Lions clarify status of Junior Boks' futures
SPOTLIGHT: Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher clarified the futures of two Junior Springbok stars.
Flanker Bathobele Hlekani officially swapped the black of the Sharks for the red of the Lions this past week after speculation that the move from Durban might not materialise.
Helekani’s move is a smart one, considering the amount of depth and talent the Sharks possess at loose forward to get more regular game time and potentially put himself on Rassie Erasmus radar.
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Loubscher said that the youngster slotted into the squad immediately and that the Lions look forward to aiding in his development.
“Batho [Hlekani] slotted in with us immediately.
“The big challenge for him, obviously, is to get used to our systems and the way we do things.
“We know what he’s capable of on the pitch, and we’re quite excited to have him.
“It’s great that he’s joined us, and we can’t wait to start working and walk a path with him.”
In the same breath, there were questions surrounding fellow Junior Bok sensation Haashim Pead, who had very little game time for the Lions despite being in immaculate form for the Junior Boks this past season.
Loubscher said the Lions are aware of his qualities and that he will get an opportunity to showcase his skills regularly for the Johannesburg-based outfit.
“We know what he [Haashim Pead] is capable of, and we’d love to give him an opportunity to play.
“We’re still talking about team selection, but we’re excited about what he can bring.
“We have seen what he is capable of during the [World Rugby] Under-20 Championship.
“He’s great on attack, brings great speed to the team, and his passing and sniping [game] around the rucks is immense.
“It’s a matter of time before we will unleash him and hopefully he’ll make use of the opportunity.”
The Lions could also be without three stalwarts heading into their clash with the Sharks, with Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg and Eduan Keyter all ruled out with injury.
“Reinhard Nothnagel is still struggling with a concussion he suffered against the Stormers,” Loubscher said.
“Darrien Landsberg has an AC joint injury, and Eduan Keyter also suffers from a concussion, so there are a few question marks regarding their availability.
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