Battle of the flyhalves

01 July 2016 - 09:23 By LIAM DEL CARME

Talk of the Sharks being more desperate to win tomorrow's crunch Super rugby clash was brushed aside by Lions coach Johan Ackermann yesterday. "The next three weeks is as important to us as it is for them. The players know we must get over this hurdle," said Ackermann. Defeat for the Sharks at Ellis Park will almost certainly extinguish their Super rugby prospects.It's also about a battle of the No10s - between the experience and finesse of Elton Jantjies against the Sharks' preocious Garth April.The Lions are in pursuit of conference honours, which will bring home-ground advantage once the knockout stages come around.The challenge for the coach is to quickly bring his players up to the breakneck speed they were operating at before the break. The Lions are now Bok-laden and Ackermann has to ensure his players' feet remain on terra firma."I trust that hunger is still there," he said. "I don't care if a guy has 50 caps or one. If he's not going to work hard on the field he is not going to get selected."Ackermann must also ensure his players, especially those who did duty against Ireland, quickly familiarise themselves with the Lions' play book. His team plays with a joi de vivre far removed from the obdurate ethos of Test rugby.The coach doesn't believe he has to purge his team of questionable habits developed over the past few weeks. "The players know how we want to play. The reason they got selected for the Boks is because they did certain things well."It was like riding a bicycle earlier this week at training because everything fell back into place again. There is no [need for] assimilation. We can't say 'do what you did at the Boks'. Do what you normally do for us."He said he hoped his team would pick up the continuity that proved so valuable early in the season."We need that fluency we had before the break. Every team would want that."The coach named a team with its entire Springbok complement, bar the injured Warren Whiteley, in the starting lineup.Whiteley's place goes to Ruan Ackermann. The coach said his son had performed well against Griquas and the Leopards. Flank Jaco Kriel steps up as captain...

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