Young Lions will be given a gap
COACH EXCITED TO SEE HIS EMERGING STARS Mnisi to captain the home side after return from injury.
Wanted: Suitable replacements for hooker Akker van der Merwe, loose forward Ruan Ackermann and flyhalf Jaco van der Walt.
These would be some of Lions coach Swys de Bruin’s main objectives ahead of his team’s first pre-season Super Rugby outing against the Bulls at Ellis Park this afternoon.
Van der Merwe is now with the Sharks, Ackermann joined his dad at Gloucester, while Van der Walt is now playing Pro14 rugby with Scottish club Edinburgh.
De Bruin would also be looking for replacements for his injured Springbok wings Courtnall Skosan and Ruan Combrinck.
But while the Lions have rested all their first-choice players, the Bulls will also field their second-stringers with the stronger line-up in action today against the Sharks in Polokwane.
De Bruin is, however, excited to see this young brigade in action who he sees as the future of Lions rugby with the majority of them already having being exposed in the Currie Cup.
“These are the players we have worked with since last year and are just waiting for the opportunity to show they belong at this level,” said De Bruin.
“Because of the late arrival of a big part of the squad, however, we were just able to arrange one proper pre-season outing, but there’s huge excitement among the entire group.”
It will also be a golden opportunity for today’s skipper, centre Howard Mnisi, to prove he is over his horrendous knee injury and to prove he is ready to challenge Harold Vorster and Lionel Mapoe for a starting berth.
De Bruin will also trial two players at hooker in prop Corne Fourie and loan Pumas flank Marnus Schoeman.
“The idea is to play in four chukkas where all 25 players will be tried in different combinations,” said De Bruin.
Kick-off is at 3pm and entrance is free.