Andre Pretorius must really be hating the invention of the hamstring right now, after injuring his once again in the warm up match against the Lions last night.
This time is not as serious as his previous hamstring pulls that have left him out for seasons at a time, with a grade one hamstring injury, which can only mean that its not as bad a matric hamstring pull.
Is this the end of the road for Andre after many years of struggling with this Achilles heel (read hamstring) who is now into his thirties and can only have so much left in him.
Pretorius signed to play for the Force in the Super 14 last year only to do his hamstring in pre-season and never getting onto the field for his new team.
This injury is a slight concern for coach Mitchell who is now short two flyhalves, with Pretorius injured and Elton Jantjies on a conditioning programme and also did not take part in the Neo warm up games series. New signing Butch James will only join up with the Lions in May.
As a Currie Cup winning player for the Sharks, it is only fair that we wish him all the best in his recovery and hope to see him in action again soon.
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Rory Kockett at 10 for the lions??
O’l Petoors….he just doesn’t seem to be able to stay away from the sidelines. Good luck to him.
@Original Champion (Comment 1) : I heard Pat Lambie is considering a move 😆 😆 😆
Eish! I feel for the guy. 🙁
Nah, worst case scenario is petoors misses a few games of the new season. In which case the lions will go with jantjies to start and burton francis as back up. It’s not exactly a crisis.
@Greg (Comment 3) : Gonna share Beast`s house with him up there? They`re leaving it pretty close
@Original Champion (Comment 6) : Still just under three weeks to go, plenty of time 😆
The Lions have FH trouble, we have lock troubles. I see Ross Skeate broke a finger last night.
@Butchie you beat me to it, I was going to suggest an article on “Lock trouble for the Sharks?” 😆
You’re kidding. Aren’t you ? Burton Francis was very good ,less than 24 hours ago. Nothing else out there for you to report ?
Maybe at lock you could borrow from the Bulls again.
Or get Albert van der Berg back from Japan.
@Speed7 (Comment 10) :
Seriously, are you in high school? Let’s try a logic exercise, shall we?
If Mitchell was confident that Francis was good enough to rely on as one of 2 primary flyahlves, would he have recruited both AP and Butch? Quite a vote of confidence, is it not? Let’s not forget that he also left the Bulls after steadily falling down the line-up.
All the best to him, but its clear that unlike you, in all your charming glory, the Lions coaches aren’t quite happy to cast their hopes solely upon his shoulders.
@Speed7 (Comment 10) :
Obviously not good at reading sarcasm are you?
Poor Petoors.
This guy just does not get the breaks going for him – well not the right ones anyway.
@war1 (Comment 5) :
I didnt refer to it as a crisis, to quote “a slight concern”
But yeah, they will just play Elton unconditioned until James arrives.. with Francis or even Kockot as a backup.
Jeez. You guys having a sense-of humour failure ? Its only a warm-up game. Promise you it won’t be a terrible start like last year. Maybe some of you guys could keep your cells on tonight. Plum may call. Haha.
Yeah, we have lock problems for sure. Looks like Skeate out with a broken finger. Hargreaves might be out for the whole season if it is a lower back injury he picked up last night. Sykes still out too.
How long does a broken finger take to heal? Think about 4 weeks, so Skeate might not be available for the Cheetahs game. Heck that game really cost us huge last night with injuries. How is Ludik? Think he also picked up a ankle injury.
Think send in the 2nd team against Stormers this week…lol. (joking) Really don’t want us to pick up anymore injuries.
Albert may have to lock this weekend.
@Speed7 (Comment 17) :
Not so much a sense of humour failure as it is a failure to appreciate your comments to our blog..
@Puma (Comment 18) :
In Mostert and Bresler we have more than capable locks along with Alberts that can play there.
Sykes’ injury is also not as serious.
Nothing to stress about at this stage.
Anyway. You okes should really be nervous. Lots of Sharks boys at Butch’s wedding. Gumede could be there.
@Speed7 (Comment 17) :
Humour involves something funny, not small-minded. My apologies if I misread you, but bear in mind that until you get to know bloggers, and vice versa, your particular brand of humour is unknown, and you haven’t gained familiarity enough to take a good-natured pot-shot at someone.
If you are one for good-natured banter, I look forward to getting to know you – cos I love a victim! 😆
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 20) : Rich, I know but the season is long buddy. The more cover we have the better. Really never wanted us to lose one of our top players in Hargreaves. That is a shame actually. He was really brilliant against the Bulls in the semi of the cc.
Yip, think Alberts will have to play temporary at lock.
Our defence must have been dreadful last night. Hope we working on that. Think us losing Strauss might cost us.
Also if Ludik is injured, Plum MUST keep SuperPat (new name given by Rob..hehe) at fh at all costs. Then Stefan has to move to fb, just please not move SuperPat to fb. He must be our first choice fh.
Will watch on Saturday to get a better idea about the players. Can’t just go by everyone that was at the game. All have their own opinions.
@Speed7 (Comment 21) :
Like the big names that you offered millions?
JP Pietersen? Ryan Kankowski? John Smit?
How did that work out for you?
@Speed7 (Comment 21) :
Dude, would you have Gumede and Ichkowitz (sp) at your wedding?
@Speed7 (Comment 21) : Yeah sure, they all have sound contracts. So no worries pal…hehe
It is just a bit of banter. I’ve been on the end of it for years been a long suffering Lions supporter when you guys were still in the B-section and called the Banana Boys. Iam all for winding-up. Hope you guys are too
.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 24) : You know we never made offers to any of those guys, Kevin said so
😆
“Andre Pretorius must really be hating the invention of the hamstring right now, after injuring his once again in the warm up match against the Lions last night.” It seems this oke is still playing for The Sharks as I read this line… 🙄
@Greg (Comment 28) : And Kevin is ‘The Law’ 😆
@Charlie (Comment 29) : i also saw that. that makes the sharks loss even worse as they had 16 men playing for them and the lions only 15. (incl the marius jonker)
So Rob when will the log be updated, the Lions scored some points lastnite, a 5 pointer… 😈
@try time (Comment 31) : 😆 😆 😆
What agents often do is fabricate “offer” to help persuede the players current union to better the players current deal. Smit was never going anywhere. Nor JPP and Kanko.
@Charlie (Comment 32) : so how was your game last night. need to work a little on your defence?
Anyway. I support the Sharks. They are the Lions Academy now. Our future players will come from Durban.
@try time (Comment 35) : Ok, getting there, had a 15 min run, what was wrong, were you @ the game lastnite or just relying on a non-trusted sauce ?
@Charlie (Comment 37) : i am gathering from plumtree’s statements and others that the whole team battled a little bit. did you go?
@Speed7 (Comment 34) :
Au contraire mon ami. We know for a fact that the offers were solid.
@Speed7 (Comment 36) :
Quite right that. We like to send our cast-offs up your way – while we import your stars – such as Deysel, Alberts, Ludik et al.
Who is the 3rd choice flyhalf in the Lions den at the moment ❓
Herkie?
@try time (Comment 38) :
I was there. Adi looked very sharp. Bosman looked like needing some time to settle in, as he was understandably off the pace a bit. Some very neat touches though – great distributor.
@Charlie (Comment 32) : hehehe… they`ve already won the cup…. 😉
@Pokkel (Comment 30) : Nope, he is ‘the clark’
@Big Fish (Comment 41) : i am pleased there is some good competition at centre. it hasn’t been an area of great depth in the last few years. i am pleased last nights game wasn’t televised. i am sure a more committed shark side will pitch up on saturday.
Deysel will always breakdown. Like the tow-truck driver he was at the Lions. Too much muscle for his joints to handle. Always gonna get injured unfortunately.
@beet (Comment 40) : how they are missing earl rose right now… 😉
@try time (Comment 38) : You can easily gather a lot of feathers sometimes, so beware 😆
@VanWilder (Comment 46) : That’s touchy… 😯
A team wins a warm-up game and this is how some of their fans react. Jeez I would hate to see what happens when they actually win the games that matters. 🙄
@VanWilder (Comment 42) : Yeah, the Hawera cup 😆
@Charlie (Comment 47) : it is only a problem if i am tarred. 😆 i am just pleased to see adi back in the set up. he offers the team a lot of options. and i am sure he is hungry to get back into the bok squad, so i expect big things this season.
@Farlington (Comment 49) : i was thinking the same. that is why i have only been posting stupid comments all day.
@try time (Comment 52) : actually that is what i do everyday.
@Speed7 (Comment 34) :
and nor was Beast. 😛
@Greg (Comment 50) : hehe…
if you guys ask nicely, i can organise that the whole lions team can take a photo with the currie cup… at R50 a shot. 😆
@try time (Comment 51) : Respect buddy 😈
@VanWilder (Comment 55) : Thanks, but not to worry, I have pictures of Lions players with the Currie Cup. Not recent pictures, granted but pictures anyway
@VanWilder (Comment 55) : Plus I can get new ones in October some time 😆 😆
@Greg (Comment 57) : hehehe enough with the banter… any news on other signings for you guys, or maybe areas youre looking at to strengthen?
@VanWilder (Comment 59) : I wish I knew, I have no contacts though, I only know what I can gleen off the internet 🙁
@Greg (Comment 58) : yip, but they will cost you R60… 😉
well on a serious note, will the hurricanes and stormers change their names when they play the reds as a sign of sympathy?
@Greg (Comment 60) : i ussualy go and watch a few of the lions games at the Tin, hope this year they can win a few overseas teams…
@VanWilder (Comment 59) : However, take a look at the team to play UJ tomorrow night:
http://www.wetalkrugby.com/?p=7022
@try time (Comment 62) : hehehe!! i`m REALLY sorry, its no laughing matter, but that was quite a good one!! 😳
@try time (Comment 62) : The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
i suppose we’ll know when it’s water over the bridge.
@try time (Comment 62) : what about the highlanders? 😉
i wonder how much Pretoors was in their plans. With Jantjies and Butch seemingly out of the picture for the time being I guess having only 1 ten is worrying.
However they can always pull out old Spencer.
@Greg (Comment 3) : where ? to inside centre ? 😆
New Lions player being announced on Friday. Could be BJ Bohta.
@Speed7 (Comment 36) : we even fix the ones you broke – send pretoors back in
@Speed7 (Comment 71) : would be interesting but his availability would probably be the same time as Butch. Plus Ulster qualified further in Heineken cup.
I think he’s also injured right now.
Yip. Thanks for re-habing Mapoe. Well done on Ludik and Mostert. Could we send you Wilton Pietersen.
@Charlie (Comment 32) :
they leading in SA franchise exactly as in the times that Auto and General was a sponsor.
Bj out with an elbow/arm injury. Roumers doing the rounds are for Ernst Joubert or Big Joe. Either one will do.
@Speed7 (Comment 74) : is he a lock – apparently we have a crisis. will you jet him in? should we sent some press to ushaka?
@Speed7 (Comment 74) : i saw a certain wilton Pieterson is playing for Wits in the Varsity Cup B-league. The same player??
Don’t Jonathon Kaplan’s parents work at Ushaka ?
Ja. Car accident left him with some hectic injuries. Only staryted playing last year after 2 years out.
@Greg (Comment 3) : 😯 The fans wouldn’t let him…..
@Speed7 (Comment 71) :
Are they going to roll out a jet and yellow carpet again.
@Speed7 (Comment 80) :
Is that the youngster that was at the Cheetahs.
Yip. He was a star at the Cheetahs. Once again they didn’t look after a youngster. Wasn’t offered a contract after the injury. So good that he’s playing but may not reach the heights he did as an u20 player.
@Speed7 (Comment 84) : He was hot property before Mapoe even came onto the scene for the Cheetahs. I watched him play for the Lions in an u21 game last year and he didn’t look anything like the promising player he was a couple of years back.
Mind you Jaco Kriel and Bothma played in the same u21 game and didn’t impress either.
@Speed7 (Comment 84) : What’s up with Wandile Mjekevu ❓ He looks like he’s also going backwards at the moment.
If big joe or ernst joubert rock up @lions,where does that leave whiteley or minnie? ..perhaps the sharks have just found the way to get one of those players..too much is not always a good thing:players (those with bok aspirations)want game_time..
Mjekevu will fire this year. Stayed behind in Joburg for extra conditioning. Apparently.
Lets not start the season with the hamstring thing!!!
And lets not start the season with the un-conditioned players thing!??!
@Speed7 (Comment 88) : @Hmmm (Comment 89) : did Manie buy the pair of you some of those pretty Lions cheerleading outfits?
Oh I don’t think they make them in my size…plus I don’t do tight clothes…so hope for his sake he did not waste his money…
@Speed7 (Comment 88) :
Well I hope he did more than just conditioning…he was pretty slow last year…I can only hope that the extra body does not slow him down further…
I’d rather hope Chevanga has improved on his conditioning rather than Mjekevu…his issue is trying to make it through a game without injury though…
@Speed7 (Comment 88) : @Hmmm (Comment 93) :
And I have not seen him feature anywhere either…not that I missed him anyhow… 😉