Lionel Mapoe, Philip Snyman, Robert Ebersohn, Gio Aplon (Super 14), Vuyo Zangqa (career ending injury), Renfred Dazel (season-ending knee injury, missed whole season), Paul Delport (knee injury in George, so played one tournament).

In addition, for this tournament, Mzwandile Stick was out. So that’s seven/eight players, out of 12. And they’re key players – the senior guys plus the game-breakers. If you took Zar Lawrence, DJ Forbes, Lote Raikabula and Tomasi Cama out of NZ’s team (four players in total, half the number we lost), how would they compete? Samoa without Uale Mai, Pesamino, Lolo Lui and Mikaele?

So in Hong kong (and for much of the season), the side has had two-thirds new players. The total number of tournaments among the 12 players in HK was 90. Kenya is on 290, Samoa 280, and New Zealand in the high 100s, with five guys all over 20 tournaments. We had 7 guys with 4 tournaments or fewer. Even the ‘experienced’ players like Kyle Brown are in the single figures still.

So all told, this is a new team. And on the selection issue, you must also be aware, I would hope, being a follower of the sport, that the players are not available for selection, because they are contracted to provincial unions and thus available for selection to Super 14 at any time. So there are about 180 players in SA unavailable (Super 14), another 50 or so on teh fringes of Super14 and thus unavailable, and then about 70 in junior age-group teams and also unavailable to a longer term Springbok Sevens contract.

Also, just a point on defence – the stats show that SA defence is not weak. Just the opposite, we are ranked fourth this season behind Samoa, Fiji and NZ in defensive performance. And if anyone can find evidence that we are out-muscled because of smaller size, please provide it. Of course there are rucks where the ball is turned over, but we win more ball on opposition ball than they do on ours, without fail, so to argue the players are too small is also false.

Yes, the results have been disappointing, but until there is buy-in from above, which would provide access to players and support for their development, we will struggle against teams like Kenya and Samoa and NZ who are able to retain a core group of 10 guys per season (Just on that, the NZ 12 here in HK has 9 guys from last year’s squad, 7 of whom have been in it since 2007), we will struggle. The time is coming though where the sports become too specialized to cross-over, and I’d even say that now, many Super 14 players would struggle in Sevens. Fitness and space coverage are different, so the addition of Super 14 players would necessarily improve a team, as NZ and Eng have both found in recent years.

True, they won 3 hooks against the head and 2 lineouts against the throw (almost unheard of in 14 mins of 7′s rugby) but that had more to do with a weak aus team than our boys playing “really well”. Through knock-ons, poor D and poor option taking they gifted those baby-faced Aussies the plate. Piss poor and I feel for Paul Treu.

Any talk of firing him is ludicrous to say the least.last yr he took a team of relative unkowns to Cup Championship.a trophy never won before by SA.he is an avid follower of the code and dedicated to this team.

No rope here,not even close.Even the great Gordon Tietjens has had his below par namely just last yr.

Sampie Mastriet is going to be the next Pasamino.

The above one can work with-have talent but need right structures,coaching,conditioning and equally talented/world class players with them in team.But the Brakpan All Stars..won’t do

Continue the Rose bashing to ur hearts content but it still doesn’t absolve that the team is run by a butch of incompetent fools couldn’t be bothered in proffessionalism.The union will never prosper with the old boys club running things.

Rose has been poor no doubt but he has impressed every coach he has played under from De Villiers to Jake White with ability to create opportunities and skills set.but that being said he had been decidedly poor but not responsible for the results.

Lions will never go anywhere still playing that “Brakpan/EastRand All Star XV” that run out every weekend to get snortkappled.Led by the though honest but thick as pigshit Cobus Grobelaar.

The likes of:

Geldenhuys
Franklin
Emslie
JC van Rensburg
Stoltz
Grobelaar
Franco be Merwe
JP Joubert
Herkie Kruger
Killian
Pekeur
La Grange

The above should all be playing on Friday/Sat afternoons in front of paltry drunk crowds/mates and be happy to be VC reckoning.if really lucky-get overseas contract with Saracens/midtable French/italian club.

Who hires/selects these “**** players”? Do they select themselves?

The main problem with your franchise is that they still don’t know the meaning of professionalism.

The Lions lost
The Lions suck

I RedLion
Son of Mufasa, the Lion King
Hailing from the plains of Africa
Do solemnly blame Earl Rose and his pygmy mate
For costing my team, on average 3 tries a game

Wholeheartedly,
The coaches are not to blame
The refs are not to blame
We are beaten, every week
Because of **** players…