The Lions suffered a double blow ahead of their Super 14 encounter with the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday, with both captain Cobus Grobbelaar and Springbok Jaque Fourie having been ruled out of the game.
Rugby 365 reports that Grobbelaar, who missed out on last week’s capitulation to the Blues with an ankle injury, will be sidelined for another two to four weeks and has already returned home.
With just one match remaining, after this, on the Lions’ Australasian tour – against the Western Force in Perth next weekend – the coaching staff have opted not to fly in a replacement.
Fourie, who started as captain against the Blues in the absence of Grobbelaar, has been ruled out with the eye injury he suffered midway through the encounter in Auckland.
However, Fourie is expected to available to face the Force again.
In the absence of the regular captain and vice-captain, Ernst Joubert will lead the team against the Reds. Joubert was the Lions’ first choice captain, before suffering a season-ending injury last year – which saw Grobbelaar taking over the captaincy armband.
In a third injury setback Louis Ludik will be replaced by Earl Rose at fullback, after Ludik pulled a hamstring. He is also expected to be back next week.
Walter Venter and Johan van Deventer have been placed on standby in South Africa should the need arise for reinforcements to be flown in.
In other changes, Jannie Boshoff comes in for Shandre Frolic on the wing, Doppies le Grange returns to the side at inside centre, with Deon van Rensburg shifting to outside centre in the absence of Fourie. Jano Vermaak is back at scrumhalf ahead of Chris Jonck.
Amongst the forwards there are just two changes – Jannes Labuschagne replaces Gerhard Mostert at lock and Lawrence Sephaka comes in for Gert Muller at tighthead prop.
Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Doppies le Grange, 11 Henno Mentz, 10 André Pretorius, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Ernst Joubert (captain), 6 Todd Clever, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Jannes Labuschagne, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Hans van Dyk, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Gerhard Mostert, 21 Chris Jonck, 22 Shandre Frolic.
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Ag no man!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seems my SB pick will be wrong again. 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : you picked the Lions to win away? 😯
Anyone still in doubt that the Reds is the LMS pick of the weekend?
I cannot believe you okes picked the Sharks on LMS against the Cheetahs.
All formulas goes out the window in a derby match – as far as possible, never pick a LMS winner off a derby match.
DOPPIES LE GRANGE 😯 😯 😯
@Morné (Comment 4) : and never pick an away winner.
Says me who lost my lifeline on the fact that the useless Tahs somehow gave up their impeccable home record to the Bulls
@Morné (Comment 4) :
What is your LMS name?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) :
Krusty (I think) 🙂
@Morné (Comment 8) :
i can’t see you under any of the names that are still alive 🙄 😉 😛
@Morné (Comment 8) : ha ha ha ha ha! So you were talking from experience
@robdylan (Comment 10) :
Damn straight!!!!
@robdylan (Comment 10) :
Krusty’s rnd 9 pick 😉
Picked The Sharks and they lost (No lifeline left – dead)
@Morné (Comment 11) : it’s a horrible competition, actually! 🙂
wish I had a time machine, so I could go back to last week and pick the Cheetahs. Would have solved two of my problems.
Then again, I’d rather use my time machine to tell the Sharks that they lose 31-6 and what are they going to do about it?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) :
Only hope now is FL – and I suck at that too!
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
Bank on the Reds…
Surely you still have them in the bank and they are not going to win many more after this weekend…
@Morné (Comment 15) : nah dude… I picked them in round 3…. home to the Cheetahs.
I actually didn’t have many options this round… it had to be the Brumbies. My other options are Sharks (not that brave), Force (Ditto), Lions (suicide) or Cheetahs (very dicey)
Best bet for you would be the Sharks mate.
The others are 50/50 at best!
I rate Sharks 70/30 – they will come out guns blazing after that humiliating loss.
They do not lose sommer at the Tank.
Have faith in your team.
@Morné (Comment 17) : yeah, but I have already picked the brumbies 🙂 Saving the Sharks for the Highlanders game
@Morné (Comment 17) : me hopes too
fourie injured – again
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
The really bad thing about that is that in my score prediction game on Keo, which is based on actual scores, I am 3rd overall… And I picked the Bulls to win there…