Coach Ackermann axes ‘cavalier’ players

IN all, there are 11 new faces in the Lions’ run on team for tomorrow’s Currie Cup match against Boland at Ellis Park (kick-off 5pm).

Coach Johan Ackermann hasn’t held back with the axe after his team suffered their first defeat in the competition in 14 matches, against Griquas, in Kimberley, last weekend.

The defending champions lost 30-24 in their second match this season after opening with a convincing win against the Pumas.

While Ackermann will say he is employing a rotation policy, there is no doubt he has also dropped certain players for their lacklustre showing against the men from the Northern Cape.

The only starters from last weekend who are still in the run-on side this week are Howard Mnisi, Anthony Volmink, Steph de Wit and Ruan Ackermann, who will now play at lock.

Out of the match 23 go Sylvian Mahuza – due to an injury sustained last week – Courtnall Skosan, Stokkies Hanekom, Jaco van der Walt, Lourens Erasmus, MB Lusaseni, Jacques van Rooyen and Akker van der Merwe.

In some good news for the union, hooker Robbie Coetzee is back in the big time after recovering from a knee injury which ruled him out of action for the biggest part of Super Rugby.

Coetzee, who toured with the Springboks to the UK at the end of 2014 but was sent home from that trip because of a neck injury, hurt his knee in the Lions’ third match of the Super Rugby season, against the Highlanders, and subsequently underwent an operation to repair damaged cartilage.

He will play off the bench tomorrow in a match the Lions will be desperate to win after slipping up in Kimberley.

Boland shouldn’t pose too many problems for the Lions, having copped a hiding from the Sharks last week (41-20), and their only win coming against the EP Kings. But, with experienced campaigners like Nico Scheepers, Danwel Demas, Marnus Hugo and Shaun Adendorff in the mix, the visitors are not to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, Ackermann is yet to involve SA Sevens star Kwagga Smith, who’s recently returned from the Rio Olympics, while Super Rugby stalwarts Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Andries Ferreira are still being rested after their exploits in helping the Lions reach their first Super Rugby final three weeks ago.

LIONS STARTING XV: Andries Coetzee, Selom Gavor, Jacques Nel, Howard Mnisi, Anthony Volmink, Marnitz Boshoff, Dillon Smit, Ruaan Lerm, Victor Sekekete, Steph de Wit, Martin Muller, Ruan Ackermann, Pieter Scholtz, Ramone Samuels, Corné Fourie;

REPLACEMENTS: Robbie Coetzee, Dylan Smith, Bobby de Wee, Cyle Brink, Ross Cronje, Koch Marx, JW Bell