Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher has explained the Lions\u2019 plan for Junior Boks scrumhalf Haashim Pead.<\/p>\n
Pead was one of the standout players at this year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
However, Pead\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
MORE: Lions promise dominance in Durban<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe know what he\u2019s capable of, and we\u2019d love to give him an opportunity to play,\u201d Loubscher said ahead of the Lions\u2019 URC match against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday. \u201cWe\u2019re still talking about team selection, but we\u2019re excited about what he can bring.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw what he is capable of during the U20 Championship. He\u2019s great on attack, brings great speed to the team, and his passing and sniping [game] around the rucks is immense.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of time before we will unleash him and hopefully he\u2019ll make use of the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n