Lions not looking past the Sharks

LOG POSITION DOESN’T FAZE ACKERS

With so much riding on this weekend’s final Super Rugby clash before the play-offs against the Sharks in Durban, the Lions are staying in the moment.

Coach Johan Ackermann is entering his final few weeks at the Lions, but said yesterday they will not be having sleepless nights whether they could still finish top or not.

A Crusaders loss in the early game on Saturday against the Hurricanes and a Lions win in Durban could see the Lions finish as the No 1-ranked team.

But Ackermann said they are focusing on the game itself and ensuring the players are not affected mentally after their bye week.

“I believe eventually everything will even out,” he said yesterday, with the Lions being aware that they couldn’t finish lower than No 2 either way.

“We have to focus on our game and intensity because everyone was off.”

In possible scenarios, the Lions are likely to host the Highlanders in the quarterfinals next week and if they go through there, they could meet the winner of the Chiefs and Stormers game in the semis.

The structure on the semifinals have been altered by Sanzaar due to logistical reasons.

In the past the highest qualifier in the semis would meet the lowest, but this year the winner of 1 versus 8 will play the winner of 4 versus 5, while the winner of 2 versus 7 will face the winner of 3 versus 6.

Players like fullback Jaco van der Walt, hooker Robbie Coetzee and centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg are back in the selection mix this week, but Ackermann is set to stick to the same starting line-up which annihilated the Sunwolves.

“It’s also the last game before the play-offs,” he said. “So we’ll just have to ensure we are firing against as a team and with the same mindset as any other game.”