With the Lions having lost several key players to overseas clubs after Super Rugby, coach Swys de Bruin looks at the youngsters he will need to step up.
HACJIVAH DAYIMANI (NO 8)
‘Hacjivah has learned a lot from Warren Whiteley, who has helped him with positional play and where to run. There is a good mentorship there. Hacjivah is extremely quick and could probably play wing and flank, too. He was also part of our 2016 U19 side, which included Madosh Tambwe, and scored a try in the win against Western Province in the final. He has gained some good Super Rugby experience with us this year and is a bright prospect.’
ASENATHI NTLABAKANYE (TIGHTHEAD PROP)
‘Asenathi has made good progress since last year, when he was playing for St Stithians. He scored a few tries for the Junior Boks this year and is good with the tight phases and the pick-and-goes. He did well for the Golden Lions’ Craven Week team last year and was Man of the Match in one of their games. I thought he had a very good game against the Baby Blacks in the U20 Championship and showed he can handle the pressure, in the scrums and in the tight-loose.’
NATHAN McBETH (LOOSEHEAD PROP)
‘Nathan played loosehead for our U19 side last year. I am not a scrum coach, but I think his profile suits a loosehead, as he is quite tall. Nathan is a Monnas old boy and did quite well for the Junior Springboks. He would’ve gained a lot from playing for the Scotland U20 side in the U20 Six Nations, as Scotland is really focused on the set piece, especially scrumming. He is a good all-round front ranker who has a future with the Lions.’
TIAAN VAN DER MERWE (HOOKER)
‘Tiaan was injured for most of this year and almost came from nowhere to make the Junior Boks side – and they picked him to start. He has some of Malcolm Marx’s characteristics and while I don’t want to talk him up too much, I think he can become a good hooker.’
RUAN VERMAAK (LOCK)
‘Ruan is another Monnas boy. He also played for the Junior Boks this year and has been a part of our U19s for the past couple of years. Ruan was part of our U19 side that won the provincial competition in 2016 and scored a try in the final. He and PJ Steenkamp formed a solid lock pair for the U19s last year. Ruan is a very good lineout specialist and a tough, hard second rower.’
JACK HART (SCRUMHALF)
‘Jack played for the Lions U19s last year and came off the bench in the final. He was also a replacement for the Junior Boks against the Baby Blacks in the recent U20 Championship. Jack is a nuggety, rugged scrumhalf, but he also has a good kicking game and reads the game well.’
WANDISILE SIMELANE (CENTRE/WING)
‘Wandisile was the top try-scorer for the Junior Boks at the U20 Championship. If he stays on the path he is on, he can play for the Springboks one day. Wandisile’s best asset is that he is versatile and can play many positions. He is also good in the air and showed that for the Junior Boks. Having an aerial ability is very important for wings these days and he has mastered that art. He has good feet and we saw that with the tries he scored for the Junior Boks. At this point we don’t want to pressure him into playing just one position.’
FEATURE: Simelane’s oval-ball option
GIANNI LOMBARD (FULLBACK/FLYHALF)
‘Gianni has slotted in well with our juniors since arriving from Paarl Boys’ High. He formed a good halfback combination with Jack Hart for our U19s last year. He is lanky but an extremely good runner with the ball. He has a bit of a young Stephen Larkham in him. Gianni glides over the field and is deceptive with his running lines. He kicks well under pressure and has an underrated long boot. Gianni can slot in easily as either a fullback or a flyhalf, but we don’t want to put pressure on him at this stage to choose.’
TYRONE GREEN (WING/FULLBACK)
‘Tyrone played wing for the Junior Boks, but his best position could be at 15 or even 12, because he has a good understanding of space and is a solid defender. The best thing about him is that he never gives up. He is gutsy, tough and rugged. He reminds me of a young Butch James, who I pulled in for the Sharks from College Rovers. Tyrone did well in this year’s Varsity Cup, which allowed him to show what he can do on attack.’
Interview by Dylan Jack
This article first appeared in the August 2018 issue of SA Rugby magazine.
