Back to scratch, says Skosan
THEY’VE won 10 out of 10 this season and don’t know what it’s like to taste defeat, but that will count for nothing when the Lions host the Cheetahs in the second Currie Cup semi-final at Ellis Park on Saturday.
“Our results have been good and we’ve played with confidence this season, but we can’t be overconfident this weekend. We haven’t achieved anything yet,” said Lions winger Courtnall Skosan before the match.
However, the Lions will be hot favourites to progress to the final, having gone unbeaten through their campaign and having hammered the Cheetahs 73-31 the last time they met, in Bloemfontein a month ago.
“The play-offs are completely different to the regular season. The four teams are now all level again, and what happened before is irrelevant. We all start at nought again, so it’s only what happens this weekend, for now, that matters.”
Skosan has become one of several stars in Johan Ackermann’s free-scoring Lions side this year. He goes into the match as the joint third highest try-scorer with seven, one behind his teammate Kwagga Smith, and four behind the competition’s leading try-scorer, the Bulls’ Jamba Ulengo. He says there is no special secret to the Lions’ winning recipe.
“There’s no secret formula for how we play. We simply stick to our processes and make the most of the opportunities in front of us.
“I suppose the style of rugby we play helps to make things enjoyable, but we mustn’t forget there’s also strong competition for places, and that keeps everyone on their toes.”
Skosan joined the Lions from the Bulls at the beginning of last season, and after initially battling to crack a starting place ahead of Ruan Combrinck, Sampie Mastriet and Anthony Volmink, he made one of the wing positions his own.
“I’m just enjoying the chance to play. But I know there’s a lot of competition for places.
“On my wrist I’ve got written the verse from 2 Timothy 1, that reads ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’, and that’s how I live and play. It’s my motivation when I run on to the field.”
So what is the 24-year-old expecting from the Cheetahs, a side who snuck into the semifinals after drawing their last two games – 37-37 against the Pumas and 34-34 against the Sharks?
“It’s play-offs rugby and you have to be on top of your game. The Cheetahs have played some brilliant rugby this year, and they’re a quality side. They’re going to come at us with everything they’ve got.
“So we’re going to have to play as well as we can.”
Ackermann is due to name his team today and there are likely to be several changes to the side that beat Griquas last weekend.
The only uncertainty around the starting team is who Ackermann will pick in the front row, and whether Smith has recovered sufficiently from a bacterial infection over the weekend to play on Saturday.
But expect the usual protagonists to be back.