Lions must fight jet lag and rested Cheetahs
by Sbu Mjokeliso
2016-03-16 05:00:00.0
JET lag, wear and tear plus a few bruised Lions bodies will play a major factor this week ahead of the clash against their former Cats stable mates, the Cheetahs.
Rest is the name of the game this week, said assistant coach Swys de Bruin, who is also fighting the effects of the hours of travel from Johannesburg to Tokyo, Hamilton, Dunedin and back from their overseas tour. The Lions trained for the first time yesterday morning since arriving home following a successful overseas tour.
Johan Ackermann’s side won two of three matches, picking up a bonus point against the Sunwolves.
Beating the Chiefs in Hamilton in week two was the icing on the cake, although they could not add the cherry on top after suffering a 34-15 loss to the defending champions, the Highlanders, at Forsyth Barr last Saturday.
"The jet lag has got us, hey," said De Bruin. "We are only training today. We had a very long flight, which felt close to more than 50 hours in travelling and waiting time. It’s been hectic.
"We are letting the guys rest …, that is our main plan, so they can recover."
The Cheetahs, who narrowly beat the Sunwolves 32-31 last weekend, are the expanded 18-team tournament’s first beneficiaries of the plan to shorten travelling time for South African teams by hosting matches in Singapore.
While the Lions spent about 20 hours in the air between Auckland, Sydney and Johannesburg on their way back, the Cheetahs spent half that time midair. And Franco Smith and his boys had to contend with a smaller deficit in the time zone difference.
Better news for the Lions was that they do not have any more injury headaches to deal with, after losing Harold Vorster to a knee injury while on tour.
Winger Courtnall Skosan, who pulled his calf at the weekend, will be available for selection by the time Ackermann names his team today, and so will Franco Mostert and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, who had hip problems.
Star centre Lionel Mapoe will be fresh though, De Bruin said.
JET lag, wear and tear plus a few bruised Lions bodies will play a major factor this week ahead of the clash against their former Cats stable mates, the Cheetahs.
Rest is the name of the game this week, said assistant coach Swys de Bruin, who is also fighting the effects of the hours of travel from Johannesburg to Tokyo, Hamilton, Dunedin and back from their overseas tour. The Lions trained for the first time yesterday morning since arriving home following a successful overseas tour.
Johan Ackermann’s side won two of three matches, picking up a bonus point against the Sunwolves.
Beating the Chiefs in Hamilton in week two was the icing on the cake, although they could not add the cherry on top after suffering a 34-15 loss to the defending champions, the Highlanders, at Forsyth Barr last Saturday.
"The jet lag has got us, hey," said De Bruin. "We are only training today. We had a very long flight, which felt close to more than 50 hours in travelling and waiting time. It’s been hectic.
"We are letting the guys rest …, that is our main plan, so they can recover."
The Cheetahs, who narrowly beat the Sunwolves 32-31 last weekend, are the expanded 18-team tournament’s first beneficiaries of the plan to shorten travelling time for South African teams by hosting matches in Singapore.
While the Lions spent about 20 hours in the air between Auckland, Sydney and Johannesburg on their way back, the Cheetahs spent half that time midair. And Franco Smith and his boys had to contend with a smaller deficit in the time zone difference.
Better news for the Lions was that they do not have any more injury headaches to deal with, after losing Harold Vorster to a knee injury while on tour.
Winger Courtnall Skosan, who pulled his calf at the weekend, will be available for selection by the time Ackermann names his team today, and so will Franco Mostert and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, who had hip problems.
Star centre Lionel Mapoe will be fresh though, De Bruin said.
