Lions coach Loffie Eloff has overhauled his back row in an attempt to win a vital home match against the Western Force on Friday night at Ellis Park.
There is a welcome return for Lions skipper Ernst Joubert, who takes over from the promising Franco van der Merwe at blindside flank. Joe van Niekerk replaces Willem Alberts at no 8 to complete a powerful looking trio with standout opensider Cobus “Baywatch” Grobbelaar.
In the only other change to the team, Willem Stoltz comes in at lock at the expense of Anton van Zyl.
The backline remains unchanged from the one that rolled over and played dead on Saturday, although there is a slight question mark over the fitness of outside centre, Jaco Pretorius.
Lions team:
15 Ludik, 14 Noble, 13 Pretorius, 12 la Grange, 11 Benjamin, 10 Strydom, 9 Vermaak, 8 van Niekerk, 7 Joubert (capt), 6 Grobbelaar, 5 Stoltz, 4 Mostert, 3 Geldenhuys, 2 Wepener, 1 H van der Merwe
16 Reynecke, 17 G-A van der Merwe, 18 F van der Merwe, 19 Albert, 20 Jonck, 21 Rose, 22 van Schalkwyk
Looking above, this team is starting to read like a bit of a van der Merwe joke. I wander if they’re all related?
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Not sure what to make of this bunch.
The pack looks stronger, I guess.
Go Leeus. Hammer the Mitchell & Aussies!!! 😡
why do they still persist with Strydom if Rose is meant to be the “form” flyhalf?
Lawdy, it speaks volumes about their depth when Dusty Noble is given an extended run in the S14 team – I really thought he might be playing a spot of VC first…
Heinke vdM stands out amidst the mediocrity.
Any team starting with Droppies le Grange aint expecting to score tries.
Quinn – please check your mail, but consider that info “off the record” until I get the OK to make it known?
Doppies scored a PEACH against Free State two weeks ago 😉
I saw that Rob, but he remains a revolving door in defence and as slow as canc- … he remains very slow.
And to think that they have Thabang Molefe working on his tan somewhere…
Yes mom 😉
Molefe… he the dude that likes to step 14 times before he’s even reached the defender, much less the advantage line?
Always confusing him with Michael Flatley, I am.
Quinny – that makes Bradley your brother 😉
26.02.08 17:09:27 – robdylan
Hehehe!
Ja, he looked underdone even at CC level; but look at his pedigree – you cant expect a player to excel when he gets no game time. This is relevant in a very wide context – you know what I mean.
Trust me, that kid has talent.
How bad was D(r)oppies this weekend? Quite pleased to say I didn’t see the game
I think all SA teams would have struggled against the Blues last weekend so don’t blame the poor Droppies alone.
Sharks would have been cut to pieces too by the Blues.
And also Cheetahs.
Western Force is another kind of difficult hurdle.
Hope Die Leeus smash them 😛
I think the Lions can take the Force, assuming they manage to pick themselves up after the Blues debacle.
Eugene Eloff has to do a psychological rebuilding on his men after the heavy beating suffered last week. All SA teams have the qualities to overcome everything. Even the Blou Bulle
Dont agree Rob – the Force are still hitting their straps, and the Lions have a team that would struggle in the CC, leave alone the S14.
I’ll make by call here – Force to take it by a decent margin.
HO, Im not blaming Droppies alone, but I cant understand why someone like Molefe is vegetating at the Lions.
Fish – I’m not making the mistake of NOT picking the Force to win this week.
Man, the good ship SA is a leaky old ship these days. Sharks can’t afford to lose ANY games now
Big Fish
I agree Molefe shouldn’t be around anymore.
Ask robdylan my email address, write me and I shall tell you my complete opinion on this matter OK? 🙂
from the official Lions website:
Thabang Molefe (Center)
Molefe is an intelligent young player, who after having done a meritorious job of leading Kimberley Boys High for three years, went on to represent the Bulls in 2004 and 2005 where they won the Currie Cup both years. Molefe made a great impression at the U/21 World Cup where he was nominated for the IRB awards. Molefe is a talented player who will be making his Super 14 debut this year, and there is little doubt that he will soon be wearing Springbok colours.
farcical 🙄
what ever happened to Walter Venter, he looked good vs the Sharks in the CC semi last year?
so did Louis Strydom.
Freaky match that
on my 30th birthday as well. Kak birthday present from the Lions team.
An even worse one from the Sharks,
lol, true.
actually watched that game in Joburg. Sharks were already behind when we walked in, was expecting plenty of abuse…only to discover that 99% of the pub was supporting the Sharks…
lmao
am I too presumptious in assuming that most “ware Leeu ondersteuners” are from the Oos-Rand?
look that is one of the frustrations of being a Shark supporter… (besides the choking in finals)…when we play badly we play BADLY.
Think 54-5, 62-6, & those are just the SA stuffings.
54-5?
1994
Lion Cup (remember that) game vs the Bulls…. or was it just a CC game. Hmmm, one of those scorelines was the Lion Cup final.
(54-5 was definitely a legacy of Noel-O)
62-6 was the Lion Cup final in 91… Uli scored a hat trick.
We beat Northerns 54-15 earlier that year
Le Requinny
1994 Currie Cup match
Transvaal 57 Northern Transvaal 13 😆
54-15 was the (in)famous match where Guy Kebble broke Jan Lock
aaargh
I’m sure there is a Mazda scoreline NOT in our favour (in addition to 62-6)
Oh well, my posts look like senile ramblings so I’ll stop right now.
you’re not old enough to be senile, Q 😉
Doppies can break a line, its just his defense of the lion that i worrying, same for earl rose and with the force’s attack, they better have their act right. on the plus side, hopefully the pack wont get brushed aside, pack looks a bit more experienced, but might have gone for stoltz at 4 and the fit van zyl at 5. anyway loffie has tried to boulster the pack as best as possible.
cabboooo! Wassup, chap?
howzit rob,
am dissapointed bulls have bakkies back for sat, that will sttrenthen them by 50%.
don’t worry, dude… somehow I don’t think Bakkies will be concentrating 100% as he should.
Dreaming of the French Riviera, perhaps?
lol, perhaps, hell, talk about a series of blows, first spies injured, then gary botha, then matfield, then there other two locks and now the biggest bully boy of them all, bakkies.
wish bakkies would go to the sharks, imagine him at 4 with muller at 5 and habana running on the wing. bugger the crusaders that team would cook.
I think you just picked the Bok team 😉
I would really like to see the Lions win this one – but don’t know.
I missed the match on Sat but from the reports I’ve read and listening to the game on rsg Im rather sure that the same outcome would have been against any other SA side.
SA sides seem a bit slow on the uptake with defence of the new laws that provides more attacking opportunities.
I suspected that this would be a problem what many forget is that almost all kiwi and Aus kids grow up playing league , especially touch league and so they have it ingrained in them to attack off 1st phase ball that is quickly recycled.
If the laws remain the same it will be a while before any SA side gets the better of such play.
In saying that slipping tackles and dropping the ball with the line bekoning does not help the cause.
I just hope Loffie can get the guys up for the match against the Force cause we need to win this one at Home before dare I say it a Looooong away trip.
I think if the Lions can get their act together after last weeks thrashing – they can beat the Force. They are one of the few SA teams (other than mine of course) that I have faith in.
If I were the oppo coach I would target the 13/14 channel!