Lions have decent against Folau

Cape Town – Israel Folau presents a clear and present danger to the Lions as they prepare for the visitors challenge Waratahs in Saturday's Super Rugby semifinal at Emirates Airline Park.

If the seasoned Australian international backback was not already worthy of the title of "best air player of the world" in rugby before, he was even more He was the ideal candidate for the squad because of his appearances in the competition (largely) Southern Hemisphere franchises in 2018.

Folau has really dominated the skies with his own branded tactical hitting game – including prolific recipes of his own attacks and chips – but also because of his supernatural talent of winning supposedly 50-50 competitions for balls often higher and hanging.

This helps to have 1.95 m tall, of course, and not far from 105 kg, which gives Folau was again enterprising and authoritarian in most departments during the quarterfinal win of Tahs on the Highlanders: He and the other two "spine" "Players in the back row of the Aussie team, halfback Bernard Foley and center Kurtley Beale, played a crucial role in the result. [19659003HeshouldfeelrelativelycomfortableontheHighveldthisweekend-partialcrowd-onhardandfastterrainandwheretheballissailinggenerouslyandofteninabenignatmosphereandwithout

But there is some comfort for the side of the house, the favorites for the meeting, when it is to neutralize the threat of Folau: their own number 15, Andries Coetzee, has almost always has been a bastion of insurance itself this season, although it does not make a difference. not nearly Folau's Factor X level by reputation.

Earlier this week for signing a contract extension (with captain Warren Whiteley) until the end of next season, Coetzee only reconfirmed – a bit like Elton Jantjies, perhaps? – How much more does his game seem to thrive when he's in a Lions jersey rather than Springbok

I've perhaps been one of his most severe critics during the International Year 2017 when the Bethal's 28-year-old player at Mpumalanga has steadily played for the Boks – the last stages of Allister Coetzee's coaching spell – and ambaded 13 selections

Certainly not helped by being part of the team. a largely unimpressive back three times too much time, he seemed helpless on the front The foot (although the crunchy attack opportunities did not exactly arrive by the bag load) and this probably had an impact on his Insignificant defensive side of things, too, though, and although being ignored until here by national's successor Rbadie Erasmus, Coetzee has rebounded for his franchise in recent months.

In one way or another, he always managed to find a more dangerous, sometimes elusive character, playing for reds and whites. It is reflected in some statistics that might surprise some people.

For Coetzee, at least according to a source of competition statistics, currently stands fourth overall for most of the doorways – 176, and the best by any South African. ] But his tasks of "tidying up" in his important post have no doubt been even more polite; he downplayed the mistakes and his sense of position was usually pretty hard to blame.

The Boks, until here in 2018, have had a great rejuvenated value of Willie the Roux on the back, and Warrick Gelant is also clearly But if, for some reason, they need to 39; a "safe" character on the spot during the rest of the year Test, Erasmus could do much worse than giving Coetzee a new vote of confidence if the desire

Although not being as long as a firewood in Folau, the number 15 of Lions is also not the shortest figure you can see in this position, and no purple diminishes in aerial fights.

Coetzee not be in the same league as Saturday's direct rival for his ability to break the game. But he is currently playing with encouraging courage and vigor, and that means you can not rule out the possibility that 39, he even or slice the duel face to face on weekends …

* Follow our editor in chief on Twitter: @RobHouwing

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