The Lions invite their northern neighbours to Ellis Park for the final game in the opening round of the Currie Cup.
Will the Lions prove too strong, given the lack of Bok call-ups from their ranks?
Or will the blend of youth and experience in the Bulls team be enough to take the points?
Kick-off in Johannesburg is at 17h05.
Vodacom Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 John Mametsa, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Wikus van Heerden (captain), 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Francois van Schouwenburg, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Dewald Potgieter.
Xerox Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Ryno Benjamin, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Gert Muller, 18 Justin Wheeler, 19 Wilhelm Koch, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Jannie Boshoff, 22 Dusty Noble.
Referee: Craig Joubert
Touch judges: Gareth Lloyd-Jones, Peter de Bruin
Tweet
Go Lions!
Can’t believe it showsports is showing Top14 Rugby match instead of the CC game..
Percy’s playing..
Dammit!!!!
Go Lions!
Teams are about to take the field…
C’mon you Lions.
Go Lions!
Is this game on any radio station..?
It’s still 0-0
Lions mascot holding a sign reading ‘I’m a bull’
Poms 72/6 in the cricket!!
Whats going on in the game..?? Is it being played..?
Hell even 365 is quiet..this sucks!
No score after 23 mins…
2 kicks missed by Rose and 1 missed by Steyn so far
Benjamin off injured..Bulls have us pinned in our own half now for about 10 mins
31st min, Penalty by Steyn, 3-0 Blue Bulls
Drop by JP joubert, 6-0
C’Mon Lions!!!!!!!!!!!
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 10) :
Is it not on Showsport?
Half time
6-0
….to the bulls
Why is there no coverage on this game?
RSG?
R2000?
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 18) :
Do you have it on TV?
Lucky SOB
Who got the Yellow Card?
Superrugby don’t bother giving more info than this. 40 Yellow Card
its on SS1 … well it will be when halftime is over
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : Mediazone.
boys coming on to the field again
@KSA Shark © (Comment 22) : One of the Lion locks. Name escapes me.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 22) : will see if they show it on the screen
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 23) :
Please keep a look out to see who got the yellow?
Lions or Bulls? And of course the players name
lions player has a yellow
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : not asking much are you
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 26) :
Your choices are………….
4. Dewald Senekal
5. Gerhard Mostert
here comes score from the bulls …wait craig says “going forward” lions must be relieved
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) : Ja, one of them.
lions manage to find touch, giving them some much needed breathing space
Senekal is still on the field.
who got a yellow?
So my powers of deduction tell me it must be Mostert.
seems the breathing space was a good thing for the lions, have managed to work the ball all the way up into the bulls half now, before losing it in a knock forward
so Mostert got the yellow?
mostert in the sinbin – just shown him on screen
yes mostert got the yellow
he has got 4:22 left and he’s enjoying his powerade
They just showed Mostert sitting in the bin. So it is definitely him who got the yellow.
Okay I have confirmation it is gerhard mostert who got the Yellow.
Wonder if it was a mustardy Yellow or a neon Yellow
visits to the opponent’s 22 –
lions 1
bulls 8
mmmm thats for sure ….
@KSA Shark © (Comment 44) : More like a sunny savannah yellow.
bulls miss a try because there was no support when it counted… aikona looking for someone to hand the ball to 5m from the line and there was no one
mostert back on….
lions hungry to score, looking much better in the last 5 minutes
Oops I picked the Bulls on SB.
Go Bulls!!!!!!!!! (Sorry Walter, CSB, etc.)
I picked the Lions.
Meisiekind runs into Rose and comes second.
beautiful play by the lions, the deserve to score
under the posts ….. lions score !
Try vermaak.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 52) :
NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!
TMO first.
oh wait, so unfair…. looking to see if maybe there was a forward pass which would dissallow the try
TMO says “you can award the try”
whew !
tmo for try…
try is given!
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 55) :
He is in my Fantasy league team
Go you valies.
and the conversion is good
7-6 Lions
53 minutes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) : No idea what my 26 looks like. Just picked a few names I knew and the rest willy nilly.
bulls score !!!
@robdylan (Comment 59) :
Vermaak is NOT in your team
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 64) : My picture is way behind.
and the kick is …..a miss
Bulls are back in the lead though
11-7 Bulls
55 minutes
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 63) :
click on your name to see.
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/ccfl08/
but just so you know…………… he ISN’T in your team
was that vermaak who scored for the Lions?
@robdylan (Comment 69) :
yes it was and Mametsa scored for the bulls
Xerox Lions
Tries J Vermaak
Conversions E Rose
Vodacom Blue Bulls
Tries S Mametsa
Penalties M Steyn
Drop Goals J Joubert
and mametsa just scored again?
No man!
@robdylan (Comment 71) :
he’s NOT in my FL
Conversion Missed.
7 – 16 Bulls
67min
Mametsa gets a third.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 75) :
Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21-7
72min
Conversion Missed
7 – 21 Bulls
73min
WHO is kicking for the Bulls
Fudge Mabeta replacing Lobberts.
NO 4TH TRY please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 79) : Steyn.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 82) :
Are all the tries in the corner or is he just kak tonight?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 83) : Both.
Mostly corner kicks to be fair.
2 in the corners & one about 15m in.
2min to go.
Potgieter wheeled away in wheel chair.
I’m glad he is missing them. They are starting to threaten my margin point.
They need to score no more points.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 88) :
How long was he on for?
Lions have zero penetration.
FULL TIME
21-7 Bulls
@KSA Shark © (Comment 90) : Barely on.
Lions mess up a perfect superbru weekend.
Log Updated
Bulls go 2nd
Lions go Bottom
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 94) :
Boland did that for me.
I think Lyndy got a Full house.
Bloody cannucks!!!!!
Kuun begins every answer with ‘No definitely’
Mametsa MOM. Off course.
au revoir from me.
we were terrible…never in the match..not looking good..
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 99) :
Cheers.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 97) :
Maybe they should ask him if he thinks the Sharks are a good team.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 100) :
I was expecting a good CC from the Lions, considering it is virtually theie S14 team.
Hey Rob.
The Fantasy league looks good.
Pissed that i ain’t higher up the ladder though.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, boet
@robdylan (Comment 104) :
I’ve been a Lions supporter my whole life, but when we play like today I almost feel like giving up on them…it was our worst game in a LONG time
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 106) :
So you mean i should stop maoning about not being able to see it
I’m surprised anybody bothers showing up at Ellis Park.
I recorded the game on PVR, but I wonder if I should watch it again…too scared..
At least with a shit team like the Valke you know what to expect.
Being a Lions supporter must be massively frustrating.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 108) :
It was one of our better crowds of the year, 12500…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 111) :
I expect similar crowds in Durban when I go next week and the week After
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 111) : 12000 from Pretoria.
Only joking.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 113) :
Probably true…one bit of gossip news, our guys wanted to buy Butch, but his club wanted nothing of it…he is going to stay there for the 3 years he signed.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 114) :
Butch had an awesome season at Bath.
Guess that means we won’t be getting him either then
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 106) :
I’m feeling the same way..kinda lost my will to support them anymore..it could sadly be the end of them in the coming years..unless something drastic is done to change the fortunes..starting by moving away from Ellis Park and engaging the supporters again and get them to buy into a new era.
STOP selling our frickin best players give them incentives to stay..1 of those being a healthy support base at a cozy viby staduim.
I missed the game and glad for it..infact I may choose not to watch any more of their games till things change..25 years of my support and I no longer feel inclined too anymore.
come on, guys… I now times are tough, but you should never turn your back on your team. Only weak knobs like Simon Borchard do that.
@robdylan (Comment 117) :
None of them are turning their backs, they just feel like doing it. Some of us have felt the same way sometimes.
no true fan ever follows through with it though.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 118) : You read my latest arti?
@robdylan (Comment 117) :
I’ve been a fan since the 70′s and after Saturday’s game this is the first time I felt like this…we were so bad it’s unbelievable…I hope Loffie cracks the whip this week because that was a poor performance
LIONS sucked…
I am seriously starting to wonder if Loffie is a good coach!???!
Also seemed like they did not understand the rules…
Actually the games was poor…a frustrating game to watch…no matter who you supported…
As I have been saying all year….what the heck is Jaco Pretorius doing in teh side…
Loffie….please play Boshoff at 13…and give him a gmae or two to get into it…
I bet him and Walter will develop into a great centre pairing…
And who was that other prop….he was bad…seriously bad…
And Rose…he did a whole lot of great things but just as many dumb/bad things….
And I was aomplaining that Vermaak did not even get the oppo to join the training squad….but after Saturday I think it was a great call…
He stands around behind the ruck doing WHAT at times…donno if he is winking at a girl or guy in the crowds…
Cannot believe the LIONS could be this bad after a solid finish in the S14…
I am seriously disappointed…
This game was a huge step backwards for us. The players didn’t look very committed to me. Jannie Boshoff was one of the culprits, at least twice when he broke the line he had players in support but he couldn’t find them before he got tackled. If he got those passes away it really could have been a different story.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 129) :
Perhaps it’s time to get some the old boys into the mix behind the scenes… a few ‘pep talks’ by Ian McDonald should get them back into the mood!
Think the Lions was pretty unlucky to lose this one. That yellow on Mostert was a real joke and thought myself after the Vermaak try they are in business. Then they lose the plot in the final qoater.
@PaarlBok (Comment 131) :
Sorry…as one of the biggest LIONS fans around…I doubt it…they were real bad…and they looked real bad in a bad game….
I dont know why but I am also a big Lion fan for some reason. Think they are a young side with a lot of potential. Think their problem is defense out wide but as a neatral I dont think it was a bad game. The game was there for the Lions taking after the best try in round one by Vermaak. But then Meisiekind gets into Mostert way. That hurt them. My family laughed themself to death when I start screaming at Meisiekind.
@PaarlBok (Comment 131) :
I agree that the yellow was a joke, Olivier was on the wrong side and Mostert cleaned him…never a yellow