Glasgow Warriors boss Franco Smith was full of respect for the Lions after their 54-12 victory at Ellis Park. With Francke Horn, pictured, and Morne van den Berg leading the charge, is it time for Rassie Erasmus to take a closer look at the Pride of Jozi? Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith was full of praise for the Lions players who walloped his charges 54-12 at Ellis Park and believes some of them are knocking on the Springboks door.
“What makes the Lions so good is that they have Springbok-like players, but they are not Springboks,” Smith said, after their week 15 United Rugby Championship (URC) encounter.
“The most valuable players are the guys who are good enough to be Springboks, but they are not Springboks. They make the difference at the club level.
“The strength in the Lions is that they have so many good players who are ready to play for South Africa, but they are not playing for South Africa,” the former Springbok reiterated. “Francke Horn is playing very good rugby, Morne van den Berg is excellent at the base of the scrum.
"In general, there are a few players in the forward pack that, while they don’t quite fit the size bill, are good athletes, and they get around the park playing a brand of rugby that suits Ellis Park so well.”
It was interesting to hear Smith talk about the debilitating effect the long-distance travel had on his players. South African teams travelling north have the same issue, so the boot was on the other foot when Smith said his players had struggled with fatigue.
“Well done to the Lions. They used their time off well, they looked fresh, quick, and well-coached, well-drilled,” Smith said. “You could see their plan. Well done to their coaching team. The Lions put us under pressure and asked questions.
“I don’t want to sound like I am making excuses, but it is evident that the travel and the height above sea level took a toll.
“There is maybe a different energy when you travel for a final (the Warriors beat the Bulls in the URC final in 2024), but it was all a bit much. We saw it with Edinburgh a few weeks ago (when they lost by a similar margin to the Lions at Ellis Park).
"It is not easy to come out of winter. I think it was six degrees when we left, and you come to a field that is a lot heavier than what we are used to. There are a lot of difficult ingredients when you travel towards the end of a season that has already been going on for 22-weeks.
“Again, let me praise the Lions. They are so good at home. They are a good side and have secured their position in the Top 8. They are a tough nut.”