The bearded wonder, who has no more beard, has stepped down as captain of the Lions.
Sport24.com reports that Josh Strauss will concentrate on his own game, stating that the pressure of Super Rugby and the strained relationship between the team and head coach John Mitchell is too much for him to handle.
Strauss was quoted as saying that he is not happy with his own form, and wants to focus on playing at blindside flank, a move he believes, will boost his career.
The Lions take on the Bulls in a pre-Currie Cup friendly encounter, where Strauss has been selected in the blindside flank role. The captaincy has been handed to prop JC Janse van Rensburg on a temporary basis.
This is a further dent in the Lions’ title defence, as coach John Mitchell is still out of action, as results of his hearing are yet to be released. In the interim, Johan Ackermann has been coaching the side, with the help of Carlos Spencer, as the team start their Currie Cup campaign in just over a week.
The teams to take on each other in the friendly:
Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Waylon Murray, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Derick Minnie, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (captain).
Substitutes: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Patric Cilliers, 19 Ruan Dreyer, 20 JC Wasserman, 21 Cobus Grobbelaar, 22 Warren Whiteley, 23 Willie Britz, 24 Ross Cronje, 25 Guy Cronje, 26 Justin St Jerry, 27 Chrysander Botha, 28 JR Esterhuizen, 29 Richard Aingworth, 30 Whestley Moolman, 31 Grant Janke.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Cornell Hess, 4 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Dawie Steyn.
Substitutes 16 Morné Mellett, 17 Robbie Coetzee, 18 Rossouw de Klerk, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Grant Hattingh, 21 Warwick Tecklenburg, 22 Wiaan Liebenberg, 23 Ruan Snyman, 24 Lionel Cronjé, 25 Adri Jacobs, 26 Jerome Pretorius.
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Lions still without Bandise Maku, CJ vd Linde, Micheal Rhodes, Alwyn Hollenbach, Dylan des Fountain, Deon van Rensburg and Jaco Taute and I hope they return soon, they will be a huge boost
I read on Suparugby that Spencer and Wayne Taylor is no longer with the Lions, apparently if the Lions ended last in the SuperXV, the union had an option to end their contracts and they did.
No Official Coach, No Official Captain, No Chance of retaining their title! 😈
@Mutley (Comment 2) :
I will follow that up..
But it is very interesting..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) : Question : Number 25 for the Bulls. Could there be a spelling mistake?
Is Adi Jacobs a bull now?
@Original Pierre (Comment 5) : What happened to Adi? Is he playing in europe or some place?
@Original Pierre (Comment 5) : no. It’s Adri Jacobs, one of the Bulls million young scrumhalves. He played Baby Boks in 2010
The article on SupaRugby by Andre Bester
Die Leeus nou Carloos, Taylor-loos en Mitchell-loos nadat die twee Kiwi’s, Carlos Spencer en Wayne Taylor Dinsdag ook hul tasse gepak het. Die enigste Kiwi in die groep is nou die heelagter James Kamana.
Johan Ackermann is nou die enigste lid van die afrigtingspan wat steeds aan die stuur van die Leeus-skip is en hopelik sal die Leeus nou na plaaslike afrigters wat die kultuur en spelers binne die Unie ken, aanstel.
Tussen Mitchell, Spencer en Taylor het hulle oor die R400 000 per maand verdien en die Leeus sal groot spaar sonder hulle in hul midde.
Daar was blykbaar in die Nieu-Seelanders se kontrakte ‘n opsie dat indien die Leeus laaste in Super-rugby sou eindig hul kontrakte beeindig kon word.
Die Leeus se uitvoerende bestuur het toe besluit om die opsie uit te oefen.
@robdylan (Comment 7) : Thanx for clearing that up!
Shame
@Mutley (Comment 8) : That R400 000 a month will help a lot to payoff the Kings so that the Lions can stay in the SuperRugby comp 😈
I see Guy Cronje has changed his name to Gus Cronje(25) for the Lions!! 😆
@markm (Comment 12) : guess Sport24 don’t pay their subs very well (if they even have any).
We’ve corrected out version.
captain courageous. does anyone know why he shaved his beard? is his girl with him now?
Now I see that the Bulls also signed Paul Willemse from the Lions. I just hope there is not to much of a exodus of players from the Lions in the near future?
@robdylan (Comment 7) : @Original Pierre (Comment 5) : Adri Jacobs was an outside centre,am surprised he’s still in Pretoria,thought he would’ve left a long time ago
Really chuffed to see Lionel Cronje back from injury,got an uphill battle to regain form and try and push to the Bulls main team,but that’s a Queenian we talking about,they don’t breed tougher or mentally stronger than us
@Ludz (Comment 16) : oh sorry… I couldn’t work out if he was a centre or a scrummie…
Am I confusing him with another Jacobs? Lohan?
guys, where (if anywhere) is the confirmation of Willemse signing for the blue scum?
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Supersport made the anouncement although the Bulls still need to confirm.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/120802/Bulls_sign_SA_U20_star
@Viking (Comment 19) : ah – thanks
Lions CC team against the Bull-calves.
Don’t worry boys, the future of Springbok lock partnerships are safely in the trusty hands of our beloved Sharks.
Anton Bressler + Pieter Steph du Toit 😉
it looks like the lions are digging there own grave.bring on the kings!!!