Brenden Nel today reported on Sports24.com that Bakkies Botha is the latest Lions target, after their attempts to sign Andries Bekker from Western Province were unsuccessful.
Botha, who was denied an early release from his Bulls contract to join Victor Matfield at Toulon a few years ago has apparently indicated that he is not interested in extending his current deal in Pretoria, which expires in October this year. While it was widely expected that he would head over to Toulon for a year or two after this year’s World Cup, reports from France indicate that he is no longer planning to do so. Botha apparently intends to end his career in South Africa.
The talk is that it is the Lions, once again, who are putting together a big-money offer for the Bok star – one that will see him play out his career in a red and white jersey, starting next year. The Lions have, of course, denied the rumours.
More on this as it develops.
One reason it don’t believe this is Bakkies isn’t a sharks player!
Milk the Lions while you can I say. Rather play in SA for the same money as you would get overseas.
@Salmonoid (Comment 2) : bakkies going for a stint of sucking on the powerfull rich teet!?
@Ben (Comment 1) :
I think the Lions have finally twigged on that getting someone to swap Durban /Cape Town for Jhb is hard. Now swapping highveld suburbs is more realistic.
@Salmonoid (Comment 4) : That might just be a big fat fact!
@Ben (Comment 5) :
They could have realised this a long time ago if they we’rent so hung up on getting one over on the Sharks.
Rob I know Brenden is a trusted source. But on a scale from 1 to 10 how possible do you think this is? With 10 being the most possible.
Bakkies is past it I’m afraid and he will be more of a liability based on his thuggish behaviour.
I for one wouldn’t want him anywhere near my team!
@Salmonoid (Comment 6) : Yeah I don’t know why they don’t follow in the other teams’ footsteps and just poach players from the cheetahs!
@wpw (Comment 8) : I agree wouldn’t want him either. He’s a walking yellow card.
@Ben (Comment 9) :
Its the lust for revenge -it clouds all judgement and makes one slow.
Outa here, cheers all.
This could be a good buy ,this guy will play well into his thrities (is he 34ish?)even for the boks if he so chooses ,no player like him in world rugby
Hmmm. I’ve never seen a lion chase a bakkie… But then lions are opportunistic feeders, especially where carrion is concerned, so there could be some truth in this.
@Ben (Comment 7) : I worked with Brenden at the Pretoria News and he is as sharp as a tack. And cuddly to boot.:)
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 14) : Have also done an interview with him.
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 14) :
@sharks_lover (Comment 16) : In a nice, platonic, colleague-ish sort of way, that is. He’s a good dude, and talented rugby afficionado.
@sharks_lover (Comment 16) : I am assuming your eyes are popping at the cuddly comment? Not the fact that I worked at the Pretoria News?
For those who are interested. Score at half time is.
Lions 40
Tucuman 9
Gee wiz.
Lions 54
Tucuman 12
Eina! Tucuman got a morse klap!
Final score:
Lions 82
Tucuman 19
Good result for the Lions. Seem to be building loads of momentum going into the Bulls game. Bakkis would be a great signing. Would obviously be the ‘enforcer’ the Lions desperately need. He has won it all and could bring David Bulbring along nicely. Apparently the Lions and Bok u20 lock is supposed to be special. He too would benefit so much from Bakkies.
@Speed7 (Comment 22) : *lthough they can’t take to much from the game. Tucuman is well below super rugby standard. But on the other han you still have to show up and beat them and the lions did that well
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 18) :
prolly a bit of both , jk
Mindset and momentum. That’s all you can take from the Tucuman game.
Bakkies have always been overrated,come on the ENFORCER.
What does he do but get a yellow or play dirty.
No rugby player should be afraid of him,maybe of the field but not on it.
Well at least the Lions are waiting for his contract to expire before trying to sign him. This signing of players already under contract is just ridiculous and really needs to stop.
Bakkies would be a great signing for the Arms Dealers XV.
They could really do with a hard man in the T5, especially given the youth in their pack, while his big game experience could also help the temperament amongst the backs as well.
All this is assuming that he does not suffer another “weakness of the flesh” while playing for them.
Also good for SA rugby at large if a ageing great retires here rather than abroad.
And let’s not hate on a guy who has done some great things for club and country.
@Big Fish (Comment 29) : BF, I am not a hater, but when you look at the great things he has done for club and country, you really also have to consider the various brain farts that have ended up hurting club and country. So although he may have done some great things, when combined with the brain farts, it definitely drags down his reputation.
@Big Fish (Comment 29) : Everything that is said about Bakkies could also have been said about Ackermann when he played for the Sharks, but us Sharks supporters were happy to accept his yellow and red cards, but for some reason, Bakkies transgressions are much worse in our black and white shaded eyes.
Name it and Bakkies has won it. Every trophy in his cabinet. That’s what history will reflect. He is a great.
Ackerman on the other hand didn’t win much.
@Speed7 (Comment 32) : Akona Ndungane has the same trophies in his cabinet as Bakkies, Super 14, World Cup and Currie Cup. Is he also a great?????
Does he have the 70 caps Bakkies does ?
Did he play a full part in the Tri-Nation triumphs ?
@Speed7 (Comment 35) : When justifying the greatness of Bakkies, you brought up trophies won, not caps won. I was responding to your posts, caps are a different thing. So what you are really saying is that in order to be a great, you have to win all the trophies and get at least 70 caps?
Your understanding of rugby must be minimal if you’re comparing Bakkies to Akona. Really ?
@Speed7 (Comment 38) : To be honest, it is not worth the time to argue with you. I would seriously reconsider trying to evaluate someone’s knowledge of rugby until you know the person a little better. I was not comparing the two, in fact, my point was that one could never consider Akona a great, yet he has won all the trophies that Bakkies has and you said that the trophies made Bakkies great. My point was that it is not just the trophies that make a player great, and used Akona as an example. It appears your understanding of the English language is about as minimal as you claim my rugby knowledge to be.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 39) : First personal insult I have posted since St. Michel. Sorry Rob and Speed7, won’t happen again.
Doesn’t bother me that much. Goodnight.
@Speed7 (Comment 41) : G’Night
@Speed7 (Comment 38) :
You really are a charmer. Amazing deductive leap there too.
Agree that Bakkkies has seen and done it all though, but DB’s points are also valid – Bakkies would certainly admit that he as tarnished his reputation with some really poor decisions at times.
Bakkies for president.
Maybe Rassie should give him a call.
NOBODY questions DB’s rugby knowledge on my site… gottit? Good!
@wpw (Comment 8) :
If he is as vuilgat as he is now, just imagine how much of a vuilgat he is going to be when he is playing on the losing team………
@Dancing Bear (Comment 31) :
I enjoy it when he stuffs up when I’m wearing my black and white shades, coz that means the Bulls suffer.
It PISSES me off when he stuffs up and i have my green shades on.
@Speed7 (Comment 35) :
it’s official Speed 7 is a woman. losing one discussion and the goalposts move or the subject changes.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 40) :
There were mitigating circumstances on both occasions.
Is it just me or am I the only one who would rather have Brad Thorn in my team then bakkies.
@Honey Badger (Comment 50) : of course not, Thorn is an educated street hustler and bakkies is a cheapskate benoni pickpocketting tsotsi…
Nice article on Robert Gumede in the SA rugby mag. You boys have plenty of whinging to look forward to. ha ha ha.
Luckily for you boys the Lions are set to target Bulls players next. Massive exodus after the Super rugby season. Gumede reckons they’ve only been using their credit cards and haven’t even opened the cheque-books yet. Could be good for SA rugby. What do you Dirtbin boy
s think ?
I still think the Sharks are a great team. Really hope the don’t dish up any more asphixi-rugby once they get to the Super play-offs.
@Honey Badger (Comment 50) :
Apparently you are the only sane person thinking so.
@Speed7 (Comment 52) :
Your spelling sucks. The word is spelt “w-i-n-n-i-n-g”.
Let’s see the Lions do something bigger than announcing another failed acquisitive venture before we get all doe-eyed.
Whinging. As in moaning. Your reading sucks. Sorry.
Asphixi means choke. In case you were wondering.
@Speed7 (Comment 53) : you’re obviously new at this baitning thing, coz you ain’t very good at it.
luckily for us?
You guys literally threw the whole house with the kitchen sink at Beast and he opted to stay in Durban and you say we are lucky.
Bwhahahahhahahaa
Why did you use a synonymn for Jhb when refering to Durban?
@Speed7 (Comment 57) : Asphixi means nothing.
Asphyxi may mean choke
Maybe. Have a good day.
@Speed7 (Comment 52) :
@Speed7 (Comment 53) :
So why would we whinge about the only team with a worse Superrugby record than the Cheetahs going after players from another team?
Go back to sleep dude, you haven’t woken up fully yet.
@Big Fish (Comment 55) : Let’s see the Lions do something bigger than announcing another failed acquisitive venture before we get all doe-eyed.
That won’t happen. All we’ll hear is “we never made him an offer”
@KSA Shark © (Comment 61) :
Newbies: you have to lower your expectations appropriately.
Let’s see if this particular variant hangs around after the Lions receive their customary walloping.
hey guys… let’s all just tone it down a bit, ok? Starting to get very personal here
@robdylan (Comment 64) : Getting deep in here.
@Megatron (Comment 51) :
@Big Fish (Comment 55) : I am beginning to think that Bulls supporters are not that bad……….
If the sharks had a chequebook as thick as the lions, i would have hoped that they invest it in every single up-and-coming junior player. buy from the SA Schools sides and from u/19 and u/21 comps if needed. the true success of the bulls over the past few years was their younger players feeding the top, thats why i rate the Stormers/WP to dominate SA rugby for a while (that was tough to say…)
@Honey Badger (Comment 66) :
Funny I was thinking the same thing ..
@VanWilder (Comment 67) :
Those structures are being put in place ..there is a helluva behind the scenes things taking place and not just Chelsking players from other Unions
For the record I don’t want Bakkies anywhere near our beloved red and white ..after the intitial charm offensive by the Lions management I hope sanity prevails and proper decisions are made on player purchases and keeping players in the Union.Lets face it that has been our biggest problem letting our stars go.