Same script for Lions?

Same script for Lions?

25 Jul 2006

A trip to Newlands is a daunting task at the best of times, but for the Lions this weekend there is added pressure.

Another defeat, coupled with other results not going their way this weekend could see the Johannesburg-based outfit propping up the log come next Monday morning.

And that for a province that has contested the last seven semi-finals, hosted the 2002 final and last won the title in 1999 is simply unacceptable. And they happen to be one of the wealthiest unions around.

After a woeful start to the Absa Currie Cup – four losses in five matches – the Lions are plotting the same route as the Cats did in the Vodacom Super 14 earlier this year. And that ended with coach Frans Ludeke getting the boot.

The Lions’ only victory this season came at home against the Valke, and with respect to the Brakpan-based team, even the most ardent Lions fan cannot take too much glee from that achievement.

On Saturday victory against Luke Watson’s province outfit will go a long way to easy the pressure on the team and on the coach. As was said throughout the Super 14, all it takes is one win to get back on track.

“Western Province are probably playing the best rugby of all the teams in the Currie Cup, so it is going to be tough,” coach Eugene Eloff told keo.co.za.

Eloff has started to spew the same excuses that punctuated the last few months of Ludeke’s tenure and the only cure is a win against a quality team. Even better if it is away from home.

And WP are just that, having disposed of the Blue Bulls, Cheetahs and Valke on consecutive weekends and currently lie third on the log. The Lions are sixth.

“They have an organised loose-trio and are capable of attacking from anywhere. They don’t really have a pattern, which makes it difficult to defend against them,” said Eloff. “And they have good athletes in the backline and their style is to be adventurous and attack from anywhere.”

Maybe the Lions should take them on at their own game. They have the backs to compete against WP, but it is up front where the major concern is.

By Andrew Hollely


38 Comments

  • 1.Waikse: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 08:57 am

    1

  • 2.MysticBoer: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 08:58 am

    So maybe it wasn’t Ludeke’s fault, maybe it’s just a bunch of kak players

  • 3.Windhoek.Lager: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 08:59 am

    Yes, the Lions are definitely underachievers at the moment. However, I think Eloff is on the right track. He’s got a young and talented team.

    They will be a force next year.

  • 4.skunk: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:03 am

    SA rugby needs a healthy lions side otherwise this four team pattern will kill our rugby. But this is not going to happen with the type rugby these guys have been playing.

  • 5.skunk: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:06 am

    They also need to take RJ back maybbe that will help both them and the boks.

  • 6.Grrrr....I'm a Lion!: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:07 am

    Ja wat….

  • 7.Craig Goosen: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:08 am

    Man, I am a Lions fan, but they just dont seem to be getting things right. Something is wrong, and Im not sure what. For staters, we havent bought many quality players in the past few seasons [No disrespect to the players we have bought]. ANY team needs a dominant flyhalf to go forward, but when Andre Pretorius is injured or with the Boks, the Lions really battle.

  • 8.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:08 am

    Leeus sal regkom , gee kans. Daar is genoeg spelers waarop hulle kan staat maak. Net so bietjie afronding en hulle sal weer regkom.

  • 9.emiel: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:12 am

    One has to feel for Elof. Experienced players such as kleinjan Tromp, Pietman vNiekerk, Vosloo,
    Hall have all left for Europe or retired while others such as van Biljon, Hurter, Labuschagne, Winter, Sepaka, January,Pretorius, Muller, Fourie, jantjies have been injured or been called up. This meant that the Lions have had to start their campaign with mostly under 21′s with no proper experienced playeres to guide them. In a few of their games 3 of the five tigh forwards were under 21′s.

  • 10.bigg: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:19 am

    GRRRR – I really feel sorry for you. I hope the Lions come right after the WP game…

  • 11.rayman: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:19 am

    grrr im not a lion anymore!!!

  • 12.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:21 am

    that’s right, Loffie was forced or decided to use youngsters…9 of the match 22 in our first game against the Sharks made their Lions debut.

    They scored 4 tries and conceded 4, but we did not have a reliable kicker and lost the game because of that.

    Then instead of just tweaking the match 22 slightly, Loffie has chopped and changed every week, making 6,8,6 and then 4 changes…

    In my view that has been our problem up to now.

  • 13.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:23 am

    emiel

    Ja , voel vir die man. Hy moet nou weer bou van die grond af , maar dit kan goed wees oor die lang termyn. Hulle kan ‘n gedugte span word. Hoe se hulle, eers kruip voor jy kan loop.

  • 14.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:23 am

    emiel , jy is nie dalk van CW nie ?

  • 15.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:29 am

    emiel

    Ja, hy het baie ouens verloor, maar dis juis daai ouens wat nerens in die s14 was nie (behalwe Fourie, Petoors)! Loffie wou juis van die meeste van hulle ontslae raak omdat hulle op hulle name gekies is. n Mens moet kyk na die perd wat jy opsaal. Kyk vir Muir, hy het 19 en 20 jarige outjies en hulle speel goeie, wen rugby!

  • 16.Grrrr....I'm a Lion!: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:32 am

    I will always be a frieken Lion!!! I’m to stupid to change… Plus, die wiel draai. Stadig… maar hy draai.

  • 17.Staat: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:41 am

    Bring terug vir Paul Bayvel en Gerald Bosch!!

  • 18.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:41 am

    see my comment at #12

    and I’m with you Grrr, always have been and always will be a Lion!

  • 19.Loki: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:43 am

    Anybody recall how The Lions offered Jongi Nokwe (anybody remember him?) R1 mil to come and play for them! And how they poached the Rose brothers (good riddanced I say) – WP gain was their loss:)A union that persists with Jorrie and Grant Esterhuyse and the Rose brothers (all taped up with half the bible written on their taping) deserves to play in the Absa Series!

  • 20.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:51 am

    Walter en GRRR

    Wie gaan julle in die s14 ondersteun?

  • 21.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 09:54 am

    #20, moet maar eers sien of ons daaring gaan speel, lyk redelik onseker op hierdie stadium. LOL!

  • 22.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:03 am

    Dis juis hoekom ek vra! As die Cats nie speel nie, wie sal julle ondersteun? Julle ou Cats maatjies Cheetahs?

  • 23.stormers604: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:03 am

    cant wait to see the roses get the **** tackled like a salomie out of them on saturday

  • 24.Staat: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:03 am

    Ek dink die beste ding vir die leeus en vir Wikus van Heerden sal wees as hy ‘n ander “tuiste” kan kry.

    Hoewel ek hom hoog “rate” as ‘n speler, moet hy een van die swakste wen rekords as kaptein/speler hê.So ‘n verloor kultuur sal moeilik onder hom as kaptein verander kan word.

  • 25.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:11 am

    Wikus gaan voor die einde van die jaar n bul wees.

  • 26.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:21 am

    hoekom aansluit by ‘n span wat 4de op die log is? LOL!

  • 27.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:42 am

    Staat (#24), dis maklik om sommer kak te praat sonder om dit te staaf met feite. Ek het bietjie na my rekords gaan kyk, Wikus se wen rekord as kaptein is nogal glad nie sleg nie..

    Hy was 33 keer al kaptein van die Leeus, met 20 wenne. Dis 60.6% wenne as kaptein. As mens in ag neem dat hy hierdie seisoen 4 keer as kaptein aan die verloorkant was, beteken dit dat sy wenpersentasie as kaptein voor hierdie seisoen 69% was.

  • 28.Bod: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 10:54 am

    Ha…. its good to be a Province supporter these days. Now if only they can run the ball for the full 80 minutes instead of the the 1st 30, then shut up shop and defend/kick for the remaining 50… we should murder this lot.

    Craig/Grrrr

    I feel for your pains, but think the wheel has turned (significantly downward) again for your bunch.

    I remember growing up in JHB and have vivid memories of my dad dragging me down to the Wanderers cricket ground (Ellis Park was being rebuilt) every Saturday and having to be subjected to good ol Transvaal (including frikking Lee Barnard and his 14 other useless cohorts) getting caned by 50 points… week after week after week.

    Deja vu… I see bad times ahead…

  • 29.emiel: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 11:02 am

    Walter, i think that most of the changes that Elof implemented were either due to injuries ( Brain Mujati, Pietman van Niekerk, Stolz, Jaco Pretorius, Jody Rose etc) or simply players that weren’t up to the task or out of form (Crocket, le Grange, James van der Walt, van Heerden). Lets face it,it will take some time to settle on the best 20/25 players.

    Stem saam Andre, terloops waar is CW( bedoel jy Western Cape?

    Supa, jy’s reg, maar jy het tog ook ondervinding nodig. probleem met Leeus is dat hulle nie ‘n AJ Venter of Os du Rant het om die jong manne te lei nie.

    Ons moet ook besef dat afrigters soos Meyer, Muire en en van der Merwe vir twee of meer seisoene gesukkel het om resultate te krei.

  • 30.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 11:09 am

    emiel, stem nie heeltemal met jou saam nie, dit was sover ek weet net Jorrie wat in die wedstryd teen die Sharks beseer is, so instede van 2 veranderings (Jorrie en die skrummie wat nie kan skop nie (Kockott)), maak hy toe 6 veranderings.

    En nou na elke wedstryd doen hy dieselfde, het al 37 spelers in 5 wedstryde gebruik.

  • 31.Grrrr....I'm a Lion!: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 11:15 am

    Supa

    As die Cats/Lions uit volgende jaar se Super14 is sal ek of die Cheethas of Sharks ondersteun. Ek ondersteun al die SA spanne maar daai twee sal my favourites wees.

  • 32.Grrrr....I'm a Lion!: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 11:17 am

    Ek het die naweek weer iemand ontmoet wat my herhinder het hoekom ek nooit vir WP sal skreeu nie… :roll:

  • 33.Provvas: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 14:00 pm

    Seer oppi peer Grrrr…jy is mos Simon se ***** nie waar nie???

  • 34.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 14:41 pm

    Sou die hofbeslissing oor die Spears/Cats S14 situasie nie gister gewees het nie. Iemand weer iets gehoor?

    As die Cats/Leeus uit is dan skree ek vir die Bulle.

  • 35.walter: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 16:49 pm

    katsesnor, dis op 31 Julie (volgende maandag)

  • 36.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 17:07 pm

    Thanx Walter. Ek hoop daai regter dink dié ding mooi deur voordat hy ‘n uitspraak maak.

  • 37.sarky: Reply to this comment
    25 Jul 2006, 22:46 pm

    Grr, like you a sucker for punishment and a Lions supporter. Sad fact is the Lions management and talent scouts have had **** for brains for years. They lose too many good players to other unions and keep too many plonkers on their books for me to think of them as either competent or incorruptible.
    It would take a genius to provide the S14 and CC results that they’ve achieved over the past few years. Either that or interests outside of rugby dominate their thinking.

  • 38.walter: Reply to this comment
    26 Jul 2006, 11:44 am

    latest lions team is out…Loffie made 8 changes again…crazy stuff…

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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