Spencer to spearhead Lions
11 Feb 2010
Carlos Spencer has been selected at flyhalf for the Lions’ opening Super 14 match against the Stormers.
The All Blacks pivot will partner another new recruit in JP Joubert at halfback. The newcomers to the Lions backline include Tonderai Chavhanga (Stormers) and 19-year-old Wandile Mjekevu (on debut) while the Cheetahs’ Jonathan Mokuena packs down at No 8.
Coach Dick Muir has opted for an unconventional bench, with Todd Clever, who is primarily a flank, listed as cover for lock. The lineout is an area the Stormers will target, as the Lions are certainly lacking quality in the second row.
Lions -15 Earl Rose, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Wandile Mjekevu, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Jonathan Mokuena, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Willem Stoltz, 4 Jacques Lombard, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 Charles Enslie, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Todd Clever, 19 Derrick Minnie, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Michael Killian.
89 Comments
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11 Feb 2010, 14:50 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck:
Mate it is not just the Sharks, it is something that happens in all unions…
Remember these…???
Koster to wing?
Ashley Johnson to hooker?
Derrick Kuun to hooker?
Francois Hougaard to wing?
etc etc etc…
11 Feb 2010, 14:55 pm
@PissAnt: don’t forget the ones that worked. bryan habana to wing. jdv to wing (although he never stayed there)
11 Feb 2010, 14:56 pm
@robdylan:
email sent b
11 Feb 2010, 14:56 pm
This is freeging hilarious…
“Perth – The Brumbies team was met by a large contingent of police officers on their arrival in Perth, ahead of their Super 14 encounter with the Force on Friday – and it wasn’t a welcoming party.
While Brumbies coach Andy Friend played down the incident and questioned the need for the number of Australian Federal Police officers that awaited his team, he admitted there was an “incident” on the four-hour flight from the East to the West coast.
Local police met the Brumbies squad at Perth Airport after the flight’s pilot complained that some of the players got out of their seats when the seat belt sign was on during turbulence.
Friend described the reaction of the local police as a “little bit over the top”.
The Brumbies said it was a matter of six players being “caught short” while strapped into their seats during a long period of turbulence.
“We had a couple of players who stood up when the seat belt sign was on,” Friend told The West Australian.
“The seat belt sign had been on for about three hours.
“We’ve got big blokes in small seats who needed to go to the toilet. That was it.
“That’s a rule and regulation that they shouldn’t do that. We were told that at the end.
“I don’t know whether having 30 policemen there was necessary; anyway that’s what happened.
“It happened and we just informed our players that if you need to go to the loo next time just press the button and see if the hostess can let you go.
“Thirty policemen for a couple of blokes standing up in an aisle, little bit over the top.”"
11 Feb 2010, 14:57 pm
@mshiniwami: gotcha… and replied
11 Feb 2010, 14:58 pm
@WP Till I Die: aussie nannying is even worse than the Brit version
11 Feb 2010, 14:58 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck:
Jean moved to center as you mentioned and yes there is Bryan – but if we compare those that worked against those that did not – the scale won’t level out on 50/50 I am sure.
11 Feb 2010, 15:01 pm
@WP Till I Die:
you can take the boys outta the outback…
11 Feb 2010, 15:02 pm
@mshiniwami:
Thanks for the heads up, will be watching how the youn man plays with interest.
Otherwise, I fear that it will be another underwhelming season for the Lions. There simply isn’t enough quality in midfield and in the forwards (particularly in the second row).
11 Feb 2010, 15:04 pm
@PissAnt: correct: but jdv was accommodated at wing in the bok team for a long time and did bloody well there. the center combination at the time was de wet barry/joubert if i remember correctly.
11 Feb 2010, 15:08 pm
one change that i would like to see is maybe having kanko/keegan dniels in the centres.
i hope plum doesnt mess around and only get things right when it is too late at the tail end of the competition.
apparently strauss is tipped to play but im not too keen on his skills. he was exceptional in 2006 season before bn displaced by brad barrit and hasnt bn da same since.
my preffered 9,10,12,13 axis would be kockett(although mcloud is an excellent distributor) , pienaar, swanepoel, murray.
adi on bench
murray is best suited to playing outside a centre with similar strenghs to barrit and in swanepoel we have that. he is excellent cover in defending channel for ruan
11 Feb 2010, 15:12 pm
Not a bad starting 15 at all……Is Buys injured ??
11 Feb 2010, 15:14 pm
@WP Till I Die: Aussies are known for being over-zealous when it comes to law enforcement.
I know someone who attended the cricket at the MCG when the Proteas were out there and she says some of their rules and regulations are just ridiculous and they will do everything in their power to enforce them.
11 Feb 2010, 15:15 pm
@chucky: if butch was still at 10 we could play adi at 13 but on defence it is too much of a liability to have adi and ruan on swanepoels outside
11 Feb 2010, 15:18 pm
@Jozi: id rather have a cop that will do anything to enforce da law rather than do everthing in their power to do jack
11 Feb 2010, 15:19 pm
@Jozi:
Seriously over the top though…
…wonder how those Safa emigres in Australia feel living in such a highly-regulated society, coming from the relative individual freedom we enjoy in South Africa?
11 Feb 2010, 15:22 pm
Brian van Zyl wishes to advise that Steve Meyer has announced his retirement from rugby with immediate effect. Due to personal reasons, he has requested that The Sharks release him from his contract and will not be available this weekend.
Van Zyl added, “Whilst this has come at an inopportune time, we respect his decision and have agreed to release him. It is fortunate that we have a number of players who can fill this position until such time as alternative arrangements can be made.”
11 Feb 2010, 15:24 pm
@Charlie:
Bullsh!t!
11 Feb 2010, 15:28 pm
and all the When-We’s thought they had emigrated from a police state…
11 Feb 2010, 15:29 pm
@chucky: Yip……
@WP Till I Die: At the MCG for example; if youngsters are playing mini cricket on the boundary’s edge and the tennis ball falls onto the playing surface. The ground staff are required to confiscate that ball.
At the Wanderers I have lost count of the number of times I saw a member of the ground staff tossing the ball back to the youngsters to continue with their game.
Different strokes for different folks.
11 Feb 2010, 15:30 pm
@Charlie:
Huh…???
where’d you get this…??
11 Feb 2010, 15:31 pm
@ufo:
True…. see news 24
11 Feb 2010, 15:34 pm
@justrugby: yeah very true!!!!!!!!!wtf going on?
sharks are having some serious problems?was he bullied,targeted,initiated???
11 Feb 2010, 15:35 pm
Who’s Steve Meyer?
11 Feb 2010, 15:35 pm
WTF…!!
What is happening with the Sharks…???
This is a tough break for them… seriously not good news…
11 Feb 2010, 15:36 pm
@justrugby: probably was promised starting role then it was decided that ruan is choosing to specialise at 10 and dumond is official backup. he is probably embaressed and sad that he got shfted and told everone that he is sharks 1st choice
11 Feb 2010, 15:36 pm
@justrugby:
Bizarre…he’s only 25?
11 Feb 2010, 15:38 pm
Why on earth would a 25-year-old announce his retirement – so suddenly, just days before he’s due to play – due to “personal reasons”?
What on earth is going on in Durban?!?
11 Feb 2010, 15:39 pm
@ufo: @justrugby: ****, it’s true. check out sharksrugby.co.za!
11 Feb 2010, 15:39 pm
dumond using some SERIOUS muthi.
1st he is out in the cold then guy cronje has season ending injury,
2ndly he is on loan to cheetahs but hernandez has back injuring that ends his season
3rdly meyer brought in and is tipped to start ,now he retires
lets hope no 1 is killed.
take it easy dumond its just a game
11 Feb 2010, 15:40 pm
must be more to this…
25… new contract… not going back to Europe but retiring completely…????
11 Feb 2010, 15:41 pm
@chucky:
when you watch dumond play make sure you use solar-eclipse glasses…
11 Feb 2010, 15:43 pm
i’m sure we will hear the truth soon. let’s wait to hear from plumbtree.
11 Feb 2010, 16:51 pm
Wonder if Meyer tested positive for illegal substances. And not the paty kind. More the bench a lot more than u used to kind.
11 Feb 2010, 16:51 pm
party*
11 Feb 2010, 17:12 pm
@WP Till I Die:
Im guessing it had more to do with why they needed to go to the loo.
They should have appointed Dean Boon as their Manager.
11 Feb 2010, 19:53 pm
I put the Stormers to win by 12.
Earl Rose, Chavhanga, Wandile Mjekevu, Jonathan Mokuena and Burton Francis on the bench, that doesn’t look good from the betting aspect.
So Alwin Hollenbach deemed not good enough to make the Lions XXII
12 Feb 2010, 10:46 am
“while the Cheetahs’ Jonathan Mokuena packs down at No 8.”
JC, brilliant journalism there!!!!!
Mokeuna was from the Griquas and is now a LION. He signed until 2012.
Eish, how bad gan you get?
12 Feb 2010, 12:14 pm
Wrong coach .. and a running gameplan .. again?!?!
No consistant good place kicker.
Need a better 4&5, there are none currently in the union.
Hooker???
19 year old on the wing?!?! .. lets see, have never seen him play.
Chuvanga (spelling) hopfully will stay injury free.
Spencer can be brilliant, but can have a bad day … atleast we have a No10 of some quality.
I’ve watched E Rose long enogh now to know I don’t want him there, and he’ll cost us much more games than he might win.
Hollenbach and Venter (spelling), where are they? Surley Hollenbach is better than Rose for the No15 jumper.
Another loooong season for us Lions supporters.
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