AUDIO: Lions pack to bring shock factor
SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Any team targeting the Lions forward pack will be in for a surprise according to Lions loosehead prop Dylan Smith.
The Lions have lost the services of experienced players such as flank Jaco Kriel, prop Ruan Dreyer, prop Jacques van Rooyen and Springbok lock Francois Mostert, which makes the franchise very vulnerable up front.
Nonetheless, Smith believes that the presence of captain Warren Whiteley and Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx will play a crucial part in maintaining that pack power and revealed that teams are in for a ‘surprise’
https://soundcloud.com/user-645352503/warren-whiteley
“Certainly, teams will be in for surprise,” Smith told reporters when asked about opponents targeting the pack.
“Even though a few [players] have left we’ve got a lot of guys who are getting close to fifty [Super Rugby] caps and have been in finals so we know what to expect
“Having said that we also know what more we need to put in,” Smith added.
The Lions have two warm-up games against the Bulls and Sharks before they kick-off their Super Rugby campaign.
And the Johannesburg-based franchise’s pack certainly have to be in pristine form, especially as they start their Super Rugby campaign with a clash against the Jaguares at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani on February 16.
The Argentinian franchise, well-known for their pack prowess, have a new head coach in Gonzalo Quesada. However, with the likes of Agustin Creevy, captain Pablo Matera and Tomas Lavanini, just to name a few, the Jaguares’ pack will still be their go-to weapon.
“We [Lions] are not specifically preparing for the Jaguares,” Smith said.
“It’s not like we’ve looked at the way Argentina or the Jaguares have played.
“I got to give it to the Jaguares they are a tough opponent at home, but like I said we are getting there, we are preparing and we are good,” he added.
The Lions play the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday before they play the Sharks in the Superhero doubleheader at Cape Town Stadium on February 3.
By Josh Isaacson
@isaacson_j
@rugby365com
https://soundcloud.com/user-645352503/lions-coach-swys-de-bruin-speaks-ahead-of-2019-season
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