After their loss to the Sharks, Blues coach Pat Lam has made a few changes to his team who take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Friday night.
The big changes include Keven Mealamu being benched for Tom McCartney and Stephen Brett also missing out in favour of Luke McAlister. The coach was particularly happy with McAlister’s performance from the bench against the Sharks. Jerome Kaino will take over the captaincy for the game.
Other players who have been benched include Anthony Boric, Rene Ranger and Daniel Braid. Some might look at this as being rotation against weaker opposition, but the Lions have proved to be pretty competitive in recent weeks, and this decision could come back to haunt Lam.
Blues: Isaia Toeava, Joe Rokocoko, Jared Payne, Benson Stanley, Sherwin Stowers, Luke McAlister, Alby Mathewson, Peter Saili, Luke Braid, Jerome Kaino (capt), Ali Williams, Kurtis Haiu, John Afoa, Tom McCartney, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid, Toby Morland, Stephen Brett, Rene Ranger
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I am very tempted to pick the Lions to win this game.
Rotation or not I give the Lions a good chance to win this game!
that’s a very strange call from Lam… Very strange indeed. Maybe he wants to have some real experience on the bench in case it gets tight in the last quarter… I wouldn’t like the prospect of facing a fresh Mealamu and Ranger when the bodies are tired…
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Maybe making provision for altitude. But strange indeed.
I’ll be going for Lions by 5 on super brother. 😈
@robdylan (Comment 3) :
He was very disappointed after the game.. maybe he is telling the guys he is not scared to bench them if they do not perform.
Finding it really tough to get myself to support the lions.. I will be a neutral..
this screws my FL team around. 🙁
The backline still has plenty skill ..maybe mealamu on the bench coz of the injury he sustained (gash to forehead?)
“Weakened”? We’ll have to wait and see, not so sure that the team is significantly weakened by these rotations. The lions will have to graft to come away with a win, which they should.
The Lions TEAM (not Admin) have grown in stature IMO.
The record losing streak has to end sometime and the law of averages lets me think it will be sooner rather than later, I just don’t believe it will be this soon.
GO LIONS
Leave gerhard mostert at the tank,he has the skill and size plus mobility.just had a bad run of injuries since joining the sharks.
@bergshark (Comment 13) : ?
@war1: lol oops,sorry,posted this comment to the wrong arti ..
But,yes,leave gerhard mostert at the tank 🙂
@bergshark, so too has Ross Skeate. (Bad run of injuries, that is)
Went with Blues to win and nmow they name a weakened side. Why? Will still be happy if the lions win.
I think the Lions might get their 1st win here. I’ll be rooting for them. Go Lions!!!
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 19) : Are you convinced enough to pick them on LMS? 😛
I didn’t think so. 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 20) : No, I’m not convinced of any game anymore (read H’canes and Brumbies) 😛
48 hours away from a Lions win. Whoop whoop.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 19) : Think you are right. Hope so for the Lions’s sake… A win would be good for them and for SA!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 23) : Affirmative
I just hope the Lions have enough steam left to fend of a fresh Ranger in the last quarter.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 24) : He’s one dangerous oke, that Ranger. It’s a marvelous name though … Rene Ranger… Sounds like a 1950s Cowboy movie star. Yipeekayay!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 25) : It kinda does, doesnt it? 🙂
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 25) : I always thought Rene was a girl’s name.
@McLovin (Comment 27) : Renee is the girl’s form of Rene. It’s a French thing. Like Francois and Francoise. Or blond and blonde. Fiance, fiancee… get the drift?
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 28) : McLovin, McMuffin 😈
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 29) : 😆 Mes oui, monsieur. Vraiment!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 28) : Oui 🙂
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 30) : Thank you, I guess 😳
Luke is a better option…
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 32) : Haven’t done the French thing for donkeys years, not since I learned Afrikaans… just remembered that it’s actually quite a fun language! Which is something coming from a (former) soutie, because loathing of all things French is almost hard-wired into our DNA!
Ranger has not looked good and seemed to lack some pace (or Odwa picked up some pace)…but Odwa had his number in the sprinting side of things….
With exception of Mealamu I think it is actually a spronger side that played the Sharks…
@bergshark (Comment 7) :
You need to get over yourself ..really 🙄