Currie Cup latest – Lions rest stars for Sharks
12 Oct 2011
Keo.co.za brings you the news from the Currie Cup.
Lions rest stars for Sharks - John Mitchell will rest seven starters for the Lions’ clash against the Sharks on Saturday.
With the Lions already guaranteed first place on the log, coach Mitchell has decided to rest seven players for the trip to Durban. This includes centre Alwyn Hollenbach, wing Michael Killian, flyhalf Elton Jantjies, flanker Derick Minnie, lock Franco van der Merwe, tighthead prop Pat Cilliers and hooker Bandies Maku.
The Lions’ only returning Springbok Butch James is bracketed on the bench.
Lions – 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Dylan Des Fountain, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 James Kamana, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss (capt.), 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Michael Rhodes, 4 Wikus van Heerden/David Bulbring, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Derick Minnie, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Alwyn Hollenbach/Butch James, 22 Michael Killian.
Bulls hope for Kirchner return - Pine Pienaar has named Zane Kirchner in his starting line-up for the Bulls last league-round tie against the Leopards in Pretoria on Friday.
Kirchner is yet to return from New Zealand, where he was a late Springbok call-up for the World Cup. However, head coach Pienaar is confident his fullback will be able to slot in once he arrives back to the Bulls camp.
If not, Jurgen Visser will start in the No 15 jersey while Gerhard van den Heever will fill in on the bench.
The match against the Leopards is also likely to be skipper Gary Botha’s final appearance for the Bulls. He leaves for Toulouse next season, along with prop Gurthro Steenkamp. The Bulls need to beat the Leopards and hope for the Pumas to upset WP at Newlands for any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Bulls – 15 Zane Kirchner/Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Frans Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha (c), 1 Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Justin Dinka, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Jurgen Visser/Gerhard van den Heever.
36 Comments
12 Oct 2011, 11:00 am
Is it really necessary?
12 Oct 2011, 11:25 am
I cant think why they would….
Visser is better
12 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
Shame, any Kirchhy was hoping for a nice holiday in NZ
12 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
Lions vs. Sharks.
Jaco Taute; Deon van Rensburg, Dylan Des Fountain, Doppies la Grange, James Kamana; Burton Francis, Michael Bondesio; Warren Whiteley, Josh Strauss, Jaco Kriel, Michael Rhodes, Wikus van Heerden/David Bulbring, Jacobie Adriaanse, Martin Bezuidenhout, JC van Rensburg. Reserwes: Bandise Maku, Pat Cilliers, Franco van der Merwe, Derick Minnie, Elton Jantjies, Butch James/Alwyn Hollenbach, Michael Killian.
and Manie Reyneke is officially gone.
12 Oct 2011, 13:41 pm
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-4: what you mean gone?
12 Oct 2011, 16:24 pm
Well if you are guaranteed the top position on the log with a home semi final and a possible home final, then why not give the guys a break.
Now the pressure is on the sharkievarkies and their overrated returning Boks, if they lose then EISH.
12 Oct 2011, 16:28 pm
That’s not resting them. That’s benching them. If you rest someone for the trip to Durban, it means they have the weekend off. Bench players end up playing half the game or more, in many cases.
12 Oct 2011, 16:32 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-5: he quit, he had no choice but to fall on his sward. He was the cancer that poisoned the Gumede deal, yes bonehead read the fine print and realized that Gumede was going to fire his useless arse before he committed relationship sabotage.
He was also the cancer keeping new investors away.
12 Oct 2011, 16:44 pm
The Lions have stars ? In comparison to what was left over when the other teams gave up all their Springboks to the world cup maybe. Otherwise ‘stars’ is a slightly ‘enthusiastic’ term to use.
We all know how their ‘stars’ went in the Super 14 against other Super 14 teams. At least their Super 14 team performs fairly well in the Currie Cup.
12 Oct 2011, 16:46 pm
@RL(RL)-8: sword bonehead
12 Oct 2011, 17:33 pm
@RL(RL)-6:
ja but this could come back to bite them if their super 15 team is not match fit after the layoff.
12 Oct 2011, 17:50 pm
@once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-11: They are rested for 1 game…
12 Oct 2011, 17:52 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-9: I’d say they have been rather dominant, not just fairly well. They’ve got players coming through nicely.
Josh Strauss, Taute, Jantjies… these guys were all getting their first taste of S15 this year. The Reds youngsters also got clapped 2 – 3 seasons ago and then they won it.
Lions are building a good team and a good squad.
12 Oct 2011, 18:13 pm
The Sharks have become so naafy that now even the Lions aren’t taking them seriously.
12 Oct 2011, 18:30 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-9: Did your Sharky team dominate this Lions team in the SUPER 15? If I recall that you where saved by a yellow in their last S15 meeting. I also bet those vultures at the Sharks are keeping a close eye on this “stars” of the Lions.
12 Oct 2011, 18:31 pm
Jaco Kriel could just be the next Brussow. I hope he is not undercooked.
It should be a good game to watch.
12 Oct 2011, 18:37 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-16: His hands can let him down at times.
12 Oct 2011, 18:58 pm
Rhodes at lock? I must admit I haven’t been fllowing the Lions too closely, but I thought he was an opensider.
12 Oct 2011, 19:03 pm
@David(David)-18: The last two games he was used a lock with good effect. Lions had a shortage at lock so he was used and passed the test. The Lions now have 5 “loosies” in their pack.
12 Oct 2011, 19:14 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-19:
Thanks. I must admit it’s a bit unusual to play a 6, rather than a 7 at lock, but it seems to have worked judging by the results.
12 Oct 2011, 19:19 pm
I see Walter Venter has signed for the Griquas for next year. A underrated player imo. Hopefully he is still good enough and can make the Cheetahs S15 squad next year.
12 Oct 2011, 19:21 pm
Good decision by Mitchell.
Gives him a chance to look at the young(er) players in the team, plus i bet the Sharkies wouldn’t have planned for this change after they got hammered at Ellis. A good exciting team, the sharks wont know some off the players.
12 Oct 2011, 19:23 pm
Lions will still struggle at superrugby level because they lack quality squad depth especially in the tight 5. Full of journey,retreads and tryhards. No outright quality.
Quality players are:
Josh Strauss
Elton Jantjies
Lionel Mapoe
Jaco Taute
(Wandile Mjekevu)-who they not using.
All the above can/will be internationals.
The rest fall into the average territory
12 Oct 2011, 19:25 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-21:
Really? Very underrated,he is definitely better than Barry Goodes and should give Andries Strauss a good go at Cheetahs Super15 for the 12 position. Wasted by Lions.Good luck Karavan.
12 Oct 2011, 19:31 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-24: Yeah… the Lions treated him like rubbish. I hope he is not undercooked. I’ve met a few times and a very nice guy. IMO way better than Doppies and if people disagree with that statement please just go and have look when Walter (played 12 and not 13) played with Mossie at the Lions.
10. Goosen
12. Venter
13. Eberson.
Should be interesting.
12 Oct 2011, 19:36 pm
f’ng CC rugby that all we gotta look forward to now that that moronic imbecilic stupendous fckup of a toffee nosed pastime called skittle sticks is about to hit the airwaves and the pathetic consciousness of the poefta parade of grown men playing marbles on the f’ng lawn
2 decent rugby games this weekend with nigh a bokkie anywhere in sight and then one more showdown between the victors and the vanguished thereafter and 4 Whole F’ng Years have been P!ssed down the f’ng drain…
Thanks to one grandiose glory seeking f’ng hero who didn’t know when the fck it was time to STAND DOWN.!!!
Thanks a span you dumb fck self seeking gargantuan garrulous grotesque lump of garbage lard… your self inflated worth landed up exactly where it belongs… flat as a f’ng squashed out pancake … trying to find SOME semblance of WTF that entire waste of 4 whole years was ALL about !!! ???
That’s the legacy left by the hero’s who didn’t know When the Fck it was TIME to DEPART !!!!
13 Oct 2011, 06:04 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-23:
Josh Strauss will never play international rugby.
I’d put the Lions team into three tiers.
Tier one: CJ van der Linde, Lionel Mapoe, Jaco Taute
Tier two: Bandise Maku, Franco van der Merwe, Josh Strauss, Elton Jantjes
And the rest of the players fall into tier three… the players who are playing Super rugby because they’re at the Lions. I exclude Mjekevu because he hasn’t played senior rugby for a long time now and is only 20, but otherwise I’d include him in the 2nd group.
13 Oct 2011, 06:05 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-27:
Forgot about Butch. He’d be in the first lot… test or potentially test level players.
13 Oct 2011, 06:07 am
@David(David)-18:
Dude, Michael Rhodes has been playing at 7 for the lines before now playing at lock.
The Lions openside flankers are Cobus Grobbelaar & Derick Minnie.
13 Oct 2011, 06:08 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-29:
*For the Lions.
13 Oct 2011, 07:11 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-27: Like I said…. you talk a lot of k@k.
13 Oct 2011, 07:28 am
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-31:
Ag shame.
13 Oct 2011, 11:09 am
@Tuna(Tuna)-15: I will admit that The Sharks played some incredibly average rugby at some points of the Super 15 this year, and their games vs. the Lions are a case in point, however don’t forget that the Sharks and Stormers actually managed to make the top 6, whereas the Lions ended 14th, and last in the SA conference winning the same number of games as the rookie Melbourne Rebels.
All the plucking at tiny little Lion weeners, the beating of skinny little pigeon chests and the kitty cat bravado currently is clearly a result of teams like WP, the Bulls and the Sharks (note – I don’t only reference the Sharks) being devoid of a group of pivotal players. Only a Lions fan would not have the balls to at least admit that this had some impact on where they currently stand.
So, congrats to the Lions Super 15 side for making top of the log in the Currie Cup. They better hope that WP or Sharks returning Springboks don’t kick off hitting their straps, or that will be all the Lions achieve that’s worth mentioning this year.
I will happily watch the Sharks break their hearts at Ellis Park in the final.
13 Oct 2011, 11:25 am
Possible Sharks team moving into the Currie Cup playoffs: Pat Lambie, JP Pietersen, Stefan Terblanche (c), Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Fred Michalak, Conrad Hoffman, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel, Ross Skeate, Willem Alberts, Jannie Du Plessis, Bismark Du Plessis, Beast Mtwarira.
Reserves: John Smit, Eugene Van Staden, Anton Bresler, Jan Andre Marais, Ross Cronje, Marius Joubert, Marcell Coetzee.
Improves the Sharks lineout and improves their scrum immeasurably. Of course, this depends on whether the Springboks still feel like playing rugby.
13 Oct 2011, 17:29 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-33: The way you Sharkies went on last year after winning the CC you should have made the finals. Let’s just see how things go. The Lions are progressing and that’s what making the fans happy atm. We will get there……….. (holding thumbs)
14 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Tuna(Tuna)-35: At least we ‘went on after winning the CC’……not before we had won anything.
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