Loubscher: Lions will unleash Haashim

Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher has explained the Lions’ plan for Junior Boks scrumhalf Haashim Pead.

Pead was one of the standout players at this year’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy, where he scored six tries to help the Junior Boks lift the trophy. After training with the Springboks, he returned to the Lions to make his Currie Cup debut.

However, Pead’s exposure in the URC has been limited. The 20-year-old has made just two appearances for the Lions, both off the bench, totalling only 16 minutes of game time. With Morne van den Berg away on Springbok duty, Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen backed Nico Steyn at nine.

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“We know what he’s capable of, and we’d love to give him an opportunity to play,” Loubscher said ahead of the Lions’ URC match against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday. “We’re still talking about team selection, but we’re excited about what he can bring.

“We saw what he is capable of during the U20 Championship. He’s great on attack, brings great speed to the team, and his passing and sniping [game] around the rucks is immense.

“It’s a matter of time before we will unleash him and hopefully he’ll make use of the opportunity.”

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Loubscher also confirmed that Junior Boks flank Bathobele Hlekani has settled in quickly after completing his move from the Sharks.

“The big challenge for him, obviously, is to get used to our systems and the way we do things,” he added. “We know what he’s capable of on the pitch, and we’re quite excited to have him.”

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Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images