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Injuries force reshuffle in Bok side to play England
 Nov
20, 2008 -
Coach Peter de Villiers named a side with three changes
to play England in the final test of the year for the
Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday.
John Smit moves to Hooker in the place of the injured
Bismarck du Plessis, while his place at tighthead is
then filled by Jannie du Plessis, and Juan Smith was
also injured against Scotland and his place is taken by
Danie Rossouw at number 7.
Chiliboy Ralepelle and Heinrich Brussow are new on the
bench, and Brussow will make his debut if used, which is
more than likely as De VIlliers always uses all 22
players in almost every match.
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
and view the full team with their stats
here.
|
Lions lose another top player
 Nov
19, 2008 -
The Lions lost another one of their top players when
Centre Jaco Pretorius signed a three year contract with
the Bulls on Tuesday.
Pretorius was the Lions player of the year in 2006 after
a great season where he scored 11 tries in 12 matches,
and this after playing without a contract that year
because he wanted to prove himself.
Jaco played in 50 matches for the Lions, scoring 30
tries and 150 points. He made his Lions debut in 2001 in
a home game against Namibia.
He also played in two tests for the Springboks on the
back of his brilliant 2006 season.
It sounds like Pretorius tried his best to stay with the
Lions, but for some reason the union did not want to
offer him what he's worth, and he had no option but to
sign with the Bulls.
This is just another big mistake by the union, Jaco was
consistently one of our best players in the last three
seasons, and scored a brilliant try in our victory over
the Blue Bulls at Loftus this year, he will really be
missed by the union and supporters and players.
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here.
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Fourie du Preez out with injury
Nov
14, 2008 -
Fourie du Preez injured a quadricep muscle in training
for the test against Scotland this Saturday, and had to
be replaced by Enrico Januarie. He will also have to sit
out against England next weekend. Danie Rossouw takes
Januarie's spot on the bench.
The team to play Scotland is:
Conrad Jantjes, JP Pietersen, Adrian Jacobs, Jean de
Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Enrico Januarie,
Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield,
Bakkies Botha; John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis,
Tendai Mtawarira.
Substitutes: Brian Mujati, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Andries
Bekker, Ryan Kankowski; Danie Rossouw, Frans Steyn,
Jaque Fourie.
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
and view the full team stats here
|
Springbok side to play Wales announced
 Nov 5, 2008 -
Peter de Villiers announced the Springbok side to play
Wales this Saturday, and kept his promise to pick John
Smit at tighthead prop and Ruan Pienaar at Flyhalf.
Other than that the only surprise is perhaps the fact
that Ryan Kankowski is not starting at number eight.
The team is:
Conrad Jantjes, JP Pietersen, Adrian Jacobs, Jean de
Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez,
Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield,
Bakkies Botha; John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis,
Tendai Mtawarira.
Substitutes: Brian Mujati, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Andries
Bekker, Ryan Kankowski; Ricky Januarie, Frans Steyn,
Jaque Fourie.
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
and view the full team stats here
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Two Lions included in Springbok squad
 Oct
25, 2008 - Two Lions players were named in the Springbok
squad of 28 players that will play three test matches
against Wales, Scotland and England in November.
Earl Rose and Jaque Fourie are the only Lions in the
squad, while Heinke van der Merwe and Jano Vermaak were
named as two of the seven players on standby.
Surprisingly Peter de Villiers said that Ruan Pienaar is
touring as the number one Flyhalf, and John Smit as a
Tighthead Prop.
The full list is:
Forwards: Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger,
Heinrich Brussouw, Bismarck du Plessis, Ryan Kankowski,
Victor Matfield, Brian Mujati, Tendai Mtawarira,
Chilliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, Jogn Smit (c), Juan
Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthro Steenkamp.
Backs: Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie,
Bryan Habana, Adrian Jacobs, Conrad Jantjes, Enrico
Januarie, Odwa Ndungane, Jongi Nokwe, Ruan Pienaar, JP
Pietersen, Earl Rose, Francois Steyn.
Players on standby: Peter Grant, Jannie du Plessis,
Johan Muller, Wynand Olivier, Adrian Strauss, Heinke van
der Merwe, Jano Vermaak.
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
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Show your support for the Springbok emblem!
Oct
22, 2008 - There is lots of talk again
that the Springbok emblem is under threat. Let me be
very clear on this issue, I support the Springbok emblem
100%!
If you feel the same way, I have created a page that
allows you to add your name and contact details to a
database to show your support for the Springbok emblem.
The contact details part is to make sure that I'm not
cheating, and that it can be verified that the names on
the list are real.
Go add your name to show your support of the Springbok emblem!
Click here
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
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Lions lose Trompie to Griquas
 Oct
22, 2008 - In a shocking development the Lions admitted
that Trompie Nontshinga has in fact signed a contract
with Griquas, and not with the Lions. This despite the
fact that the Lions sent out a media announcement last
week in which they claimed that they secured the
services of the player for two seasons.
This is a big blow to the Lions, as Trompie seemed to be
one of the better players on the list of 9 new signings
that the Lions announced. CEO Manie Reyneke declined to
explain what happened, saying that he "can't discuss
players or salaries in public".
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
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Lions announce new signings
Oct
16, 2008 - The Lions announced their new player signings
for the 2009 season today. Most prominent is the name of
Trompie Nontshinga, who was on loan from the Bulls, who
has signed a two year contract with the Lions.
Nontshinga started in the last six games for the Lions,
in which he scored three tries, and he will certainly be
a regular starter for us in the next two seasons.
Other new signings are:
Rouan Cloete (2 years)
Todd Clever (1 year)
Divan Kotze (2 years)
Robert Kruger (2 years)
Willie Ricard (1 year)
Alastair Siegelaar (2 years)
Thuliphato Marole (2 years)
Hans van Dyk (2 years)
The following players extended their contracts with the
Lions:
Willem Alberts (Oct 2011)
Charl du Plessis (Oct 2010)
Jaque Fourie (Oct 2010)
Cobus Grobbelaar (Oct 2010)
JC Janse van Rensburg (2011)
Chris Jonck (2010)
Doppies la Grange (2010)
Louis Ludik (2011)
Derick Minnie (2010)
Gert Muller (2010)
Earl Rose (2010)
Jody Rose (2010)
Justin St Jerry (2010)
Lawrence Sephaka (2010)
Dewald Senekal (2010)
Johan van Deventer (2011)
Heinke van der Merwe (2011)
Walter Venter (2010)
Jano Vermaak (2010)
Willie Wepener (2010)
Justin Wheeler (2010)
Ross Geldenhuys (2010)
Discuss this on the forum with us by clicking
here
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Sharks end the Lions season
 Oct
13, 2008 - The Sharks ended the Lions season on Saturday
by beating them 29-14 in Durban in a Currie Cup
semi-final. Both teams scored two tries, but the Sharks
were already in a commanding 26-7 lead at halftime.
The Lions were poor in the first half, making too many
mistakes and conceding far too many penalties and
allowing the Sharks to convert them into points and
basically run away with the match.
It was a dissapointing Currie Cup season for the Lions,
after losing last year's final by just two points to the
Cheetahs, this year they struggled, and only managed to
win 2 out of 9 matches played against the so-called big
five unions. The wins were against WP at home and the
Blue Bulls away, but the other leg against these two
unions were lost, as well as 2 losses against the
Cheetahs and three against the Sharks (including the
semi-final).
Based on this, one has to admit that the 2008 Currie Cup
season was a failure, and we have to ask where we go
from here?
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Loffie
changes three for Sharks semi-final
 Oct
9, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff made three changes to the
Lions side that will face the Sharks in the Currie Cup
semi-final in Durban on Saturday.
The big news is that Louis Strydom will start at Flyhalf,
a wise choice in my opinion as Strydom is our only fit
true Flyhalf at this stage.
Earl Rose is moved to Fullback, where he can probably do
less damage than what he did in the last match against
the Sharks, while Ludik is then moved to Right Wing in
the place of Killian, who will be on the bench.
The only problem that I have with this change of heart
of the coach is that it came much too late, Strydom
should have started at Flyhalf as soon as he recovered
from the injury he had at the start of the Currie Cup,
but instead, he was just used as a replacement in 5
recent matches, so one also has to wonder how he will
handle being thrown into the deep end at such a crucial
stage of the season.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Supporters bus to Durban
 Oct
7, 2008 - The guys at Lions Pride have organised a
Supporters Bus that will travel down to Durban for the
semi-final against the Guppies, here is the information:
The Lions Pride are offering you a very very rare
opportunity... to watch the Xerox Lions take on the
Sharks in Durban in the 2008 Absa Currie Cup Semi-Final
on Saturday, 11 October 2008.
A bus will be departing from the Johannesburg Athletics
Stadium on
Saturday morning to the Absa Stadium in Durban, and will
return to
Johannesburg after dinner has been served. The departure
times will be confirmed with you once your booking has
been confirmed.
Seats are limited and tickets are selling fast, so don't
hesitate to
book your tickets today. The cost is just R820.00 per
person which will include your match ticket, a return
bus trip to Johannesburg and three meals (a breakfast
and lunch pack on the bus, and dinner at the stadium
after the game). There are only 63 seats available and
tickets are strictly on a first come first serve basis.
Please email Olga van der Struys at olgav@glru.co.za to
book your seat on the bus and for any further
information by no later than Thursday, 9 October 2008 at
11:00am.
|
Lions deny mountain goats again!
 Oct
6, 2008 - The Lions lost 14-6 to WP at Newlands on
Saturday, but did enough to qualify for the Currie Cup
semi-finals and keep WP out of the semis.
It's not the first time this year that we managed to
keep the mountain goats out of the semis, earlier in the
year we kept them out of the denied them out of the
Super 14 semis as well.
So how do you like the roar of the Lions now!
As the score shows, the match was no spectacle, and WP
lead 7-0 at the break after Luke Watson scored after the
hooter when we were a man down after Doppies la Grange
got a yellow for hands in a ruck. Rose then slotted a
penalty to make it 7-3, and then, with the Lions on the
attack, Jean de Villiers intercepted a pass from Louis
Strydom to Jaque Fourie and ran the length of the field
to score and make it 14-3. About 6 minutes from full
time Rose kicked another penalty to make the final score
14-6.
View the match report here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions forced to change one for WP clash
 Oct
2, 2008 - The Lions were forced to make one change to
the team that plays Western Province at Newlands on
Saturday.
Derick Minnie was injured in the loss to the Sharks and
his place is taken by Justin Wheeler, while Wilhelm Koch
will be on the bench in Wheeler's place. Jaco van
Schalkwyk also replaces Rayno Benjamin on the bench.
Koch recently signed to play the next two seasons at the
Leopards, and it's slightly surprising to see him on the
bench for us.
The match against the Stormers is crucial for both
teams, the Lions need a single bonus point from the
match to qualify for the semis, while WP need to keep
the Lions from scoring a bonus point, while they have to
score one themselves, and beat the Lions by 19 points to
qualify for the semis.
View the match report here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions hand game to Sharks
 Sep
27, 2008 - The Lions were once again their worst enemy
in a match where they went down 20-34 against the Sharks
at Ellis Park on Saturday.
They were leading 8-3 at the break and looked in control
of the match, but then in the space of just six minutes
Earl Rose made two huge mistakes and basically handed
the match to the Sharks. First he tried to chip the ball
over the head of Jean Deysel, but instead it went
straight into the hands of Deysel who said thanks and
went to score a try, and then 6 minutes later he kicked
a clearing kick from his 22 straight into the hands of
JP Pietersen, who then chipped the ball over the Lions
defense and scored another try.
In the match analysis that I've been doing all season,
that is one of the mistakes Rose makes in every match,
namely not to find touch from clearing kicks from his
22, and this time it really cost us dearly. The coach
also needs to take part of the blame for not addressing
this shortcoming of the player that becomes evident when
you analyse the matches, but who knows, they might not
even be aware of this. In my opinion Louis Strydom
should also have been starting at number ten since he
recovered from his injury.
This loss was the first since 1996 to the Sharks in the
Currie Cup at Ellis Park, not a proud day for us Lions.
It could mean that we miss out on a semi-final spot,
depending on what we do against WP next weekend, and I
would assume that that could mean the end of Loffie at
Ellis Park. He gave three players a run of 6 minutes
again in this match, not sure what he expects a player
to do in 6 minutes, but one of them, Jannes Labuschagne,
earned his first cap since 2004 for us.
View the match report here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions change one for Sharks clash
 Sep
25, 2008 - Eugene Eloff named one change to the Lions
side to face the Sharks in a crucial Currie Cup clash at
Ellis Park on Saturday.
Jaco Pretorius injured his hand in the match against
Boland and that allows Jaque Fourie to start at Outside
Centre. Fourie has played in three Currie Cup matches
this year, of which two were off the bench, and one can
only hope that he won't be too rusty in a match as
important as this one, and off course that he gets
enough quality ball to do his magic that we know he is
capable of.
The other big news is that Jannes Labuschagne is on the
bench to cover lock, Jannes last played for the Lions in
September 2004, and he is a veteran of 103 matches for
the Lions.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions score bonus point after hooter against Boland
Sep
20, 2008 - The Lions scored their fourth try after the
hooter against Boland in Wellington on Saturday, winning
the game 31-10 in mud bath conditions. It's actually
shocking that Boland is allowed to neglect their playing
surface in this way, and one can only hope that SARU
steps in and sorts it out.
The Lions were leading 17-5 at the break and only needed
to score two tries in the second half to earn the bonus
point, but then time ran out and that fourth try looked
like it would evade the Lions, only for Derick Minnie
scoring it about a minute after the final hooter.
It must also be said that the official in charge of the
hooter seemed to sound it early by about two minutes in
both halves, effectively making it a 76 minute match
instead of 80.
Jaco Pretorius played in his 50th match for the Lions
and was rewarded with his 30th try for us.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Loffie names unchanged side for Boland clash
 Sep
18, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff named an unchanged Lions
side to play Boland in Wellington on Saturday. The Lions
need 5 points from the match to make sure that they stay
3rd on the log with only two regular matches left after
the weekend.
The only changes are on the bench where Jaque Fourie
makes a welcome return after his injury in the Argentina
test match, and Duncan Naude, the big lock sourced from
the Pumas, are set to make his debut for the Lions.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Come join the Lions for some Barnyard fun!
 Sep
9, 2008 - On Wednesday 17 September 2008 the Lions are
having a fun evening at the Barnyard Theatre in Cresta,
and they are inviting you to join in the fun.
Each table will have one of the Lions players, and two
players, Walter Venter and Ethienne Reynecke have asked
me to help fill some of the empty places at their
tables, but believe me, you have to act fast as these
places will be snapped up.
The cost is R150 per person, and there are ten seats
available at every table. To book a table at Walter
Venter's table, phone Dewald on 082-211-5476, and for a
place at the table of Ettas, phone Walter on
082-572-5492.
The evening's fun starts at 7 for 7:30.
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Rayno Benjamin in court
 Sep
9, 2008 - Rayno Benjamin appeared in court this
afternoon on allegations of being in possession of a schedule 5
substance earlier in the year.
Benjamin's legal advisor, Mr. Boela van der Merwe, has had the matter
remanded to Thursday, 2 October 2008.
Reports this morning were incorrect in stating that both Earl Rose and
Rayno Benjamin were allegedly dealing in drugs. Rose was charged but
never appeared in court, and neither of the two were accused of dealing
in drugs, but with possession of a schedule 5 substance.
Benjamin denies the allegations against him and has no knowledge of
being in possession of the alleged schedule 5 substance. It would appear
that the substance was planted in his flat.
Van der Merwe has discussed the merits of the case with the Senior
Prosecutor of Randburg, Mr. Pieter Erasmus, whereby it was agreed that
written representations will be submitted to Erasmus. Van der Merwe
believes that written representations will be favorably met by the
Senior Prosecutor.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union is supportive of Rayno and is behind him
during this matter. No disciplinary action steps have even been
considered at this stage, pending the outcome of the written
representations.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions outclass Valke in Brakpan
 Sep
5, 2008 - The Lions were much too strong for the Valke
in Brakpan on Friday night, beating them 83-14 after
leading 38-14 at the break. The Lions scored 13 tries to
the 2 by the Valke, and five Lions players scored two
tries each, namely Jaco van Schalkwyk, Michale Killian,
Doppies la Grange, Ethienne Reynecke and Rayno Benjamin.
The worrying thing is that Mostert, Jonck, Venter and La
Grange left the field with injuries, Mostert and Jonck
with serious injuries and we still wait to see how
serious the injuries of the two number 12's are.
Jaco van Schalkwyk also received a red card for a spear
tackle, which probably means at least a one-match ban
for him.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions change four for Valke clash
Sep
3, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff made four changes to the
team to play the Valke in Brakpan on Friday night. Louis
Ludik and Willem Alberts were injured against the
Cheetahs, while Jano Vermaak received a one-match
suspension for his spear tackle. Their places are filled
by Jaco van Schalkwyk, Ernst Joubert and Chris Jonck
respectively. In the only other change, Trompie
Nontshinga, who is on loan from the Bulls, gets a start
on the left wing in the place of Rayno Benjamin. Walter
Venter is on the bench after being in the wilderness for
six matches, and hopefully will get at least 30 minutes
to show his class.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Boks crush the Aussies
 Aug
31, 2008 - The Springboks totally outplayed Australia at
Ellis Park on Saturday, handing them a crushing 53-8
defeat after the disappointing loss at Durban last week.
The Boks scored eight tries to one, with four of the
tries coming from man-of-the-match Jongi Nokwe.
It's the second highest score in history by the Boks
against Australia, but the winning margin of 45 is the
biggest in history over the Aussies.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Boks forced to make two changes
Aug
29, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers was forced to make
two changes to the Springbok side to take on the
Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday, after the injury to
JP Pietersen and the suspension of CJ van der Linde.
This allows Odwa Ndungane and Brian Mujati to start
against the Wallabies.
View the full team here and discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Alberts out for rest of season
 Aug
28, 2008 - The Lions received the shock news on
Wednesday that Willem Alberts, the inspirational number
eight, will be out for the rest of the season. He left
the field in the Cheetahs match last Friday with what
was described as "just a twisted ankle", but was
operated on his ankle ligaments in Rosebank yesterday
and his recovery period will be at least 12 weeks, which
effectively ends his season, as the Currie Cup final is
played in about 8 weeks.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions come up short against Cheetahs
Aug
22, 2008 - The Cheetahs are the team that we've got the worst record against since 1991, we only have a 45% win ratio against them over that period, and they've beaten us in the last four Currie Cup matches we've played. It was no different on Friday evening, they beat us once again, 38-28 in a pulsating match at Ellis Park.
Both teams gave everything, but in the end the Cheetahs
had a little bit more, and managed to outscore the home
side four tries to three. Rayno Benjamin scored two for
the Lions, including the last one that made the score
look a bit more respectable for the Lions.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Loffie puts trust in Bull-beaters for Cheetahs clash
Aug
20, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff named an unchanged side to
face the Cheetahs at Ellis Park on Friday evening. The
only change is on the bench, where Ross Geldenhuys
replaces Gert Muller. Geldenhuys hasn't represented the
Lions at Currie Cup level yet, so if he gets a run, it
will be his Lions debut. The coach showed faith in the
starting XV that managed to beat the Blue Bulls at
Loftus two weeks ago, and we all hope that they can
continue their good form against the Cheetahs, the team
that beat them in the final last year, on Friday.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Two changes for Boks to play Australia
 Aug
19, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers made two changes to
the side that went down to the All Blacks last weekend,
Conrad Jantjes replaces Percy Montgomery at Fullback,
while Jongi Nokwe replaces the injured Brian Habana at
Left Wing.
Joe van Niekerk is also back on the bench and is sure to
get a run as it seems that De Villiers is a coach that
believes in giving all 22 players a run in every match.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Springboks in heavy loss against New Zealand
Aug
16, 2008 - The Springboks went down 19-0 against the All
Blacks at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, after
trailing 5-0 at the break. The All Blacks scored three
tries to none. They also made history as it was the 39th
test between the All Blacks and South Africa in South
Africa, and it was the very first time that the
Springboks was kept scoreless.
Not that the Boks didn't have chances, they had plenty,
but for some reason wasn't able to finish at the crucial
stages. There was actually very little between the
teams, and the scoreline certainly flatters the
visitors.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Five changes for Boks to play All Blacks
 Aug
12, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers named five changes to
the Springbok side to play the All Blacks at Newlands on
Saturday. The big news is that Percy Montgomery will
start in what will be his 100th Test Match for South
Africa, replacing Conrad Jantjes at Fullback.
The other four changes are Bryan Habana at Left Wing for
Jongi Nokwe, Fourie du Preez for Enrico Januarie at
Scrumhalf, Schalk Burger for Luke Watson at Flank, and
Andries Bekker for the injured Bakkies Botha at Lock.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions beat the odds and the Bulls at Loftus
 Aug
8, 2008 - The Lions went to Loftus as underdogs, and
then surprised by beating the log leaders, the Bulls,
30-27 on Friday evening. The Lions scored four tries to
three, and were leading 20-13 at the break, after
scoring in the last moments in the first half with the
scores level at thirteen all, and then they went further
ahead in the second half to lead 30-13 at one stage, and
then the Bulls fought back with two tries and threatened
to steal the match from the Lions, but luckily the Lions
managed to keep them from scoring any further after that
and get a great win away from home. Willie Wepener with
his two tries was named man of the match.
View the match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions change one for Loftus clash
 Aug
6, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff made only one change to the
Lions side to face the Blue Bulls at Loftus on Friday
evening. The change is forced by the injury to Dewald
Senekal, who sounds like he will be out for the rest of
the season. Gerhard Mostert, himself back from injury,
replaces Senekal. The other big news is that Ernst
Joubert is on the bench after he was injured during the
Lions overseas Super 14 tour. He was expected to only
return for the Cheetahs match, but will now make his
comeback off the bench 2 weeks earlier.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Five changes for Boks to play Argentina
Aug
5, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers made five changes to
the Bok team to play Argentina at Ellis Park on
Saturday. Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Luke
Watson, Adrian Jacobs and Jongi Nokwe, who will make his
test debut, are the changes. On the bench, Jaque Fourie
and Fourie du Preez make welcome returns after injury,
while Joe van Niekerk and Percy Montgomery add to the
experience on the bench.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions finally win a big one
 Aug
2, 2008 - The Lions beat WP 27-13 at Ellis Park on
Saturday, scoring three tries to one and keeping their
hopes for the 2008 season alive. It was a close match,
and one that could still have been a draw, but the Lions
stole a ball after the hooter and secured the match with
a great try by Doppies la Grange. Louis Ludik was named
man of the match.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions change two for must-win WP clash
 Aug
1, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff made two changes to the Lions side
to play Western Province in a crucuial match at Ellis
Park on Saturday. Michael Killian replaces Heini Gordon
at Right Wing, while Anton van Zyl is back at Lock for
the injured Gerhard Mostert. It is a must-win game for
the Lions, who currently find themselves in 5th place on
the Currie Cup log, with this the last match of the
first round.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions snatch defeat from jaws of victory
 July
26, 2008 - The Lions were cruising to victory against
the Sharks in Durban on Saturday, leading 11-9 with
about five minutes to go in the match, but then through
a sequence of stupid mistakes managed to hand the
victory to the Sharks. First Jaco van Schalkwyk kicked
the ball straight into touch to hand the Sharks field
position, and then shortly afterwards Keegan Daniel ran
through some poor tackles to score the winning try for
the Sharks. The Sharks eventually won the match 16-11,
but the Lions will kick themselves for not managing to
close the game out in the last few minutes.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions change five for Sharks clash
July
24, 2008 - Coach Eugene Eloff made five changes to the Lions
side that face the Sharks in a Currie Cup match in
Durban on Saturday. Three of the changes are positional,
and it's mostly forced by injuries that happened at
training during the week.
Louis Strydom and Jaco van Schalkwyk are both injured,
forcing Eloff to name Earl Rose at Flyhalf, which means
that Louis Ludik will start at Fullback, with Rayno
Benjamin then taking his place at Left Wing. Jaque
Fourie is also injured, so Jaco Pretorius moves back to
Outside Centre, with his place taken by Heini Gordon,
who had a good game against the Valke 3 weeks back.
View the full team and match report
here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions hang on for victory over Griquas
July
19, 2008 - The Lions beat Griquas 36-32 in Kimberley on
Saturday, scoring five tries to six, and thus earning
five points from the match.
I can't imagine that coach Eugene Eloff can be very
happy with our performance in the second half, as we
were leading 24-5 at the break and obviously must have
had a shocking 2nd half.
View the match report here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Australia beat Springboks in Perth
July
19, 2008 - The Springboks went down 16-9 to Australia in
Perth on Saturday in what seemed to be a lackluster
performance from the men in green.
Coach Peter de Villiers in my view is making a mistake
with Conrad Jantjes in the team, as Jantjes had a bit of
a shocker, and the second mistake the coach is making is
having a very inexperienced bench, so when the Aussies
were beating us, he couldn't send in the cavalry, as he
didn't have them on the bench.
Discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions change four for Griquas match
July
17, 2008 - The Lions followed the lead from the
Springboks and also made four changes to the team to
play Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday. The big news is
that Jaque Fourie will start in his first Currie Cup
match for the Lions since the Currie Cup semi-final
against the Blue Bulls at Loftus on 15 October 2005. I
was at that match, and remember the brilliant game Wayne
Julies played that day at Inside Centre, scoring two
tries and giving us a sniff of victory, but it wasn't to
be.
Jaque replaces Jaco Pretorius at Outside Centre, who
moves to Right Wing in the place of Jannie Boshoff.
Franco van der Merwe has recovered from injury and is
back at Flank in the place of Justin Wheeler, who was
named as the player's player of the match against Boland
last weekend.
The last change sees Gerhard Mostert, also back from
injury, replacing Alten Hulme at Lock.
There are two new faces on the bench, Derek Harwood from
UJ, who is only 20, is the replacement Hooker, and will
make his Lions debut if he gets to come on on Saturday,
while Tsepo Kokoali, who last played for us in 2001 and
earned 5 caps that year, is also on the bench.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Four changes to Springboks for Australia Test
July
17, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers made four changes to
the Springbok team to play Australia in a Tri-Nations
Test in Perth on Saturday.
Conrad Jantjes replaces Percy Montgomery at Fullback,
Francois Steyn replaces the injured Adrian Jacobs at
Outside Centre, Pierre Spies is in for Joe van Niekerk
at Number Eight, and Schalk Brits starts at Hooker in
the place of suspended Bismarck du Plessis.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Lions win big against Boland
July
12, 2008 - The Lions beat Boland 57-17 at Ellis Park on
Saturday, scoring eight tries to two in a match where
they simply outclassed the opposition. They scored 5
points from the match, taking them to 11 points on the
log and second on the log before the other matches of
Saturday. Willem Alberts was named man of the match.
View the match report here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Springboks make history in Dunedin
July
12, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers will be a happy man
today, as the Springboks managed to beat the All Blacks
30-28 in Dunedin, the first time in history that the
Boks got a victory at this venue, and also the first
time since 1998 that the Boks won a Test in New Zealand.
This was the Springboks 8th test in Dunedin and the
first time they got a victory there.
Discuss the great Bok victory on the forum with us
here.
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Nine changes to Lions for Boland clash
July
10, 2008 - For the second week in a row coach Eugene
Eloff named nine changes to the team, this time to play
Boland at Ellis Park this Saturday at 3pm.
The changes are:
Jannie Boshoff replaces Louis Ludik at Right Wing, Ludik
moves to Left Wing in the place of Heini Gordon, who had
a decent game against the Valke last Friday. Jaco
Pretorius replaces Jaco van Schalkwyk at Outside Centre,
it's great to have Pretorius back and hopefully he can
get his try-tally ticking over in this match. Doppies la
Grange replaces the injured Walter Venter at Inside
Centre, and Jano Vermaak is back at Scrumhalf in the
place of Chris Jonck. Willem Alberts replaces Wilhelm
Koch at Number 8 and Alten Hulme comes in at Lock for
the injured Anton van Zyl. Willie Wepener replaces the
injured Ethienne Reynecke at Hooker, and Heinke van der
Merwe is back at Loosehead Prop in the place of JC Janse
van Rensburg.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
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Three changes to Springboks for 2nd All Blacks Test
July
10, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers announced three
changes to the Springbok side to play the All Blacks in
the 2nd Tri-Nations Test in Dunedin on Saturday.
Percy Montgomery replaces Conrad Jantjes at Fullback,
while JP Pietersen replaces Odwa Ndungane at Right Wing,
and Bismarck du Plessis comes in at Hooker for the
injured John Smit.
View the full team here and
discuss it on the forum with us
here.
|
Lions secure first win in 2008 Currie Cup
July
4, 2008 - The Lions finally scored their first win of the 2008 Currie Cup season, beating the Valke
35-23 at Ellis Park on Friday, scoring 4 tries to 3 and securing five log points in the match. Louis Strydom certainly made a difference at Flyhalf, and Rose had his best match for the Lions in the Currie Cup and was also named man of the match for his three tries.
Read the full match report here
and rate the players
here.
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Ellis Park renamed to Coca-Cola Park
 July
3, 2008 - It's official, the rumours were true, Ellis
Park was re-branded as Coca-Cola Park effective from 1
July 2008.
The partnership between GLRU and Coca-Cola follows the signing of a
renewable, four-and-a-half-year sponsorship deal between Coca-Cola South
Africa (CCSA) and the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU). It is in line
with Coca-Cola's long history of involvement with popular sports, such
as football, rugby and entertainment, specifically music.
The deal was rumoured to bring in R45m for the GLRU.
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Win tickets for the Lions vs Valke match
 July
3, 2008 - The Johannesburg City Council is sponsoring
four tickets and a parking ticket at the Johannesburg
Stadium for one lucky visitor to my website for the
Currie Cup match between the Lions and the Valke that
takes place at Ellis Park on Friday 4 July at 19:10.
Click here for the details.
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Six changes to Springboks to play All Blacks
July
3, 2008 - Coach Peter de Villiers made six changes to
the Springbok side to play the All Blacks in the
Tri-Nations opener on Saturday. It will be his 4th test
in charge of the Springboks but his biggest test yet, as
the first three were against Wales and Italy, not really
regarded as strong opposition. Obviously it can be
assumed that De Villiers sees this as the strongest team
that he can pick at this moment, and it's going to be
interesting to see how the Boks do against New Zealand,
seeing that we are the current World Champions after
winning the World Cup in France last year, but also
taking into account that the Springboks haven't won a
Test in New Zealand since 25 July
1998 in Wellington
when they won 13-3.
Click here for the full
team.
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Lions change
nine for Valke clash
 July
1, 2008 - Lawrence Sephaka is one of nine changes to the
Lions side to play the Valke at Ellis Park on Friday
evening. He will pack down at Tighthead in the place of
JC Janse van Rensburg, who moves to Loosehead, his
preferred position, in the place of Heinke van der Merwe,
who gets a rest.
The other seven changes are: Jaco van Schalkwyk moves to
Outside Centre from Flyhalf, replacing Jannie Boshoff
who had a death in the family and is on leave, Heini
Gordon starts at Left wing in the place of Dusty Noble,
Louis Strydom starts at Flyhalf in the place of Jaco van
Schalkwyk, Chris Jonck replaces Jano Vermaak at
Scrumhalf, Wilhelm Koch replaces Willem Alberts at
number eight, Anton van Zyl replaces Gerhard Mostert at
Lock, and Ethienne Reynecke gets a start at Hooker in
the place of Willie Wepener.
Click here for the full
team and match report.
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