D-day at Ellis Park, Newlands and Wellington
THERE is an air of a Springboks-All Blacks Test ahead of Saturday’s Super Rugby quarterfinal clash between the Lions and the Crusaders at Ellis Park.
There is a pungent whiff, too, around the stadium that history is about to be made.
The stadium’s first Test match almost nine decades ago was between the Boks and All Blacks and the most historic clash was also between the two great rugby nations in 1995 when the Boks won the World Cup. It is fitting, then, that the Lions’ most important week of the professional era is the build-up to a duel with the all-conquering New Zealand side, the Crusaders.
Johan Ackermann, the architect of the Lions’ celebrated rise, is aware of what the occasion of hosting their first play-off match at Ellis Park, and against the mighty Crusaders, means. A Super Rugby knockout game could be won for the first time at the stadium.
“It’s a proud moment for us to be a part of this game and hopefully the supporters will also appreciate how the Lions have progressed to make it to this play-off match,” said Ackermann.
“I hope the fans will support us as they would have supported the Springboks against the All Blacks in a Test match. These are two teams that will put on a great game. We all like our South African derbies but to play a Crusaders side that carries such a rich history of winning the competition, that is laden with All Blacks, has made all the effort worth it. We’ve always wanted to make Ellis Park a tough place to visit and in most ways we succeeded. The history of this stadium, the way the Boks have played here and how tough it was for touring sides is something we can draw from.”
Ackermann was able to name “Captain Incredible” Warren Whiteley in the starting XV to face the Crusaders. The eighthman recovered — two weeks earlier than predicted — from a shoulder injury suffered in the June Tests against Ireland.
The rest of the team is the best Ackermann could have chosen and has all the players that did not travel to Buenos Aires last week fit and champing at the bit.
“I was always eyeing a return in this game, even if I kept that to myself,” said Whiteley. “It’s not a miracle that I’m here. The underlying factor was the work done by the medical staff. I’m 100% ready to play and I’ve been training with the boys since last week. My first contact session was on Tuesday and Wednesday’s defensive session, which was full contact, was the truest test of whether I would make it or not. And I lasted the full session going full throttle.
“But the decision to come back has only been about the team and not myself. I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t feel I could give my all.”
The Lions lost the round-robin fixture 43-37 at Ellis Park but the result looked a lot more like the Lions shooting themselves in the foot than fielding bullets the Crusaders fired their way. Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty was unplayable that day but there were too many first-phase defensive errors by the home team, which Ackermann hopes they have ironed out.
“We’re a different team from the one that lost that game in round six,” he said.
The Crusaders also have more to play for than just a place in the semifinals, which is to honour their coach and former Super 12-winning captain Todd Blackadder, who is leaving at the end of this campaign.
“The beauty about Super Rugby is that you have to make sure you enjoy each moment because you don’t know when it’s going to be your last with that team,” All Black lock Sam Whitelock said.
“You don’t know when it’s going to be all over. We are coming into this game knowing that the Lions are going to attack and use the ball, we’ve got to make sure everyone’s ready to defend.”