Lions need to ‘bring A-game and more’ against Crusaders

Lions coach Swys de Bruin was in no doubt about what his team needs to do to break with history in Saturday’s Super Rugby final against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

“We have to bring our Agame and more. We have huge respect for them‚” De Bruin said about the eight-time champions who are this weekend defending the title they won at Ellis Park last year.

The Crusaders are on a 14match unbeaten run and have won all 20 playoff matches played in Christchurch in New Zealand. While the Crusaders have history in their favour‚ the Lions do not have much to go on.

They lost all four of their matches against New Zealand opposition this season.

Last year they beat the Hurricanes and lost the final to the Crusaders‚ but they chalked up three wins against New Zealand opposition en route to the final in 2016.

When he announced his team for the final, De Bruin was asked about the comments of Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd‚ who had installed the Crusaders as favourites after his team lost in the semifinals in Christchurch last weekend.

“He’s not far off‚” De Bruin said. “However‚ everyone can be beaten. The fact that they are favourites is no lie.”

Captain Warren Whiteley, who missed two previous finals the Lions had featured in, said he was honoured to now get an opportunity to play in the tournament’s climax.

He will also get the opportunity to measure himself against All Blacks captain Kieran Read, who for long has been the globe’s standard bearer in that position.

“He’s the world’s best No 8‚ a great leader‚” Whiteley said.

Aphiwe Dyantyi will have to save his potentially explosive impact for the second half after he was named on the bench for the Lions.

They take on the Crusaders with a team that shows two changes from the one that beat the Waratahs in the semifinals.

Having sat out the second half last week with a hamstring injury‚ Dyantyi will this week make room for Courtnall Skosan in the starting lineup‚ while Cyle Brink returns to flank in the place of Lourens Erasmus, who drops to the bench.