Faf’s ready to up the ante in Crusaders game

HIS job has changed slightly‚ but Faf de Klerk has warmed to the task of stepping off the bench and upping the ante.

Earlier this season he lost his starting spot to Ross Cronje‚ as well as his place in the Bok squad‚ but the departing Lions scrumhalf has done everything but sulk in the corner.

While Cronje has exuded calm‚ clear‚ clutter-free decision-making and execution‚ De Kerk has stepped off the bench and upped the tempo.

He says the lungs of the Crusaders‚ whom the Lions meet in Saturday’s Super Rugby final‚ must be exposed to the same blowtorch.

“We’ll probably want to chase up the tempo of the game, get their lungs to work overtime‚” De Klerk said.

He said that the Hurricanes‚ whom they vanquished in the semifinals, and the Crusaders were cut from the same cloth‚ with distinguishable differences.

“They have a similar attacking mindset, but the Crusaders will probably kick more‚” De Klerk predicted.

It is to his credit that De Klerk – set to join Sale Sharks in England on a multimillionrand contract after Super Rugby – has not retreated into obscurity this season.

“A lot of players have to go through it‚” he said of coming on as a substitute.

“For me, the important thing is to have the same mindset, whether I start or come off the bench.

“Your playing partner who starts can get injured in the first minute.

“The big difference for me is to try to make an impact irrespective how long I play.

“If you are 10 points behind or 10 ahead you have to decide whether your team needs more energy‚ or more calm.

“You just have to be in the game. The more energy there is‚ the better we play.

“My plan usually is getting the forwards on the front foot and the backs away.”

The Lions needed some rearguard action in their quarterfinal against the Sharks‚ before pulling a Lazarus-like kick-the-coffin-open stunt against the Hurricanes in the semis.

“The Sharks game was perhaps a good thing. Not that we needed a wake-up, but it [restored] our fighting spirit.

“Last weekend [against] the Hurricanes, nobody stressed. We stayed focused.

“At half-time the coach told us to view the scoreboard as nil-nil.”

De Klerk‚ along with coach Johan Ackermann, will be involved in their last game for the Lions.

He is excited about the new challenge at Sale.

“They are going into a phase where they want to turn things around.

“It will be a great time to arrive there.