‘Griquas’ to battle tourists in opener
11 May 2009
Thirteen Griquas players have been selected in the initial 27-man Royal XV squad ahead of their clash with the British & Irish Lions.
Griquas won the Vodacom Cup final last Saturday and so it comes as no surprise that they dominate an invitational side comprising South Africa’s smaller unions. Ten Leopards have been selected while four Pumas have made the cut. Neither the Valke nor the Griffons have a single representative.
Former Lions flanker Wilhelm Koch will lead the team while his Leopards mentor Chaka Willemse is the coach. Naas Olivier is one of seven Super 14 players in the squad, the other notables being Cheetahs’ tighthead Bees Roux, scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and promising winger Bjorn Basson.
The match will be staged at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on 30 May.
Royal XV (squad):
Russell Jeacocks (Leopards)
Colin Lloyd (Leopards)
Egon Seconds (Griquas)
Bjorn Basson (Griquas)
Deon van Rensburg (Leopards)
Basil de Doncker (Leopards)
Hanno Coetzee (Griquas)
Riaan Viljoen (Griquas)
Naas Olivier (Griquas)
Michael Bondesio (Leopards)
Jacques Coetzee (Pumas)
Sarel Pretorius (Griquas)
Jonathan Makoena (Griquas)
RW Kember (Leopards)
Devon Raubenheimer (Griquas)
Wilhelm Koch (Leopards)
Jaco Bouwer (Pumas)
Ligtoring Landman (Leopards)
Rudi Mathee (Leopards)
Jacques Lombard (Griquas)
Bees Roux (Griquas)
Rayno Barnes (Griquas)
Hannes Franklin (Pumas)
Pellow van der Westhuizen (Leopards)
Albertus Buckle (Griquas)
Dawie Steyn (Pumas)
Stef Roberts (Griquas)
11 Comments
11 May 2009, 20:29 pm
tough
11 May 2009, 22:26 pm
A well deserved reward for Griekwas’ winning ways
12 May 2009, 08:20 am
Dissapointing squad.
Griquas deserve their shine and cash but the squad is not promising.
They should have picked a ‘spingbok’ Vodacom side, irrespective of how your team performed as long as the player is hot.
12 May 2009, 09:11 am
Yes, would rather see:
1. Du Preez
2. Strauss
3. Mujati
4. Mostert
5. De Villiers
6. Grobelaar
7. Vermeulen
8. Watson
9. Vermaak
10. Rose
11. Mentz
12. Barrit
13. Bobo
14. Chavhanga
15. Ludik
12 May 2009, 10:33 am
Puff
This is a good squad. Its also not helping the Lions by giving them weak opposition.
I remember the last Lions Tour to SA was tough. I think they played the top 4 Currie Cup sides of that year. These matches were instrumental in helping the Lions win.
The likelywood of these chosen players ever meeting the Lions again on this tour are slim. But if you would pick Puff’s squad I could see at least three players meeting the Lions again in actual test.
12 May 2009, 10:36 am
VON GIBA
I think many of the players in the squad I highlighted will be playing the Namibian side prior to the B&I Lions matches.
But I agree, this Royal 15 game seems like a waste of time from a Bok perspective and could only serve to help the Lions get match practice.
12 May 2009, 10:41 am
Going to be a busy rugby day on the 30th. S14 final, Lions opening match, Eng v Barbarians….
12 May 2009, 11:06 am
Puff
I understood you correctly. What I was saying is that the players picked for Royals will not face the Lions again in this tour, whereas if they had picked your squad as the Royals, a good perfomance by one or two players would put pressure on Pieter de Vil to pick one of them against the Lions.
12 May 2009, 13:26 pm
“Royal XV” in the REPUBLIC of South Africa?
Ridiculous!
12 May 2009, 13:30 pm
#9 TheTackler: It is rather an odd name. I questioned it a while ago but no one seems to know why they’re called ‘royal’. I was under the impression they were going to be called the ‘highveld xv’ or something.
12 May 2009, 14:53 pm
#10 Dantalion: Named after the Royal Bafokeng, the richest tribe in the world and basically the owner of the stadium where they play.
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