Combrinck back and ready

“With a Warren Whiteley in your team you just know you will run all day long.”

That was the remark from Lions’ Springbok wing Ruan Combrinck (right) about the return of some of the team’s stars in last weekend’s SuperSport Challenge match against the Blue Bulls.

Named Man-of-the-Match after scoring twice from fullback, it served as the ideal preparation for today’s Super Rugby return match against the Sharks in Durban, with Whiteley having returned as the team’s skipper.

“It’s always good to get game time under the belt having faced a good Bulls side, almost a Super Rugby side,” he said.

“But this weekend will be massive. The Sharks are an awesome team and their physicality, we’ll definitely feel that on the weekend, it should be quite a big leap from last weekend,” he said.

Having regained his top form, Combrinck said they will try to get the most points they can over this weekend, but said he just enjoys his game and that, when you have such good creators inside, it makes it easy to play in any position, wherever the coach wants to put him and what his plan is.

“About returning to the Boks, it’s something that will always be a dream and I’m really working hard to get back there,” he said.

“Once you have a taste of it you never really want to let it go, but struggling with injuries and form, it was difficult to get back into that.”

The 28-year-old Combrinck, who played seven Tests in 2016, said when the Boks win, the whole country is happy, so whatever they are doing now “we are all supporting them – you can’t wait to see them beating the All Blacks”.

He continued: “It’s always nice to hear your name pop up and now it’s just about grinding and trying to get back there.”

The Lions wing said every Super Rugby team are desperate so you can’t take your foot off the pedal. The Sharks are in a position where they have to win but the same holds for the Lions.

“It’s going to be difficult and it will be tough but you want to play teams who bring the best out of you.”