played the least amount of rugby,” he said.