Limp Lions to limp from Newlands
12 Mar 2009
Thank goodness there is always the prospect of playing the Lions to improve one’s mood. And the bones agree.
Having recovered from Week 3′s dismal 2/7 the bones were back in business with 5/6 with the champion Crusaders the only surprise in losing to the Highlanders.
Just how hard is it going to be for the Crusaders without Robbie Deans, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Scott Hamilton and a few others. Well it isn’t looking particularly good and if they don’t overcome the Force at home then it is goodbye to a successful challenge. Some would call it early days in the competition but a fourth successive defeat for the Saders will turn this season into one of rebuilding.
Of all the match-ups that has been the toughest one to call, although I think the closest game will be in Canberra when the Tahs travel north from Sydney.
Last weekend’s matches, with the exception of the Sharks and Blues, were diabolical in quality of rugby and I can’t see much changing this weekend, as the players generally lack the quality of those who in previous years made Super rugby the best provincial rugby competition in the world.
The Stormers, desperate and boring in Pretoria, will at least get a home win to ease the pain of the tradtional early season torture because the limp Lions are in town. The sooner the Lions get put out of their misery and replaced by Cheeky’s Eastern Cape Kings of Convenience the better. Another defeat will keep them rooted at the bottom of the table, a position they have owned for much of their Super rugby existence.
The Stormers will win but not because they have improved in any shape or form. This one will be down to who they are playing and not because of how they will play.
Bones
Week one: 5/7
Week two: 7/7
Week three: 2/7
Week four: 5/6
Total: 19/27
Week five
BLUES vs CHEETAHS, ALBANY, FRIDAY 08:35
Blues 10-plus
BRUMBIES vs WARATAHS, CANBERRA, FRIDAY 10:40
Tahs 1-10
CRUSADERS vs FORCE, CHRISTCHURCH, SATURDAY 06:30
Saders 1-10
HIGHLANDERS vs CHIEFS, INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY 08:35
Chiefs 10-plus
REDS vs SHARKS, BRISBANE, SATURDAY 11:05
Sharks 10-plus
STORMERS vs LIONS, CAPE TOWN, SATURDAY 17:00
Stormers 10-plus
420 Comments
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13 Mar 2009, 05:05 am
#399 Ed_the_Lion:
Yip, Leeus gekies.
Hoop net AP het sy skopskoene aan want Willem de Waal gaan julle stukkend skop.
So nie, moet Loffie vir Earl vinnig opsit.
Maar daai Leeu voorries is woes, veral die loosies.
13 Mar 2009, 05:05 am
#400 Pietman: Voor ek gaan. Dankie vir e-mail oor oli, baie interresant.
13 Mar 2009, 05:05 am
“Limp lions????
Stormers face tighthead crisis
2009-03-12 22:10Email | Print
Stormers prop Brian Mujati (Gallo Images)
Stephen Nell – Die Burger
Cape Town – The Stormers are not just pinning their hopes on Brian Mujati standing his ground against Lions strongman Heinke van der Merwe this weekend, but also on him staying fit for the entire Super14 campaign.
It emerged on Thursday that JC Kritzinger recently tore a knee ligament, leaving the Stormers seriously short of tighthead props.
It was initially said that Kritzinger’s injury was not serious, but the scale of the potential crisis facing the Cape side came to light on Thursday.
“I will be out of action for another five-and-a-half months,” said Kritzinger.
“I injured the knee during a lineout session. We were practising lineout drives and then I fell badly. I tried to continue, but the ligament tore off completely in the build-up to the game against the Sharks.”
The 21-year-old Kritzinger enjoyed a dramatic rise in last year’s Currie Cup campaign and was voted Western Province’s most promising junior player ahead of another rising star such as Nick Koster.
It had been hoped that Kritzinger would already feature in this year’s Super14.
The Stormers have further problems at tighthead prop because it is believed that Brock Harris will only recover from his ankle injury by the time they reach the midway stage of their tour of Australia and New Zealand.
That could mean Mujati tours as the only fit tighthead prop.
However, before then Mujati has to come through unscathed against the Lions.
Former Lions player Bertus Smit has been training with the Stormers for a while.
Should Mujati be injured, the most logical step would be to shift Wicus Blaauw to the tighthead side. The Stormers did this when Mujati had to withdraw from their pre-season friendly against English club Saracens.
JD Moller and Schalk Ferreira are other loosehead prop options, with the latter set to be converted into a hooker.
While the Stormers scrum stood firm in last week’s 10-14 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, there may be major problems with depth at tighthead.
The Stormers scrum will be thoroughly tested against the Lions.
Van der Merwe and hooker Willie Wepener enjoy good reputations as scrummagers.
“The Lions have a very strong scrum and a big tight five. They also have Baywatch (Cobus Grobbelaar) who competes well at the breakdowns,” said Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus.
“That is why they reached the semifinal of the Currie Cup.”
13 Mar 2009, 05:06 am
#402 Ed_the_Lion:
Plesier.
Kan jy glo, he? Al daai olie wat daar le en wag.
13 Mar 2009, 05:07 am
#403 superBul:
Jy ingekom op SB al?
13 Mar 2009, 05:19 am
#405 Pietman: Ja ek het reggekom dankie
13 Mar 2009, 05:26 am
This from the rugbyheavenwebsite in Australia, bloody cheek, reckon the Bulls should put this up their changeroom.
Super 14 power rankings
Stephen Samuelson | March 11, 2009
And then there were six. RugbyHeaven believes that only the top six teams in this week’s rankings can make the four – and that rules out the Crusaders. Last week’s positions in brackets.
1. (1) Sharks – Ladder position: 3 (Last week: 3 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
The men from Durban have just two more matches on the road and then are back in fortress South Africa. Anyone want to argue that they are not the team to beat?
2. (2) NSW Waratahs – Ladder position: 2 (Last week: 2 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
The Tah’s round one win in Wellington set them up nicely for a great start to the season. If they can win away this Friday to the Brumbies, then consider them certainties for the finals.
3. (5) Hurricanes – Ladder position: 4 (Last week: 6 – 3 wins, 1 loss)
Yet to hit their straps but are already in the four. They have the bye in round five and their next three games – all against South African sides – will determine their season.
4. (4) Blues – Ladder position: 5 (Last week: 5 – 2 wins, 2 losses)
Have had one of the tougher draws so far this season but should be in the mix at the pointy end of the season.
5. (9) Chiefs – Ladder position: 8 (Last week: 12 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Scored their first win of the tournament in round four but expect them to continue their rise as they have by far the easiest run into the finals of any team.
6. (7) ACT Brumbies – Ladder position: 7 (Last week: 7 – 2 wins, 1 loss)
Had the bye last week so have risen because other teams have stumbled – or in the case of the Bulls, beaten no team of note. A loss to the Waratahs could prove disastrous.
7. (3) Bulls – Ladder position: 1 (Last week: 1 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
There’s no point continuing this charade. The Bulls will not make the finals so what’s the point ranking them so highly? Will be lucky to win two games in the next six weeks.
8. (11) Highlanders – Ladder position: 12 (Last week: 13 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Bayern Munich in the Champions League kicked five more goals than the Highlander did against the Crusaders. But the men from New Zealand’s far south still won and are positioning themselves as the best of the also-rans.
9. (6) Force – Ladder position: 6 (Last week: 4 – 2 wins, 2 losses)
What the Force giveth, the Force taketh away. After a stellar win against the Brumbies, the Western Force imploded upon John Mitchell’s return home against the Chiefs. Too inconsistent to threaten this season.
10. (8) Crusaders – Ladder position: 9 (Last week: 8 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Please, stop all this talk about 2001. The Crusaders season is all over – no McCaw, no Carter, no Deans, no hope.
11. (10) Reds – Ladder position: 10 (Last week: 9 – 1 win, 3 losses)
They were not unlucky against the Waratahs because their set pieces were absolutely horrible. They are the Tom Cruise of the Super 14 – mavericks – so perhaps the Sharks should look out this weekend.
12. (12) Stormers – Ladder position: 11 (Last week: 10 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Forgettable season from a forgettable team. Next!
13. (13) Lions – Ladder position: 13 (Last week: 11 – 1 win, 2 losses)
The Lions are the poor man’s Waratahs. Rugged, good defence and steady set pieces but without the results. They are coming off the bye last weekend.
14. (14) Cheetahs – Ladder position: 14 (Last week: 14 – 0 wins, 4 losses)
If the Reds are Tom Cruise from Top Gun than the Cheetahs are Anthony Edwards (Goose). They have not won a game outside South Africa in their Super 14 history.
13 Mar 2009, 08:12 am
#407 Manlybok:
“[The Reds] are the Tom Cruise of the Super 14 – mavericks…”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Don’t think I’d ever want to be compared to Tom Cruise…
13 Mar 2009, 08:34 am
#408 WP Till I Die:
don’t think mavericks will be happy either…
13 Mar 2009, 10:36 am
#379 Robzim:
lol, just thought it more amusing than anything else, you seem to be an avid follower of desperate housewives. i knew a member of the lebonese mafiosa who would not miss Egoli for all the tea in china, so am not sure it reflects on anything, just funny is all.
13 Mar 2009, 12:43 pm
There you have it Keostormers, 1/2, the Bones on 50% for the weekend so far. We will see after the Stormers game.
13 Mar 2009, 12:46 pm
Even the Aussies don’t knock the Lions like Keostormers do, wtf Keo!!!!
13 Mar 2009, 13:03 pm
And how about their sudden loss of memory to go with that… I gues the Keostormers guys considder their losses against the Blues the Sharks and the Bulls (yip, 3 losses out of 4 games)as minor glitches on their road to supirior rugby!
And how can we forget that stellar performance against the awesome reds!?!
I hope the Lions thrash you tomorrow!!!!!!!!!
13 Mar 2009, 13:08 pm
As far as I am concerned 15 limp Lions (Keo said it – not me) playing as a team will beat 15 individual Stormers any day.
13 Mar 2009, 14:21 pm
One wrong already… may it be two with a Lions win
13 Mar 2009, 14:53 pm
Thank goodness there is always the prospect of chatting on decent rugby blogs to improve one’s mood. And the LIONS agree.
UP YOURS!!!
13 Mar 2009, 15:02 pm
Ed dalk was jy verkeerd gewees, ek dink die een in die middel is keo
13 Mar 2009, 15:06 pm
#417 raylion:
hahaha, moerse twee stryd tussen Keo en Puke vir wie in die middel is.
13 Mar 2009, 15:07 pm
rofl
whahahahahahah.
14 Mar 2009, 13:24 pm
i think the lions should go through a total overhall. And should start with branding like the stormers did in 1999. Jo’burg Jets or something. Get in one or two high profile players. reinvent themselves…
A change in brand can change the whole psyche of the team, its supporters etc.
cummon, get rid of the old tranvaal colours…lion kuk…
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