No seaside sojourn for Crusaders as Lions tie looms

Two weeks in South Africa and not a grain of sand or surf break in sight.

The Crusaders must mean business.

Usually one of the first tasks for New Zealand and Aussie teams upon sighting the Super draw is to ascertain whether they will be playing in Johannesburg, Pretoria or Bloemfontein.

If they are, the next assignment is usually to race for the blower and ask whether the travel agent can book a few days near the coast in Durban or Cape Town.

Sun, sand, surf, spectacular bloody sunrises and then a quick flight up to the landlocked cities to play rugby – it all sounds rather idyllic.

The Crusaders may as well torch those brochures now.

They will still see plenty of sunshine, but the only beaches sighted will be from their jet airliner as it passes over the Indian Ocean.

With his team preparing to face the Lions in Johannesburg and the Bulls in Pretoria, coach Todd Blackadder has elected to have his men sharpen their swords inside their rivals’ rugby kingdoms over the next fortnight.

They will reside in Johannesburg ahead of Sunday morning’s (NZ time) match against the Lions at Ellis Park.

Next week they will move to a complex near Rustenburg before transferring to Pretoria ahead of their match against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

‘‘It has proven in the past that playing at sea level and then going up to play at altitude can be a distraction,’’ Blackadder stated.

‘‘And there are extra flights for that sort of thing as well. We just want to get to Johannesburg, get settled and hit the ground running.’’

He has good reason to keep his troops focused. Despite their miserable record over the last three seasons, where they amassed just eight wins from 54 matches, the Lions are proving to be a more tenacious bunch this year.

Last weekend, it took a couple of late penalties from Joe Pietersen to allow the Stormers to escape with a win at Ellis Park after being starved of possession for long periods by a Lions side that – despite a long injury list – clearly has some ticker.

The Lions, who have a 1-3 record this season, had more luck against attack-happy Cheetahs in their season opener when they triumphed 27-25 and were unlucky to lose 30-28 to the Hurricanes a week later.

One big challenge during tours of the republic is to ensure players do not become too restless during their free time.

Some may be content to watch films or glue themselves to game consoles, but others hanker for the chance to stretch their legs or go for regular wanders.

Having booked into the massive Montecasino estate, a walled complex designed to look like a picturesque Italian village, hotel guests have the freedom to wander around at any hour – day or night.

Numerous restaurants, indoor and out, casinos, shops and high- rise hotels are a short stroll away and security staff watch each exit.

As a player, Blackadder collected enough stamps from immigration staff to fill several passports and should recognise the warning signs when players are starting to get scratchy.

This short tour, he reckons, should avoid those pitfalls.

‘‘No, I’m not worried. By the time you get there, and get your body clock right, you are just coming right before the game. This is going to be a big game for us against the Lions and we just don’t see the benefit of having an extra two flights going to and from sea level.’’