AUDIO: Whiteley says it's going to be 'lekka'

AUDIO: The Sharks head to Ellis Park on Saturday to face the Lions in the Currie Cup Final with some inside info on their opponents in their back pockets.

The Lions have only lost one game in the Currie Cup this season, bending the knee to the same Sharks they host this weekend.

In recent years players like James Venter, Siya Masuku, Vincent Tshituka, Manu Tshituka, Jordan Hendrikse and the most recent, Tiaan Swanepoel all opted to swap the concrete jungle for Durban.

Similarly, among the coaches Warren Whiteley, Joey Mongalo, and Philip Lemmer all decided to pursue their careers at the Sharks.

When former Lions and Springbok captain Whiteley called it a day as a player at 32 in 2020, he immediately joined the coaching team at the Lions with a specific focus on the line-outs.

A year later he was appointed as lineout coach at the Sharks.

On Tuesday Venter and Whiteley spoke about their previous time at the Lions, their memories of Ellis Park Stadium, and how their team will be approaching the Final.

“I think their junior system has been run really well over the last few years. We know coach Wessel [Roux] and Mziwakhe [Nkosi] and the other coaches have intimate knowledge of the players in the province," Whiteley explained, having firsthand experience on how things work up in Johannesburg.

“Their recruitment model is good. One can see that they have a good understanding of the players that they recruit and develop.

“And we’ve seen it in this Currie Cup. There has been continuity within their squad and also their coaches and their performances.

“They are a dangerous side and we respect them a lot. They are a tight-knit group and had good continuity in all areas.

“So it’s going to be a lekka battle," Whiteley said.

"Ellis Park is a great place to play and obviously we've got fond memories there."

Talking about the stadium in Johannesburg and the fast pitch which allows for a quick and entertaining game, Venter elaborated on the kind of players they have in their squad that could benefit from that.

"If you look at our exciting backline - you saw this weekend we managed to put five tries over the line and another two disallowed.

"So we are also really excited for that pitch. It’s a pitch that is going to fit well into our model and what we have worked hard on in the pre-season," he mentioned.

"It’s a stadium we get excited about to run out on, it’s a very prestigious stadium."

[rp-mc-game id="207|942446|2024"][/rp-mc-game]

Venter elaborated on the Lions and what has made them such tough opponents in the Currie Cup this season.

"The Lions are a team that thrives off good setpieces.

"They also get excited around any moments like turn-overs or transitions.

"Those are areas of the game that we have to be good at and we can’t allow silly turnovers or give them opportunities to counterattack against us.

"They love their scrums, they love their mauls.

"If we win those moments, it will help the scoreline go our way," the flank explained.

Whiteley refuted any comments that the Currie Cup is not the prestigious competition it was in the past.

"We know the rich heritage the Currie Cup has, and it still holds that value. Some people might argue that.

"You can just look at this last weekend’s performance. That game at Loftus was just incredible.

"To see both teams putting it out there was incredible to watch. It means a lot to a lot of people.

"It is a huge opportunity for us.,

"But there are some areas of the game that we are not happy with and that we want to improve on," the former Springbok captain commented.