Lions boss sets marker for SA teams
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: All four Super Rugby teams will have to produce noteworthy success in aid of Springboks’ World Cup campaign says Lions head coach Zacharia ‘Swys’ de Bruin.
The Lions have been the pride of South African rugby throughout the last three seasons, making three consecutive Super Rugby finals since 2016.
Despite the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers momentarily gaining ground on the Lions, the statistics do not paint a good picture for the trio.
The Sharks finished their 2018 Super Rugby season in third position in the South African conference with 36 points from 16 matches played which included seven wins, eight defeats and a draw.
The Stormers’ finished the season in fourth place in the SA conference and 11th on the overall log.
While the Bulls ended up in the last place in the South African conference with the same record as the Stormers’ except for point’s difference.
Indeed figures that should be a concern for Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus heading into the World Cup.
The last time the Boks won the World Cup was in 2007. The same year the Bulls were crowned Super Rugby champions, which clearly show the link between a strong Super Rugby challenge and the performance of the national team.
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“For a national interest we need the franchises [Bulls, Lions, Sharks, Stormers] to be strong,’ De Bruin, who has been part of the Springboks coaching set-up since Erasmus’ role as head coach, told reporters.
“You don’t want to be one team in the final the other team just number eight, ten and thirteen – we don’t want that, it’s not good for [Erasmus] and the [Springboks].
“We need the franchises not only one and two but we need three of the four doing very well if you want to help the national interest,” explained De Bruin.
The Lions mentor acknowledged that the sides are doing everything to improve, especially taking note of the Bulls with the appointment of new coach Pote Human and the signing of Springbok number eight Duane Vermeulen.
“If you look at the Bulls what they brought in there it’s massive.
The coaching staff, the director of rugby whose very experienced and the whole lot from Duane Vermeulen, they’ve got a very strong spine, the aerial lock [captain Lodewyk de Jager], nine [scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier], ten [flyhalf Handré Pollard], fifteen [fullback Warrick Gelant] they all Springboks so they look very good,” explained De Bruin.
“The Sharks got a lot of momentum from winning the Currie Cup,” said De Bruin.
“The Stormers have about eleven Springboks in their pack of forwards.
“A guy like [ Sikhumbuzo Notshe] is a Springbok but he comes off the bench,” said De Bruin.
“So, we [Lions] will have to be a solid team because it’s going to be a hard fight the whole season,”
By Josh Isaacson
@isaacson_j
@rugby365com
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