Joubert to captain Lions
12 Jul 2006
Lions coach Eugene Eloff has made five changes and a positional switch for his team’s must-win Absa Currie Cup match against the Valke.
The Lions find themselves propping up the log after three rounds. Admittedly the matches were against the three favourites for the title – the Sharks, Blue Bulls and Cheetahs.
Another loss against the Valke – who scored their first win of the campaign last weekend – will be disastrous for all involved.
The 59-5 defeat to the defending champions in Bloemfontein last weekend though has necessitated several changes.
The most notable is the omission of captain Wikus van Heerden, who has been sent to a farm outside of Johannesburg for some well-deserved rest.
In his absence the team will be captained by Ernst Joubert, while young Jean Deysel switches from lock to take Van Heerden’s place on the side of the scrum. Veteran Willem Stoltz comes into the second row.
Other changes up front see tighthead Gert Muller dropped for Bertus Smit and hooker James van der Walt replaced by Ethienne Reyneke. Grant Esterhuizen’s injury sees young Mark Harris get a start in the No 11 jersey.
A rather interesting move sees young Jody Rose replace his brother Earl at flyhalf as the Lions seek to find a solution to their flyhalf woes.
The Lions season is fast unravelling, but they face the Valke and Griquas in the next two weeks – both teams the Lions would normally easily beat.
The pressure is on and if they lose those two games it could be time for heads to roll again.
Lions team to play Valke:
15 Louis Ludik, 14 Wylie Human, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wayne Julies, 11 Mark Harris, 10 Jody Rose, 9 Jano Vermaak; 8 Ernst Joubert (captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Willem Stoltz, 3 Bertus Smit, 2 Ethienne Reyneke, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Andre van Niekerk, 17 Gert Muller, 18 Schalk van der Merwe, 19 Bernard Roland, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Earl Rose, 22 Jaco van Schalkwyk.
By Andrew Hollely
38 Comments
12 Jul 2006, 14:54 pm
Lions to beat the Dragons.
12 Jul 2006, 14:54 pm
SOrry… Valke!
12 Jul 2006, 14:57 pm
**** man cant we get the Western Force to play in the cc.
12 Jul 2006, 15:02 pm
Andrew, was Earl indeed dropped for Jody or is it a typo?
12 Jul 2006, 15:03 pm
Jody is actually much more talented than his bro.
12 Jul 2006, 15:08 pm
Valke gaan Leeus wen!
12 Jul 2006, 15:09 pm
Sure Wickus was sent to the farm for just rest ? Prehaps a two week recovery session with a shrink – as he tries to split his performances from thsoe of his team.
wpw – agree re Jody.
12 Jul 2006, 15:14 pm
Spot on Ig! Did you get my email?
12 Jul 2006, 15:18 pm
lets see…
New hooker
New no 3
no 4 moved to 7
New no 4
no 7 moved to 6
New no 10
New no 11
looks more like 5 changes and 2 positional changes to me…
12 Jul 2006, 15:19 pm
Walter but is it enough changes?
12 Jul 2006, 15:19 pm
Yes i did red – i am currently scribing a letter of protest to supersport with examples. i would watch the world yukskei and syncronysised swimming champs if she was presenting !
12 Jul 2006, 15:22 pm
redcard, I think Loffie is jumping around to much with his selections, 6, 8, and 7 changes in the last 3 games…he should realise that consistent selections also contribute to settle a team’s performances.
12 Jul 2006, 15:24 pm
Ig, to keep us abreast of sporting news offcourse
12 Jul 2006, 15:25 pm
I’ll go down on my knees so long and start saying a prayer for my beloved Lions .. send up a special on for poor Wikus and one big one for us supporters ..
12 Jul 2006, 15:25 pm
Walter,
I’m thinking of drawing up a petition to change the team name to “Die krokkedille”. Cause each weekend weekend “huil ek krokkedil trane”
12 Jul 2006, 15:30 pm
We were thinking of buying a quality no 10 before the CC started…wonder what happened with that, because the Roses don’t cut it…and I’m not talking about Dollie either…
Wylie Human probably thinks that his contract doesn’t stipulate that he needs to tackle as well…and don’t get me started on Julies…
12 Jul 2006, 15:36 pm
Roses too small. They get carried back 5 metres in every tackle!
12 Jul 2006, 15:36 pm
Rose brothers ? don’t rate them yet , maybe in a few years time. Still young and they need lots of game time and a good coach.
12 Jul 2006, 15:44 pm
Ons kyk maar wat gebeur. Ek het nie baie vertroue in die Welpies nie…
12 Jul 2006, 15:47 pm
It’s not that they are just smalll, they play **** rugby…kicking what little ball we get away with aimless kicking. At least Jody seems to be getting his backline away…but Earl hasn’t done anything right at no 10 so far this season.
12 Jul 2006, 15:51 pm
Walter but this Ludik seems to be a exiting youngster. I would like to see more of Harris on the park as well. What do you think?
12 Jul 2006, 15:54 pm
red..Ludik and Harris look like good prospects. Not sure how Harris will handle wing, perhaps we needed Harris at 15 and Ludik at 11 for this match.
Harris is obviously there for his goal kicking.
12 Jul 2006, 16:00 pm
Hi guys
Saturday was the biggest dissapointment for me.
I went to the game with my Lions cap and flag, just to try and hide it at halftime.
The cheetah forwards killed the Lions upfront, and Earl Rose is the biggest looser there is. He just moved to the same category as old Gus and Jorrie!
He cant kick the ball further that 35m. And he never finds touch.
When are the Lions going to sign some big names again?
12 Jul 2006, 16:03 pm
Bloem leeu, I feel for you…
I once drove all the way to Bloem for a game as well, and my team got klapped something like 50-9…and those days tries only counted 4 points…LOL! At least you didn’t have to drive back to JHB..
12 Jul 2006, 16:09 pm
Surely if the team gets snot klapped by 50 points its more than just the Rose brothers who were hopeless (on the day). Reckon the rest of the team were also pretty bloody awful
12 Jul 2006, 16:12 pm
saffa_guy, therefore the 7 changes…I’m just saying some of the guys that kept their places should have been chucked out as well..
12 Jul 2006, 16:36 pm
looks like 94.7 use this site for their sports news, also said it was 4 changes and a positional switch like you originally had it…
12 Jul 2006, 16:53 pm
Walter, I think old John Walland hangs around here quite often. I have picked it up in the past as well.
12 Jul 2006, 16:57 pm
he doesn’t sound like he’s the sharpest tool in the shed…got the story wrong a bit, saying James vd Walt replaces Reyneke..it’s the other way round…LOL!
But he said the Deysel for Wikus bit word for word, even though it’s not true..Grobbelaar moves from 7 to 6 in place of Wikus, and Deysel moves from 4 to7 in the place of Grobbelaar.
12 Jul 2006, 17:08 pm
I watched the bulls X lions at ellis park, Harris impressed me as did Vermaak, I thought they were the best backs on display. Then Harris gets dropped totally. I do not think that Ludik is a Fullback, even as a wing when he had the line in front , with air to beat he nearly tossed it away. I think he would do better as wing with harris aty Fullback.
12 Jul 2006, 17:27 pm
Dont agree with you regarding Ludik, has been the most attacking back for the Lions this season, and safe as houses under the high ball.
12 Jul 2006, 19:01 pm
The rose´s derections to the lions seem to be a blessing in disguise for province.
or is it simply that the lions have no idea how to get the best out of a player.
who knows?
12 Jul 2006, 19:43 pm
I agree with munkiboi….
Neither of the roses are a talent….ai even the referee of the Lions on Saturday “Roos” is talentless….
A rose/roos in the lions denn just does not work…….
Go back to the hooped blommetjie team please….and take Roos with you…..
12 Jul 2006, 20:49 pm
jody has all the skills earl has in his arsenal. the only difference, is that jody is much more explosive.
12 Jul 2006, 23:31 pm
look what happends to all the wp rugby players that end up playing for the lions…carel and michael du plessis..they went up to TVL and then came back back when they realised that money is not everything. Even if Rose was availible for Wp he probably would n’t have been playing. We have enough Roses in Kirstenbosch…
12 Jul 2006, 23:46 pm
Clawless and clueless!!!! The lions are going to have to build from within. You guys had Habana and lost him, what the hell is going on with Lions rugby?
They should remain this side to the kittens!
I don’t think the problem here is with teh coach, Eloff is a fair coach. I think the probelm is the top.
13 Jul 2006, 08:29 am
well, I think our guys are pretty worried about Friday’s game against the Valke, and that in itself is a problem…we’re supposed to be one of the richer unions, will be a joke if we lose.
13 Jul 2006, 11:12 am
Walter,
We are losing too much talent. A guy by the name of Marnes Ferreira play Cravenweek Captain (Primary & HS) SA schools captain etc etc.
He is now apparently selling insurance in Centution and not playing rugby! Sad very sad…
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