3. The Lions roar
The Lions deserve to be acknowledged as the team who is doing most with what they have. They don’t have a galaxy of Springbok stars in their team yet they won three of their four games on tour: something they had never done before.
It was not always so rosy for the Johannesburg team. The Lions were wooden-spooners in Super Rugby in 2012 and dropped out of the competition in favour of the Kings in 2013; and they got last also.
In 2014 the Lions returned to Super Rugby with it’s squad ravaged from that of two years before but they started surprisingly well, winning four out of six.
They struggled after that and lost all four of their games on tour. After the Waratahs thumped them in Sydney, coach Johan Ackerman explained that many of his players lacked experience especially those recruited straight out of the Currie Cup.
They rallied late in the season to avoid last place, but the beginning of 2015 was not promising.
They lost to the Hurricanes in Round 1 when their goal kicking failed and the Canes were clever with the ball. In Round 2 they got whacked in the Durban rain by the Sharks and the following week the Stormers came home late to beat them.
At least their home cowd appreciated their efforts in that game before the Lions went overseas, because they tried for a five-pointer near the Stormers’ line to win on the bell, rather than going “for poles” and drawing the match.
Warren Whiteley – Lions skipper – at Suncorp .
So they arrived in North Albany to play the Blues who had not won a game either, and they beat them. They defended as if for their lives and repelled the last chance of the Kiwi team by pushing their scrum off their ball.
They got thrashed by the Crusaders the following week but broke the hearts of Rebel’s supporters with a last minute try, and those of the Reds’ fans when they held on to win last weekend at Suncorp.
At 3-4 after seven games they are going OK and doing a lot better than some other teams with more player resources than they have.
Full marks to Johan Ackerman and his coaching crew, and inspirational captain Warren Whiteley.
