Earl Rose, Walter Venter and promising flanker Johan “Biscuit” van Deventer have become some of the latest casualties in Lions land as new new coach John Mitchell (newer than the old new coach Dick Muir) plays the new broom trick in yet another attempt to try and wring some success out of the perennial no-hopers from the Coke Tin.
Flyhalf Rose – nicknamed the “Tiger Woods of rugby” by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, really doesn’t have any further to fall now. He was dropped from the Lions Super 14 group by Muir earlier in the year and Mitchell has in turn decided that he’s not good enough for the Currie Cup squad. Attempts to offload him to the Cheetahs failed, so the enigmatic pivot will have to make do with playing club rugby until his fortunes pick up again.
Venter and van Deventer are both fan favourites that have never quite managed to convince the coaching staff of their attributes. The former was recently very keen on a move to the Sharks, which unfortunately went nowhere, while the latter has been roundly labelled “too small” by the same geniuses who let Jean Deysel go on the grounds that he wasn’t quick enough to be an opensider! Former Sharks under 21 player Warren Whiteley has been plucked from the obscurity of the Joburg club scene in van Deventer’s place, while another former Shark, Waylon Murray, looks set to establish himself as the Lions’ first choice at inside centre.
Mitchell has named his team to face Boland in a warm up game this weekend – this after the Lions somehow conspired to lose their first warm-up game to the lowly Pumas by 5 points. Herkie Kruger will run at flyhalf, with promising Baby Bok centre Jaco Taute named in the last line of defence. Murray is not the only discard from another province in the three quarter line, though – Marius Delport and Tonderai Chavanga will be there too, courtesy of being surplus to requirements in Pretoria and Cape Town respectively.
Exactly what the Lions are hoping to achieve here is a mystery. Mitchell has regularly finished in the bottom four of the Super 14 with a far stronger Western Force team than the rag-tag bunch he’ll be coaching in this year’s Currie Cup. Expect much wailing, gnashing of teeth and the inevitable soul-searching as the season progresses.
Lions to face Boland – 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Waylon Murray, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Jonathan Mokuena, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Derek Minnie, 5 David Bulbring, 4 George Earle, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hans van Dyk, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: Martin Bezuidenhout, Wayne Swart, Warren Whiteley, Robert Kruger, Chris Jonck, Elton Jantjies, Deon van Rensburg, Alwyn Hollenbach
Lions squad – Alwyn Hollenbach, Burton Francis, Charles Emslie, Chris Jonck, David Bulbring, Deon van Rensburg, Derrick Minnie, Doppies la Grange, Elton Jantjies, Franco van der Merwe, George Earle, Hans van Dyk, Herkie Kruger, Jaco Kriel, Jaco Taute, Jano Vermaak, JC Janse van Rensburg, Johan Snyman, Jonathan Mokuena, JP Joubert, Kevin Buys, Marius Delport, Martin Bezuidenhout, Michael Killian, Pieter Engelbrecht, Robert Kruger, Ross Geldenhuys, Ruan Vermeulen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Wandile Mjekevu, Warren Whiteley, Waylon Murray, Wayne Swart, Wikus van Heerden.
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Go Boland!!
I hope Loffie rubs their noses in it. 🙄
@wpw (Comment 1) : IT’s true what they say, you don’t know what you have till it’s gone. I bet every single snoiL supporter wish they could get back to the days Loffie was coach.
I hope Boland makes a proper gat of the snoiL, at the rate the snoiL are deteriorating they might be in trouble of relegation this year 😯 😆
Rob, werent you pushing for the Sharks to sign Walter Venter? When the Lions drop a player surely that signifies the guy is not good enough to be playing club rugby let alone super 14?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 3) :
The Lions also failed to see the potential in Jean Deysel, Rory, Duane Vermeulen among others!!
I am sure Walter will do just fine if he moves to the Sharks!!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 3) : not in the case of the lions, remember they wouldnt give jean deysel any game time so he moved, walter venter remains an excellent player and if the sharks management had any sense they would make a move for him. you should see how the lions supporters are seething about him being dropped
@wpw (Comment 4) : hey!! snap (sort of)
I rate Venter. Always have. Lions don’t know their asses from their elbows when it comes to identifying talent. At least they’re consistent
@robdylan (Comment 7) : Lions management, you mean. Supporters have been calling for his inclusion all year ❗
@Greg (Comment 8) : ja, that’s what I mean.
The average Lions supporter knows far more about rugby than the Lions management, which is pretty sad if you consider the IQ of the average Lions supporter 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 9) : Now that sounds like fighting talk 😆
@Greg (Comment 10) : it probably is 🙂
While I was reading the article the same questions popped into my head.. But we trust the talent spotting genius that is known as Rob!!
The latest is that Walter is to small for 12, he is 1.81m and 97kg, Please man. Doppies is 97kg. The sharks should go for Walter now, as it will be simple to get his service, and agreement. And the Lions will pay for this mistake.
Waylon at 12? Huh? Have his hands improved since he moved to JHB?
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Ok, wasn’t really sure, because I’m just an average Lions supporter ❗
@Greg (Comment 15) : you post here, immediately lifting you WAY above the average 🙂
Rumors are that they want to play Burton Frances at 12, but the current line-up is Doppies, Waylon, Burton.
@robdylan (Comment 16) : Now that my new avatar is displaying, bring it on! (the fight, that is) ❗
@robdylan (Comment 16) : Also lifts the average IQ of sharksworld 😆 😆 😆
not a bad squad considering the depletion of resources.
@Greg (Comment 18) : i would think it enough for the Lions to use its natural weapons like claws – but hey in these torrid times
@Greg (Comment 19) : fair point 🙂
Im still not sold on Venter, but after the rash of Sharks supposed signings lately I wouldnt be surprised to see Earl Rose attending a sharks practice soon.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 23) : OMG, please don’t say things like that!! Behoede ons…
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 23) : Bite your tongue! The day we sign Earl might just be the day I decide to re-decorate my bar.
Who to jump to might be a more difficult question though . . . 😯
Ok, I apologise to everyone, I didnt mean to use the E word in a family forum. I’ll go wash my mouth out with soap.
@Original Pierre (Comment 25) : oooh – send us a pic of your bar. It sounds nice 🙂
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 23) : @Ice (Comment 24) : @Original Pierre (Comment 25) : Earl Rose or Rudi Keil ??? Make your pick… 😈
@Charlie (Comment 28) : I’ll pick option “C” 😆
@Charlie (Comment 28) : Jorrie Muller… 😈
@Ice (Comment 29) : Auntie, that sounds blond 🙄
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 30) : Uncle that sounds dodgy 🙄
@Charlie (Comment 31) : I AM… 🙄
@Ice (Comment 33) : Original or Fong Kong ?
Interesting to see Waylon going for the Inside Centre position… hopefully he won’t have time to run sideways from there?
I never rated Earl Rose… but some certainly did! How can you go from being the “Tiger Woods” of rugby to absolutely rock bottom in only 1 year?
@Charlie (Comment 28) : oi . . . I guess it`ll have to be Keil then. . . . if Hans Scriba isn`t around 😕
@CS (Comment 36) : Tiger Woods??! More like Rasta Dumisani . . . Wasn`t Earl in trouble for possession some while back??
@Original Pierre (Comment 37) : Not sure… but I imagine his singing certainly won’t be much better than Dumisani 🙂
@CS (Comment 35) : 🙂
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 30) :
You just love using foul language don’t you?? 😯 🙄
@Original Pierre (Comment 37) : Certainly not for possession of the ball anyway ❗ 😆