Lions in SA
Smit impressed with Lions
2009-06-10 14:48
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Gavin RichDurban - Their ability to play different types of rugby is what has impressed Springbok captain John Smit the most so far about the British and Irish Lions team his men will face in the forthcoming three Test series.
Speaking at the first press conference since the entire squad gathered in Durban on Tuesday, Smit said that with each game the Lions were getting stronger, and his men are expecting a formidable challenge from the combination of the best of the Home Unions when the series starts here on 20 June.
“The quality of rugby that they have played and their ability to play a multi-faceted game has been what has been most impressive about the Lions so far,” said Smit.
“They are good at their set pieces, they are good at playing the ball off the top, they are strong when attacking, they have a lot of depth to their kicking game. I guess if you are looking at them as an opponent for the game here on the 20th, then you would have to say that so far they have shown that they can do most things well.”
Smit added that he had been asked a week ago, before the Lions’ clash with the Golden Lions in Johannesburg, about what he thought of the Lions, and they had progressed a long way since then.
“I don’t know what we can say about their game against the Lions in Johannesburg because their came a time quite early in that match where it just ceased to be a contest. But they have picked up momentum, and probably the best thing you can say about them at the moment is that they have managed three wins in three starts.”
Asked about the likely combination his team would face in the first test, Smit said that Lions coach Ian McGeechan’s policy of not showing his full hand before the game by playing his first choice combination together had to be understood in terms of McGeechan’s past experience.
“No one can say that McGeechan doesn’t have the credentials, because we all know he has. He won here 12 years ago, and he knows how to win here. He has proved himself in the past, so we assume he knows what he is doing.”
Smit agreed that of the front row combinations that have played so far on this tour, the one that played the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week was the best so far.
“They have a lot of good front row forwards, there isn’t a prop in their squad that I don’t rate. For me the best scrumming performance they have put in so far was the one last weekend,” said Smit.
“A lot is going to be spoken about the scrums in this series, I suppose a lot has been spoken about the scrums in the last 12 years. They have a variety of different front-row combinations available to them and all of them have functioned well so far.”