Are Lions still top of food chain?
● Depleted squad may lack weight
The Lions’ status as conference frontrunners will come under bigger threat this season as defections and a change in competition format are likely to pose uncomfortable questions.
They have proved to be one of the more exhilarating teams when in full cry on attack‚ but the Lions have built their success around the fact that few of their opponents could cope with the sheer intensity they brought to different disciplines across the park.
That has included a strong physical presence and consistency at the scrum and the breakdown.
Their much-vaunted tight five that boasted so much depth not so long ago has been dramatically trimmed after the departure of Ruan Dreyer‚ Jacques van Rooyen‚ Corne Fourie and Franco Mostert.
Add to that the injuries to prop Johannes Jonker and lock Lourens Erasmus, and the Lions’ resources look a bit thin in an area that demands bulk.
Whether they still possess the unrelenting firepower to pummel their opposition into close-quarters submission‚ is moot.
Much will rest on the young shoulders of tighthead on loan Carlu Sadie, 21, the Western Province contracted player.
The Lions have also added lock Stephan Lewies‚ prop Frans van Wyk and hooker Jan-Henning Campher to their resources.
Lewies, too, will have much to live up to as he tries to fill the void left by the unerringly consistent Mostert.
The Lions, however‚ have continuity in their back row and backline, which has a settled‚ familiar look.
The change in format and their draw will present the Lions some interesting posers.
Last year, they benefited from the June recess, giving some of their leading lights time to recover from injury and others the chance to refresh.
Coach Swys de Bruin is on record as saying they enjoyed the break last year.
With no break‚ however‚ continuity will be crucial‚ while squad depth‚ particularly in the tight five‚ might determine if teams can deliver one final surge in the latter part of the competition.
There will also be the small matter of resting national squad players in a Rugby World Cup year.
But De Bruin expects to have his top players available for the latter stages as Super Rugby concludes 2½ months before the Cup.