Flyhalf Francis overcomes injury scare to boost Lions prospects against Bulls

The Lions will be boosted by the news that young flyhalf Sam Francis, who had a blinder in Saturday’s 60-10 mauling of the Dragons, will be fit to face the Bulls in Saturday’s United Rugby (URC) clash at Ellis Park.

The rising star was brilliant with ball in hand, keeping his team on the front foot, scoring a dashing try, and was also accurate with the boot. It seemed to be a coming-of-age moment for the 21-year-old so there would have been a few worries in the Lions camp when he limped off in the second half.

But Lions attack coach Ricardo Loubscher confirmed yesterday that Francis had been cleared to resume training and should be fit to face a Bulls side who are also on a high after thumping Stade Francais 48-7 in the Champions Cup to secure their place in the Challenge Cup.

“Sam is good to go. So the doctor gave us some good news today. He didn’t feel so good after the game but he just joined us today and we’re excited about just giving him another opportunity and he’s also really looking forward to it,” Loubscher told a media conference, where he was joined by Bok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg.

“We’re happy with his performance against the Dragons and hopefully he can put in another good performance at the weekend.”

There was further good news for the Lions with the return to the selection mix of Richard Kriel and Kade Wolhuter, Loubscher confirmed.

The Lions stressed the importance of winning their matches against their local rivals to build momentum for the rest of the season, as they seek to impose their brand of rugby on the Bulls at Ellis Park.