The battle of the wooden spoonist is upon is as the Blues and Lions open round 12 of Super Rugby action.
The Blues only have one victory from their 10 matches so far this season, and would desperately like to double that figure against the Lions today. The mood in the camp might be slightly off as news this week reported that coach Pat Lam will have to apply should he want to continue in his position next year.
The Lions have also only won a single match, and will target this as a match they can win by taking advantage of a very poor Blues team. I honestly cannot see it happening though.
Blues: 15. Hadleigh Parkes, 14. David Raikuna, 13. Ma’a Nonu, 12. Michael Hobbs, 11. Benson Stanley, 10. Gareth Anscombe, 9. Piri Weepu, 8. Peter Saili, 7. Luke Braid (Captain), 6. Daniel Braid, 5. Ali Williams, 4. Liaki Moli, 3. Charlie Faumuina, 2. Tom McCartney, 1. Tevita Mailau
Replacements: 16. James Parsons, 17. Angus Ta’avao, 18. Filo Paulo, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. Alby Mathewson, 21. Lachie Munro, 22. Sherwin Stowers
Lions: 15. Andries Coetzee, 14. Deon van Rensburg, 13. Lionel Mapoe, 12. Jaco Taute, 11. Michael Killian, 10. Elton Jantjies, 9. Ross Cronje, 8. Joshua Strauss (Captain), 7. Grant Hattingh, 6. Derick Minnie, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Franco van der Merwe, 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Callie Visagie, 1. JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. CJ van der Linde, 18. Cobus Grobbelaar, 19. Jaco Kriel, 20. Tian Meyer, 21. Ruan Combrinck, 22. James Kamana
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So its official . The last placed SA team will be out ..
does anybody know when was the last ime a nz team had the wooden spoon?
i think the lions do stan a chance they gave the chief a go last week so maybe but i won’t put money on it.
they should target this game cause this is the one they can win realisticly, both teams
@Zibbie (Comment 1) : its a joke…
@Franshark (Comment 4) :
A really bad one as such …
Whoever wins; it should be a pretty good, open game. Conditions looking ideal with a cool evening and clear skies predicted tonight in Auckland.
L I O N S !!!!!
@csb (Comment 7) :
please please please …..
@Zibbie (Comment 8) :
May as well try and enjoy the last few games
A win today would make my weekend and soften the blow of relegation …although it must be said I made peace with this weeks ago.
Go Blues!!
@csb (Comment 7) : @Zibbie (Comment 8) :
Sorry guys I gave to support the Blues. My LMS life depends on it!
Come On Lions !!!
Put one over the blues if only to get them back for always killing us with Adrian Cashmore, Joel Vidiri and Eroni Clarke way back when.
@Pokkel (Comment 10) :
All good ..best of luck with it …I got cheated out of MY
Oakleys due to that Thursday game .. 
@Original Pierre (Comment 11) :
Giving your age away there namesake …was a good team back in the day.
3 – 0 Lions ahead after 5 min !!! haha
Blues try 7 – 3 18 min
@Zibbie (Comment 13) :
Time to stop the match
KOM LEEUS!!!!!
Blues penalty 10 – 3 Blues ..
ai ai …
Finally playing our rugby in the correct side of the field ..can we come away with some points …
Bugger !
This kid Coetzee is really growing on me.
Nonu with a no arms tackle ..goes unpunished
@csb (Comment 19) :
Eish .. at work .. cant watch the game .. following on text commentary …
How different could this season have been had our scrums and lineouts functioned like this earlier in the season …Aaaai
@Zibbie (Comment 22) :
I’ll try with updates but suck at it ..
@csb (Comment 24) :
Just keep on doing what your doing . i dont know about the others but the details you give i like !!!
So far living upto the bill of battle of the bottom dwellers …
Lions players already thinking of where they’ll be playing their rugby next season ..
Blues miss peanut ..score remains 10-3 36min.
Braid the Blues Capt doing his best Fourie Du Preez impersonation and moaning at the ref at every ruck and maul ..
This ref is bloody useless. How were the Blues going forward??
@rhineshark (Comment 29) :
He has missed 2 clear hightackles other than that I can’t really complain.
Halftime 10 -3 Blues.
I won´t be surprised if Taute is picked as one of our Bok fullbacks.
@rhineshark (Comment 31) :
Agreed Fullback is his best position.
C’mon Lions, 40 minutes of stepping up needed here.
Seems our handling is still letting us down ..
Left class a bit early to watch the battle of the wooden spoonists,how was the 1st half in general
Ruan Botha,hows he been doing?
@Ludz (Comment 35) : OK-ish, but mostly showed why this is a battle of the wooden spoonists.
@Ludz (Comment 35) :
Rather boring ..Ruan has had a couple of good runs but alas comes to nothing ..
13-3 Blues 47min.
@Zibbie (Comment 34) :
Not commiting enough players at th breakdown ..we losing this at the ruck ..loads of turnovers especially.
And Propeller shoes van Rensberg in the bin ..
Thanks gentlemen
The Sharks are soooo lucky that negotiations with Mapoe fell through.
He was the tackler surely he is entitled to contest for the ball ..wtf ..and he was ON his feet !
@rhineshark (Comment 41) :
Since returning from injury he has been USELESS !!!
C’mon Lions!!!!!!!!
We %&*(%$ deserve all the shit we have coming ..
On 2 seperate occasions we get a peanut and instead of kicking for position we taking quick taps ..in our bloody own half ..REALLY !!!
Anscombe misses his 3rd.
Score remains 13-3 Blues.
good grief ….
Nonu again with a tackle in the air ..ref 2 meters away ..and nothing ..zilch..nada..bubkis.
@csb (Comment 45) :
i think the way our line outs are going tap and goes might be the (slightly) better option
Many secret Sharks supporters in the Lions team – giving Mapoe hospital passes, not supporting him etc.
Mapoe has never been the same player since leaving the Cheetahs and what the hell was Ross Cronje doing
Bye-bye Leeutjies.
Sorry the only thing worse than this ref is the Lions ..
Why was that scrum not reset ?
@Zibbie (Comment 48) :
Our lineouts have been strong ..Blues are kak at lineout time.
@Ludz (Comment 50) :
That was not Ross fault..under immense pressure..scrum should have been stopped ..not to mention the Blues lossie detached before the ball came out ..
Hahahaha what a joke ..I am VERY pleased at the thought of not having to go thru this again.
I’ll get him !
Tackling optional.
Tenders for my support may be submitted to my office now …
@Zibbie (Comment 58) :
and a scew lineout goes unnoticed …
SW admin please could you guys include a yawn smiley ..
Entering from the side legal ..? just asking
@csb (Comment 61) :
and a bangs head against table ….
Well at least my LMS looks safe….now I just need the Sharks to lose!
@Zibbie (Comment 58) : presumably sharks could get a status amongst preferred suppliers. there will be a win here and there
but if you have hair it may be lost, if you have nails – likewise 
@Zibbie (Comment 63) : i would use that a lot.
@Pokkel (Comment 64) : what’s the score?
@rekinek (Comment 65) :
hahah no thats bad advertisement .. you should have said something along the lines off ‘come support the Sharks , we will give you and extra LMS life line and a few transfers on FL’
@Zibbie (Comment 63) :
Slitting wrists smiley should best capture the mood ..
@rekinek (Comment 67) :
18 – 3 for the Blues
@csb (Comment 69) : Slitting wrists smiley
@csb (Comment 69) :
im going to grow my hair and dye it black …
@rekinek (Comment 65) :
Just remind yourself when times seem tough for you and your team ..it WILL never compare to the Lions.
@Zibbie (Comment 72) :
Lions da saamosa team .. we also only have 3 points …
@Zibbie (Comment 68) : come and support the Sharks, we will increase your heartrate
I reckon Mitchell and Carlos have just finished their interview in the Blues boardroom for the vacant position …if they smart ofcourse.
@Zibbie (Comment 75) : mmmmm…. samoooooosa. Demmit, now I’m hungry
maybe Durbs is not far enough .. maybe time to start an Ozzie accent . Baaaaaa
Stress over for the weekend w.r.t. LMS.
I can even watch the Sharks game in peace….win or lose I still win!
@Zibbie (Comment 68) : when it comes to LMS and FL – no friends here I’m afraid. not even amongst Shark’s supporters – see Pokkel’s comment 64 – everything gives
And salt into the wounds with a final try and Blues win 25-3
The Leveson inquiry is a hell of alot more exciting than this shit I just endured ..!
@csb (Comment 73) : at least you do not have naive and (what was it that Fish was saying – these fancy words) expectations
i wish to sympathies with the boy from Cape town …
my LMS hurdle for the weekend has been cleared.
Liking Jaco Taute even more now that he’s in the midfield. Would be better as well in a winning team. Just a shame that he might not even be playing Super rugby next season…
@hendrikp (Comment 87) :
Lol . i think its more like he WONT be playing SR next season .. or he might be .. at the sharks or stormers .. ai jai jai …
We know where this is going, just hope we are smart enough to get Rhodes and Pat back…most of these guys will probably end up playing for the Kings next year..the goods ones will be taken up by the big franchises..
I survive LMS for another week
@hendrikp (Comment 87) : The Bulls and Sharks could probably make use of his services.
@vanmartin (Comment 91) :
I’d say everyone could… he’d make an excellent winger as well if the Cheetahs wanted him.
Ouch. The Lions are super k*k!