Currie Cup latest – Lions turn down Soccer City move
17 Oct 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from the Currie Cup.
Lions turn down Soccer City move – The Lions have rejected an offer to make Soccer City their official home stadium, and will continue being based at Ellis Park.
The GLRU and Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) sent out a joint press release on Monday, confirming that negotiations for a possible stadium switch fell through.
‘We were informed by the Lions that discussions between us have concluded and that our offer was not acceptable to the Lions and that Ellis Park will remain the home of the Lions. We are hugely disappointed that the Lions turned down our offer to host its Currie Cup and Super Rugby home fixtures at the Soccer City Complex’, said SMSA CEO Jacques Grobbelaar.
Lions president Kevin de Klerk added: ‘We have fantastic rugby matches coming to Ellis Park and look forward to seeing the home of the Golden Lions packed to capacity on a regular basis.
‘The Lions will pursue any reservations about the stadium’s locality and will continue to provide a friendly, pleasing environment as has been done over the past few years.’
Habana extends WP stay – Bryan Habana has signed a three-year contract extension with WP and the Stormers.
The 28-year-old has been linked with moves to France and Japan this year, but the Springbok wing has decided to remain in Cape Town after his current contract expires at the end of the season. It has been reported that he will be paid less than his initial Province deal over the next three years.
Habana first signed with WP in 2010 after spending four years with the Bulls.
97 Comments
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17 Oct 2011, 16:09 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-50:
yeah hendrik… he does have good things about him… but until he sorts his kicking out he shouldn’t get anywhere near a bok jersey… or a stormers jersey…
i like you idea about a specialist flyhalf mentor for van aswegen… and i’d add catrakilis to that… but not sure bream would be my choice… as a kicking coach yes… but not a flyhalf coach… would prefer someone like king carlos… or dan carter…
17 Oct 2011, 16:10 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-44:
Anyway, I’m hoping for something along these lines. Remember that Springbok squads are generally 26 players, not 30, for incoming tours and Tri Nations tours.
1) Gurthro Steenkamp / Coenie Oosthuizen
2) Bismarck du Plessis / Chilliboy Ralepelle
3) Jannie du Plessis / CJ van der Linde
4) ***Can’t decide. If no good S15 form, recall Bakkies for short-term.
5) Andries Bekker / Juandre Kruger (growing on me this one)
6) Heinrich Brussow
7) Juan Smith / Willem Alberts
8) Schalk Burger / Nick Koster (watch this space)
9) Ruan Pienaar / Francois Hougaard
10) Morne Steyn / Johan Goosen
11) Bryan Habana / Johann Sadie
12) Francois Steyn / Jean de Villiers
13) Jaque Fourie / Juan de Jongh
14) JP Pietersen
15) Patrick Lambie
If it were 30, include: Adriaan Strauss, Dewaldt Duvenage, another lock? & Gio Aplon.
17 Oct 2011, 16:12 pm
@ufo(ufo)-51:
Catrakilis, heck no. My opinion on him is, not bad in a very weak tournament.
But he’s only a slight step up from Kurt Coleman. I wouldn’t have him near a Stormers jersey.
They both scream Vodacom Cup (which is what this Currie Cup resembled).
17 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
Boo to Hanana being re-signed. WP brass are not the best at bringing in new players from outside the province and retaining their homegrown talent – re Johan Sadie, JJ Engelbrecht & Lionel Cronje going to Bulls because of limited opportunities.
17 Oct 2011, 16:15 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-53: Who then at 10? Please don’t say Grant.
17 Oct 2011, 16:16 pm
@ufo(ufo)-51: After Grant, Katrakilis is WP’s next best flyhalf. He is really good with the boot and with getting the backline moving. WP also seem to lose this season when Katrakilis was injured.
17 Oct 2011, 16:16 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-52:
If they have faith in Coenie Oosthuizen being able to do an emergency job at tighthead, you could bring the Beast in, but to be honest I’ve never rated him that highly… not enough to justify only having 1 tighthead.
If he shows he can do it… then yes Beast over CJ.
17 Oct 2011, 16:19 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-55:
Like I said, Gary van Aswegen – but with work.
Peter Grant is better then Catrakilis anyway. You’ll recognize that if they actually use him in Super 15, which I doubt.
17 Oct 2011, 16:21 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-53:
hehehe….
gary is by far the most complete and best thinking no 10 in cape town… but he looks like injuries will continue to plague him… just doesn’t seem robust enough…
IMO catrakilis is who kept us in the comp… he did really well and did everything expected of him but showed tactical nous some not too shabby no 10s such as michalak, jantjies and ebersohn…
thing is.. whatever the cc looked like… catrakilis was one of the best no 10s in it…
IMO of course…
17 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@daydreamer(daydreamer)-54:
I wouldn’t want WP to be like the Bulls, trying to keep everyone contracted so you don’t have to play against them.
People complain about WP letting players go, yet there is always someone else there doing a good job.
Johann Sadie will be replaced by JP du Plessis, who could even push him for national honors as he’s a more physical centre.
Tshotsho Mbovane is not a bad replacement for JJ Engelbrecht, and Danie Poolman is pretty good as well.
Hougaard a great energetic player, but needs a lot of work. I’d back Duvenage over him as a scrumhalf in an important game at this stage, if only due to actually having a tactical kicking game.
17 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
My top buys / targets if I were WP:
Coenie O
Niel De Kock / Francois Gougaard
Joe Pietersen
Johan Goosen
If we get a great scrummie like a De Kock or a Hougaard and don’t get a Goosen, I’d seriously look at playing Dewald at no 10.
Dimitri to come through the ranks as a sub. Also to fight it out with Van Aswegen who i think is a class player too,
17 Oct 2011, 16:24 pm
@daydreamer(daydreamer)-56:
that’s the way it looked to me too daydreamer…
i’d have gary and dimitri (have to learn how to spell that name) definitely our two best 10s…
17 Oct 2011, 16:25 pm
@ufo(ufo)-59:
Fair enough. I think Johan Goosen put things in perspective though.
Yet to see anything really special from Catrakilis. He’s like the new Naas Olivier. Give it a season
17 Oct 2011, 16:26 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-58: I posted extensively about him at the beginning of the year. I also rate him, as do many, but he does still have to prove himself, and I have to say that Karl Kikilus has certainly stepped into the breach with aplomb.
As i posted above you could do worse than actually playing Duvenhage at 10 IMO. He gets the backline going like few i’ve seen lately.
Controversial maybe, but my opinion.
17 Oct 2011, 16:27 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-58:
i’ve had enough watching the stormers have to defend on our try line for lengthy periods because peter grant can’t kick the damn ball out of our 22…!!
as you said… without a kicking game… any positives he may have are moot… both the youngsters are more complete flyhalves than him…
17 Oct 2011, 16:29 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-61:
now you talking bud…
from your mouth to rassie’s ears…!!
17 Oct 2011, 16:30 pm
@ufo(ufo)-65: Agreed 100%. He puts us under way too much pressure IMO,
Any of the Dimitri’s/Gary’s would be a better long term bet.
I fear however that he’ll be back next year and into the 10 slot again.
Problem is that he forces us to play a very static and defensive backline style of play.
Anyone who said he gets the line away well is barking mad if you ask me.
17 Oct 2011, 16:31 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-61:
I’d be targeting Adriaan Strauss & WP Nel for the front-row. Nice as it would be to have Coenie Oosthuizen, Stormers already have enough good loose-heads. No need to pay someone hefty money for that position.
Would also enquire about Jaco Taute & Johan Goosen.
And if Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar came back, they’d be good additions.
17 Oct 2011, 16:32 pm
@ufo(ufo)-66: I’m dialling as we speak.
17 Oct 2011, 16:32 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-63:
absolutely bud… as stormersboy said…
goosen is a special player already… if he gets looked after he could set the benchmark for 10s internationally… but i heard he’s been signed up real tight by the cheetahs… so no chance of us getting him…
17 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-69:
17 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
Catrakilis won’t see much, if any game-time in the Super 15.
17 Oct 2011, 16:36 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-68: I’m not in 100% agreement with you there, IMO the biggest problem in the scrum this year was at 1, not 3. Blaauw isn’t as good a scrummager as they had hoped and Kitshoff is still young and needs time to develop without the pressure of a primary role.
Jaco Taute would be a great buy for sure. Contrary to anything Katman
might tell you, I saw him first.
WP Nel would be a great buy for sure, I wouldn’t spend the money on Strauss, not because he isn’t good, but becaue we have two very good hookers already. One perfectly suited for a “Schalk Briz super-sub” role, and another big “etter” to start. Great in set pieces too.
17 Oct 2011, 16:37 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-67:
absolutely… agree with every point you make… peter grant really hinders our game…
why can someone who can convert from the halfway line (just) not punt a ball more than 22 metres…? has no one thought to get naas or someone to show him…?
17 Oct 2011, 16:38 pm
@ufo(ufo)-74: I’ve often wondered that too! Makes no sense really as it’s easier to punt than place kick.
Stange indeed.
17 Oct 2011, 16:39 pm
didn’t jaco taute’s dad play for wp in the late 80s before he got bought by the then transvaal… ?
17 Oct 2011, 16:41 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-75:
very strange… must be a timing or hand/eye thing…
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-73:
with you on this too… loose head is where we need some extra guns…
and lock…
17 Oct 2011, 16:42 pm
anyway… got places to be… great chatting stormersboy and hendrik…
another time…
cheers…
17 Oct 2011, 16:45 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-73:
I’m no big fan of the Stormers hookers. If you can’t throw straight (Deon Fourie), you probably shouldn’t be on the field, and Liebenberg is an old slouch IMO. Adriaan Strauss, if you could get him at a reasonable price, would bring that go-forward which we often don’t get at the Stormers.
Hooker is not a weakness, but I wouldn’t call it a strength with those two!
I’ve got faith in Kritzinger & Kitshoff being able to do a job. Have heard rumors about Wicus Blaauw being released – he probably should’ve played for Namibia in the World Cup as he’s not ever going to be a Springbok.
And I’m alright with Brok Harris in the short-term, but can’t agree that it’s a position we shouldn’t worry about. Hopefully Malherbe kicks on to become something special.
17 Oct 2011, 16:46 pm
@ufo(ufo)-78:
See you.
17 Oct 2011, 16:52 pm
@ufo(ufo)-78: Cheers boet
17 Oct 2011, 17:04 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-64: Aplon wasn’t so bad at 10 on saturday too, attacked the gainline every ball hehehe
17 Oct 2011, 17:10 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-82: He’s a good player for sure. I’d leave him where he is at the moment though. Attacking from the back. Great attacking weapon there.
17 Oct 2011, 17:20 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-83: ja i know, i was laughing cos i after catrakilis went down i wasn’t sure who would take over @ pivot and then gio did
17 Oct 2011, 17:22 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-84: Ja there was some talk about him covering at 10 in the press before the game so it wasn’t all that surprising to me, but yes, I wouldn’t be changing positions quite yet if i were him.
17 Oct 2011, 17:29 pm
WP fly half pecking order IMO:
1 Peter Grant
2 Gary Van Aswegen
3 Kurt Coleman
4 Dimitri Ketrakilis
And then if injury hit like crazy..
5 Dewaldt Duvenhage
6 Conrad Jantjes
7 Jean De Villiers
8 Earl Rose
17 Oct 2011, 17:45 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-86: I think it’s time WP forget about Peter Grant. He is playing the union like a farken guitar and gets his way. Let him stay at Japan and fark him. You can build around those youngsters. Peter Grant is not that special.
17 Oct 2011, 17:49 pm
wp must learn to scrum
pumas moered us 6 love 6 love in that dept
we better catch a wakey wakey Rassie and AC…..
Or Sat it is goodnite nurse all over again…
17 Oct 2011, 18:14 pm
@grant10(grant10)-88: you are 100% correct, but at the moment we must make do with what we have, injuries allowing. Not sure what that will mean come the weekend, but we’ll see i guess….
17 Oct 2011, 18:25 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-86: Earl at #8 big no no, I think Deon Fourie no hell everyone even AC is a better 10 than Earl Rose.
18 Oct 2011, 00:51 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-49: Deysel would’ve been a far better option at the RWC at lock than Danie Rossouw who pretty much lost us the QF. At least Deysel isn’t such a liability with ball-in-hand.
18 Oct 2011, 01:53 am
Bad move on both parts.
Nostalgic reasons aside Soccer City is a MUCH better venue then Ellis Park which let’s face it, the stadium itself and the surrounding areas have seen much better days, crowds are a joke for CC/S14 games (though have been marginally better this year due to their CC success) and even when the bokke play there now it isn’t a automatic sell out like it used to be.
I don’t whether it was the GLRU being too proud to play in a stadium with the name “soccer” in it, but yet another horrible business decision by them.
And Habana? It’s a credit to him he is willing to stay and take a pay cut but come on the oke isn’t what he used to be and one thing WP do not lack is plenty of pace to burn outside, people talk about his “defence” but it’s overrated too. Mvovo should take his place with the boks.
18 Oct 2011, 02:52 am
Anyone want a PdV ring tone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Qy0lSq72w
18 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
The only player in the WP frontrow that impresses a lot is Tiaan Liebenberg. He is very physical and has the potential to ignite any pack of forwards. Would love to see him in a Lion’s jersey.
18 Oct 2011, 13:45 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-52:
4) Flip vd Merwe/Elstadt (ontwikkel n nuwe Bakkies , of hoe?)
Ek is ie SO mal oor Flip nie (ek dink hy gee te veel strafskoppe weg – bv. in Smit se 100ste toets) maar hy het Bok ondervinding en is jonk genoeg om te leer…?
18 Oct 2011, 13:47 pm
@Loyal Lion(Loyal Lion)-94: The only?! Then you havent watched too much of WP’s forwards. Brock, Blaauw and Deon Fourie are equally impressive I would say….
18 Oct 2011, 15:17 pm
Bokfan1, no disrespect towards WP, but Brock and Blaauw are i.m.o WP’s weak link. You guys need a serious set of props, together with Tiaan. Trust me, you will see the difference. Deon is a great impact player and I will select him on the bench anytime.
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