AUDIO: 'You don't need a badge to lead'
LISTEN as loose forward Albertus Smith explains how the team will cope without inspirational leader Warren Whiteley.
The Lions are looking to bounced back from their heart-breaking 17-19 loss to the Stormers this past weekend, when they host the Bulls at Ellis Park on Saturday.
However, they have to do it without Whiteley, sidelined for six to eight weeks with a pectoral muscle injury.
His loss is a massive blow, but Smith believes the Johannesburg-based team have enough ‘leaders’ in the team to cope with the setback.
The one-time capped Springbok is adamant the Lions are not a one-man band.
“We have a lot of leaders in the team,” Smith told a media briefing at the team’s training bases, as they stepped up preparations for the big Trans-Jukskei derby.
“It is not just [about] one guy and you don’t have to have the badge as captain to lead.
“Warren is a big loss for us,” he said, adding: “It is [important] to keep on going.
“Previously, when Warren was out, Jaco Kriel took over. We still have a lot of leaders.”
He said they will be motivated to perform well for Whiteley.
“He is still here [at training] helping, contributing to the team.”
The loose forward, with over 150 Sevens caps for his country, said the Lions have had a good week of training.
“Last week we travelled back from Argentina [and] it wasn’t a full week.
“This week we have a Monday and a Tuesday to train, so it is a better build-up.”
Smith expects the Ellis Park factor to play a massive role.
The Lions have had plenty of travelling to contend with at the start of the season, flying halfway around the world to play the Jaguares – who they beat 25-16 in Buenos Aires – and then travel back to South Africa to face the Stormers in Cape Town last week.
Smith said that he is excited to finally be playing in front of the Lions home crowd.
“It’s awesome to be back home,” he said, adding: “It’s a normal week for us, not being away or coming back from travel.
“We are playing at home, at our own stadium, in front of our crowd – so it will be awesome to run out there and just to give it our all to play for the fans.”
The Bulls, just as the Lions did, have also racked up air miles – travelling across five time zones, following a defeat against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires last Saturday.
The Lions forwards coach Phillip Lemmer is hoping that the travel factor will be the Bulls undoing in the last twenty minutes.
“That’s why the forwards are so important on Saturday as well’- we must scrum them and we must maul them so our backs can express themselves,” explained Lemmer.
By Josh Isaacson
@isaacson_j
@rugby365com
