Super Rugby quarterfinals

WE WILL HAVE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

Cronje comes in for Groom and Dyantyi replaces Skosan.

Lions captain Warren Whiteley stressed yesterday they need to be on fire from the word go in their defining Super Rugby quarterfinal outing against the unpredictable Jaguares at Ellis Park tomorrow.

Whiteley said that in a play-off, nobody wants to play catch-up and trail 12-0 early like last weekend against the Bulls.

“We definitely want to be at our best but we need to start better, that’s something we have spoken about,” said Whiteley.

“We can’t have the start we had last weekend, so we have to hit the ground running and then just be consistent for 80 minutes.”

Whiteley said their defence has to be right up there.

“Most Super Rugby teams like to play off 9 and 10, but they mostly like to play off 10 and they do it quite effectively where they have various options off 10 which make it difficult defensively,” he said.

Coach Swys de Bruin named two changes with Ross Cronje replacing Nic Groom, who fractured his wrist, at scrumhalf, while on the leftwing Aphiwe Dyantyi returns for Courtnall Skosan.

“As normal it’s just rotation, we wanted to play Ross in any case, that was the plan even before last week with Groomie and Aphiwe had a full rest so Courtnall knows between them we will share the game time properly,” he said.

For De Bruin it’s his first playoff as head coach.

“I’m really humbled to be part of such a team. The moment it becomes about me or any individual then we are losing it.

“I’m so thankful I can work with players like Warren and these guys. Since I was a young boy it was a dream for me to one day work with these kind of guys, I love it.”

De Bruin said, tongue in-cheek, while walking off the pitch this week, Whiteley asked him “coach, do you remember that one training session of three-and-a-half hours”, when Whiteley was still an Under-20 player at the Sharks Academy.

“And I said ‘me’ – no it simply can’t be’,” De Bruin said.

“… and no water breaks,” interrupted Whiteley.

To which De Bruin replied jokingly: “you were there to train, not to drink water.”

Picture: Backpagepix TELLING IT LIKE IT IS. A good start is crucial for the Lions in their Super Rugby quarterfinal against the Jaguares at Ellis Park tomorrow, says captain Warren Whiteley.