Lions have the luxury of choice
ALL CHANGE?: ACKERMANN SET TO REST HIS HEROES Fit-again hooker Coetzee provides a poser for coach.
The Lions have the luxury of being able to consider resting several of their frontline players for this weekend’s Absa Currie Cup clash against Griquas at Ellis Park.
This will be the unbeaten Lions’ final game before their home semifinal showdown next weekend against either the Cheetahs or the Sharks.
Players who can do with a rest include fullback Andries Coetzee, centre Howard Mnisi, flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, scrumhalf Ross Cronje, prop Julian Redelinghuys, captain Jaco Kriel and lock Franco Mostert.
Kriel himself said one of the biggest positives from last weekend’s 62-32 rout of Western Province was not the scoreline, but the fact that they stuck it out for the entire game.
“The message at half-time was that the second half is a new game and we were also wary of a Province comeback,” said Kriel of their 36-20 half-time lead.
“All the guys really stuck it out there and played their hearts out.”
Ackermann needs to make a big call whether to recall hooker Robbie Coetzee who hasn’t seen action the past three weeks due to a neck injury, but in his absence Malcolm Marx produced a Manof-the-Match performance last weekend.
“On the advice of Stefan Joubert, who did his surgery, Robbie believed he needed a two-week break from contact,” said Ackermann.
“He’ll be back this week for Griquas, so it’s just a management thing. If we had played a semifi nal or final last weekend he could’ve played.”
The Lions had to manage at least four players last week, including centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, prop Jacques van Rooyen, Kriel and replacement flyhalf Jaco van der Walt.
Van Rensburg (eye) was removed from contact for two days, Van Rooyen had a scalp laceration, Kriel had a calf niggle while Van der Walt’s knee was being managed.