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Alberts relishing Lions clash

Christo Buchner

Johannesburg – The Lions will be making a big mistake if they single him out for some special attention on Saturday, says Sharks loose forward Willem Alberts.

“If they want to focus on me, they must simply realise that there are 14 other guys that can do the damage,” the big loose forward said of his return to Coca-Cola Park.

It is the first time that he will be in action there again following his controversial move to Durban. His decision to leave the Lions led to a major contractual wrangle, which ended up in court.

“I’m enjoying my rugby at the Sharks a lot and it’s nice to be on the winning side again,” Alberts said on Tuesday.

“I had to adapt at first, but have settled in well now. It was tough initially to grasp the new game plan at the Sharks, but it was only a matter of time before that would happen.

“What does stand out here is the professionalism that is part of the set-up. It is a privilege to be part of a union like this.”

Alberts had a quiet start, but has come into his own in the last few games.

He is enjoying the lifestyle at the Sharks, but the former Monument High pupil from Krugersdorp admits the serious heat and humidity gets the better of him at times.

Did he not think he had made a mistake to move following the Sharks’ poor start to the season?

“Not at all, because a good team does not become a bad one overnight and we knew that the turning point had to come at some time,” he said.

He is looking forward to playing on the field again where he produced so many good performances for the Lions.

“For me it remains a special field and to run out there brings the best out of me,” said Alberts, who will do duty in his favoured No 8 position with Ryan Kankowski on the injured list.

Alberts’s former team-mates will no doubt be out to rub his nose in the turf, but he is ready for the challenge.

The tougher it gets, the more he enjoys it.
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