Lions style not a Bok blueprint

Having gone through the Currie Cup season unbeaten, scoring 60 tries in 12 matches, there is a clamour for the other South African teams – including the Boks – to use the same blueprint.

However, Ackermann feels it is not as easy as just copying what the Lions are doing.

He said that while South Africa do have the players to play any style, it is more about the "culture" in your team.

"If the rest of the country wants to follow us, it will mean they will look at the same players as us," Ackermann quipped.

Then, on a more serious note, he added: "You have to look at your team as a whole and then adapt your structure and the way you want to play.

"It is up to the individuals and coaching staff to make those decisions.

"I do believe South Africa have the ability to play any kind of style. We have big forwards if we want to smash and bash with the forwards, we have flair players if we want to play the flair game.

"If you put a South African player in a Barbarians side he can do everything that all the other players can do."

He said that the Lions don't see themselves as the trendsetters.

"We – as a group – decided on a certain style and backed it," the Lions mentor said.

"It worked for us at certain stages last year, but was not always that great.

"This year, in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup, we took it a step further.

"It is not perfect yet, but we will just keep on pushing."

He also feels he is close to having a squad that can be really successful in Super Rugby next year – with a number of players coming back from either injury or stints abroad and some really good youngsters having added real depth by coming through in the Currie Cup competition.

For Super Rugby they can again call on players like Corné Fourie (from the Pumas), Armand van der Merwe (a stint in France), Elton Jantjies (Japan), Lionel Mapoe (Japan), Warwick Tecklenburg (Japan), Derick Minnie (back from injury), Francois de Klerk (who has now permanently signed with the Lions from the Pumas) and Harold Vorster (back from injury).

"We can look at this group, without having to add more names – they can take us forward in Super Rugby," Ackermann said.

"Obviously there are the other players that are familiar with our structures and will come back [from abroad or injury].

"We are almost there – to say we have two [players] in every position that hopefully can play at this level."

Ackermann said stepping up to Super Rugby remains a big challenge.

"We still have to see [lock] Lourens [Erasmus] in Super Rugby and we still have to see [centre] Rohan [Janse van Rensburg].

"It [Super Rugby] is a step up and it is against top quality opposition.

To have a good Currie Cup season [means] you must have something in you. That is what is so good.

"[Players like] Fabian Booysen, Dylan Smith played well. Malcolm [Marx] had a lot of game time.

"A lot of youngsters put up their hands and it is good for us going forward.

"Hopefully we can take it into next year."

He felt they will have a good chance of improving on this year's eighth-place finish.

"The continuity will be there," the coach said, adding: "We will have to work hard again – nothing comes for free.

"You can't expect the results of this year to be repeated next year if you don't work hard.

"The players know my philosophy: You have to earn the jersey from the start again. Regardless of where you finished, whether you were No.1, you have to work hard again.

"Everything is in place for us, going into the third year as a group together. Last year was our first year back in Super Rugby and this was our second year.

"The format is going to be challenging, because we don't play any Australian sides, while we play teams from Japan and Argentina that we do not know much about.

"We have some new challenges, but we are looking forward to that."

He also said he was happy to see how the current crop grew and became men.

"I saw a group of guys that were not willing to lie down.

"It is quite satisfactory that we got over last year's hurdle and took it one step further to have the Currie Cup [trophy] in our changeroom."

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