Ackermann backs his Lion cubs
In fact he was quick to point out that 13 of the players who featured in their final Super Rugby outing – against the Stormers at Newlands in early June – are not available for the opening round of the Currie Cup.
Last year's beaten finalists, the Lions, start their 2015 Currie Cup campaign when they travel to Port Elizabeth to face the Eastern Province Kings on Saturday.
However, the team that will run out at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will have a very different look to that which fans have become accustomed to.
Those missing from the line-up include Derick Minnie (out for the rest of the season, after undergoing knee surgery), Andries Coetzee (ankle injury, still a several weeks away from a return), Warren Whiteley, Elton Jantjies, Lionel Mapoe (all at the Springboks), Warwick Tecklenburg (playing in Japan), Armand van der Merwe (playing in France), Andries Ferreira (currently injured, but will also play in Japan during the Currie Cup season), Corne Fourie and Francois de Klerk (who returned to the Pumas), Robert Kruger and Dillon Smit (who returned to the Leopards).
There was a late boost when lock Franco Mostert was released by the Boks on Tuesday and was named in the team.
"A lot of people think we go from Super Rugby straight into the Currie Cup competition with the same team," Ackermann told rugby365, when asked about the expectations.
"That is not true, we certainly have some adjustments to make."
The Lions also opted for only one pre-season game – giving those who featured in Super Rugby a decent break.
Ackermann said he wanted to avoid running the risk of pre-season injuries, as they are a bit thin in certain positions.
"We had to look at certain positions, such as loose forwards – with Warwick [Tecklenburg] having gone to Japan, Derick [Minnie] out injured and Warren [Whiteley] on Springbok duty," the Lions coach said.
"Because we are thin on resources in some positions we did not want to play too much and then you start the season with a long list of injuries."
The Lions came out of their pre-season loss to the Sharks, in Pietermaritzburg last Friday, without any injuries and the coach is happy that they got out of the match what they wanted.
"That means we start [against the EP Kings] on Saturday with our best available team," he said.
And he is confident that the man young players that will be used in the Currie Cup this year, will give a good account of themselves.
It is among the loose forwards where the youth brigade ill be in the spotlight.
"Players like Fabian Booysen, Ruaan Lerm, Steph de Wit and Kwagga [Albertus Smith] will have to step in there," Ackermann said about the absence of all of his senior loose forwards.
"All those players are around 22- to 23-years-old.
"At hooker, with Akker [van der Merwe] away, Malcolm Marx comes in there and he is still just 20.
"Jaco van der Walt, at flyhalf, is also just 20.
"There is definitely a bunch of young players coming through and that is good.
"It is good for their development and good for our depth for next year."
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
