New-look Lions to face Russia

New-look Lions to face Russia

17 Jan 2013

Johan Ackermann has named 11 Lions debutants in his match 23 to face Russia at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Lock Franco Mostert, flank Warwick Tecklenburg, flyhalf Lionel Cronje and centre pairing Harold Vorster and Stokkies Hanekom will start for their new franchise, while prop Jacques van Rooyen, lock Hugo Kloppers, loose forward Claude Tshibidi and utility backs Marnitz Boshoff and Ruhan Nel should make their first appearances off the bench.

Russia (20th on the IRB rankings) are the Lions’ first opponents in the Lions Challenge, which they hope will prepare them for the Super Rugby promotion-relegation play-offs in July and August.

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (c).
Subs: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Jacques Kotze, 19 Hugo Kloppers, 20 Claude Tshibidi, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Marnitz Boshoff, 23 Ruhan Nel.


53 Comments

  • 1.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:29 am

    go lions…

  • 2.mabu: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:35 am

    Would be nice if we could get some background info about these unkown players.

  • 3.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:36 am

    they’d better not lose this match.

  • 4.stormer in a teacup: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:40 am

    It is a shame Coetzee and Minnie are not playing super rugby this season.

  • 5.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:43 am

    Phansi AmaBhubhesi… Shaya amaPutin…

  • 6.Angostura: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:44 am

    @stormer in a teacup-4: and JC

  • 7.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:51 am

    @Heavens Game-5: Nca… Voessek Phansi… Phambili AmaBhubhesi… Shaya amaPutins

  • 8.grant10: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 11:58 am

    really hope Lionel Cronje steps up….had high hopes for that oke….

  • 9.willievz: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:02 pm

    So the best fullback in the country will not be playing S15 this year.

  • 10.gunther: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:11 pm

    Ridiculous that Coetzee is still there

    Come to the Bulls kiddo.

  • 11.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:16 pm

    yeah… crazy that a place couldn’t be found for coetzee in any of the five franchises…

  • 12.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:17 pm

    @mabu-2:

    Stokkies Hanekom (23) – WP junior rugby, 2009 SA u/20, WP & Maties
    Harold Vorster (19) – 2011 Limpopo Blue Bulls Craven Week, 2012 Lions u/19
    Franco Mostert (22) – Blue Bulls u/21, Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup
    Ruan Dreyer (22) – Lions junior rugby, 2012 u/20 Bokke, UJ
    Francois du Toit (22) – Lions junior rugby, 2010 SA u/20, UJ, 2012 SA Students
    Jacques van Rooyen (26) – TUT
    Jacques Kotze (21) – 2009 SA Schools, Pumas juniors, 2012 WP u/21, 2012 Lions u/21
    Hugo Kloppers (24) – WP u/19 & u/21, WP, Maties, 2012 SA Students
    Claude Tshibidi (19) – 2011 Leopards Craven Week, 2012 Lions u/19
    Ruhan Nel (21) – 2011 Valke Craven Week, 2012 Lions u/21

  • 13.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:20 pm

    @Baylion-12: Sorry, Ruhan Nel was 2010 Pumas u/19 not Valke CW

  • 14.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:21 pm

    @ufo-11: Apparently Coetzee had affers but decided to stay with the Lions, same with JC. Go figure, there’s still some loyalty in the world.

  • 15.katman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:22 pm

    Franco Mostert? That sounds supiciously like two locks.

  • 16.RugbyStudent: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:24 pm

    Is this whole team white?

  • 17.RugbyStudent: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:26 pm

    Transformation is not about having quotas filled, transformation is about getting white coaches, selectors and scouts to sit at non-white games. Failing that, quotas is the only option.

  • 18.katman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:31 pm

    @RugbyStudent-16: Claude Tshibidi might not be, but who knows…

    Anyway, luckily we recently had Cheeky explain to us what transformation means and that we can’t reduce it to a numbers game.

  • 19.Angostura: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:32 pm

    @RugbyStudent-16: I think Volmink is a Coloured player, if I recall correctly – but Lions fans will now better

  • 20.Angostura: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:32 pm

    @Angostura-19: now =know

  • 21.RugbyStudent: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:35 pm

    @katman-18:

    Are you really under the impression that people listen to Cheeky? 1 black player? Thank goodness the Lions are gone. Hope their ‘loan’ players never come back and Ellis Park is turned into a parking lot.

  • 22.katman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:38 pm

    The Lions are gone but they’re not forgotten
    Cheeky’s a skelm and the Kings are rotten

  • 23.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:42 pm

    @Baylion-14:

    oh wow… okay bud…

    didn’t know that…

    thanks for the info…

  • 24.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 12:44 pm

    @katman-22:

    hey hey my my…

    :wink:

  • 25.Skeppie: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:04 pm

    @gunther-10: Got to admire his commitment to the lions though, maybe it was his choice to stick it out.

  • 26.Skeppie: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:06 pm

    @Baylion-14: Aha answered my question…i really admire them and hope it works out for them personally. Whatever happens SA rugby needs a JHB based team to be playing super rugby

  • 27.Skeppie: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:08 pm

    @RugbyStudent-21: Our greatest rugby stadium with all it’s history turned into a parking lot? What a stupid thing to say……are you Mike Stofile?

  • 28.katman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:09 pm

    @ufo-24: Soon the Lions will be out of the red and into the black…

  • 29.gunther: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:12 pm

    @Skeppie-27:

    exactly.

    we should reserve it specially for playing the kiwis.

  • 30.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:13 pm

    @RugbyStudent-21: “Ellis Park is turned into a parking lot.”

    Nice… Turn SA’s greatest Rugby Stadium, one of the Iconic Rugby Stadium’s in the Word in Union, into a parking lot…

    Just because of the Watsonian Kings

    Banana?

  • 31.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:14 pm

    Very young team. Ave age 23,22 with the only 4 players over 25 and the oldest, Bondesio, 27.

    With the young squad the Lions cannot afford too many injuries during the season otherwise they will play the Wooden Spoon Knockouts with a combo u/19-Craven Week side

  • 32.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:35 pm

    @katman-28:

    hehehe… clever…

    here’s hoping…!

  • 33.Dilligafrican: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:36 pm

    helberg may get himself a russian grandma after the game…

  • 34.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:37 pm

    BayLion

    do you know what happened to that young scrummie who got a few games last year… forget his name now…

    but i thought he did very well… reminded me a lot of garth wright…

  • 35.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:43 pm

    Whestley Moolman? He’s injured and it looks to be fairly longterm.

    Jaco Kriel & Alwyn Hollenbach recently returned from injury and will be phased in. Warren Whiteley is still with the Blitzbokke till mid-Feb.

    Other injuries: Ruan Combrick (new injury), Deon van Rensburg (back mid Feb), Dylan Des Fountain, CJ van der Linde, Stephan Greeff (long term)

    There are also some players with UJ for the Varsity Cup that should come into play later in the season.

  • 36.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:56 pm

    @Baylion-35:

    shucks bud…

    that name doesn’t ring a bell… but he played when bondesio was out for whatever reason… got three or four games…

    will try and find the name…

  • 37.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:57 pm

    but it could be him…

  • 38.BrumbiesBoy: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 13:57 pm

    @Skeppie-27: Or Ngconde Balfour?

    @gunther-29: Absolutely.

    @Dilligafrican-33: :lol:

  • 39.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:02 pm

    @ufo-36: Moolman might have had one or two CC games.

    Rudy Paige maybe? Went to the Bulls

  • 40.Jeez: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:03 pm

    Say what you will about this ‘tournament’ Im looking forward to it! It will be great to see how they perform and improve!

  • 41.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:04 pm

    BayLion…

    i think the guy i’m thinking about was/is Tiaan Meyer…

    do you know what happened to him…?

  • 42.willievz: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:07 pm

    @ufo-41: The scrumhalf?

    Isn’t he from Potch?

  • 43.Baylion: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:11 pm

    @ufo-41: Oh, he is a Pumas player.

  • 44.ufo: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 14:14 pm

    @willievz-42:

    not sure bud…

    @Baylion-43:

    oooh… okay…

    thanks man…

    bit surprised he hasn’t been picked up by any of the franchises…

  • 45.Slappes: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 16:34 pm

    Russia were klapped by UJ, so where’s the challenge?

  • 46.Rhys7: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 18:34 pm

    3 players capable of playing Super rugby and starting, JC Janse Van Rensburg, Derrick Minnie & Andries Coetzee

    Would have put Coetzee and Minnie at Cheetahs making Cheetahs stronger and JC should go to Bulls… He would klap Dean Greyling

  • 47.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 18:45 pm

    Am looking forward to this tournament as well, hope the Lions decimate all in their path cept the Sharks and are back in Super Rugby next year.

  • 48.Wanderer: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 20:27 pm

    @Slappes-45: yes ou slapplielietjie and SWD was klapped by nmmu.

  • 49.Liewe Luiperd: Reply to this comment
    17 Jan 2013, 23:13 pm

    RugbyStudent is obsessed with race….what an idiot.

  • 50.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    18 Jan 2013, 04:08 am

    @katman-28:
    Its better to burn out….than to fade away…
    Cos the Lions are here…and here to stay.

  • 51.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    18 Jan 2013, 07:08 am

    Are they showing this game the weekend?

  • 52.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    18 Jan 2013, 07:18 am

    Hehehe 55/9…

    Anyway, feel free to copy and past to other articles. Got stuff to do and can’t hang around to loong

    Come join my Super Rugby prediction game on SuperBru! It’s free and loads of fun. Just click here:

    http://www.superbru.com/superrugby/pool.asp?p=11047241

    Pool name: Hore set for hefty ban…
    Pool code: busycoon

  • 53.knormoer: Reply to this comment
    18 Jan 2013, 16:28 pm

    @Sasuke-51: It’s on SuperSport 1 @ 7pm tomorrow.

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

Have your say

You must be logged in to post a comment.