Cubs give coach selection headache

Lions coach Johan Ackermann accepted that he will have some selection headaches in the coming weeks after several youngsters gave outstanding displays against Currie Cup pacesetters Western Province on Saturday.

The Lions became the first team to beat WP in 2014 with a 35-33 win at Ellis Park. In truth the victory was far more comfortable than the tight score suggests, after the visitors scored two tries in the final three minutes.

For the Lions the brilliant ball-carrying and link work of flank Kwagga Smith, and the calm control of flyhalf Jaco van der Walt, were key to their victory.

But hooker Armand van der Merwe and scrumhalf Ricky Schroeder also caught the eye to highlight the growing depth at the Lions.

"Those youngsters will make it difficult for me in selection," Ackermann said. "But there is still a lot of rugby left to play and it won't just be a 22-man effort, but a full squad effort for the remainder of the campaign.

"The senior players who are out will have a big challenge after the performances of these new faces."

Smith, a former SA under-20 player and a member of the SA Sevens squad, is a superb athlete with great speed. He nearly caught WP centre Juan de Jongh from behind to stop the try as the latter raced for the tryline.

Smith was instrumental in creating second-half tries for hooker Armand van der Merwe and flank Jaco Kriel. With Derick Minnie and possibly Warren Whiteley to return in the coming weeks Smith might have to bide his time a little longer.

Flyhalf Van der Walt gave a polished performance, shaking off the mistake of booting a restart directly to touch, which led to WP's opening try.

"It's really good to have a specialist at 10 again," Lions captain Lionel Mapoe said. "He organised the forwards well and has a calm influence."

With Marnitz Boshoff out for the season Van der Walt's emergence has pleased Ackermann.