Four games to get through before the big derby this evening!
Highlanders v Lions is first, at 08h35 SA time.
Highlanders: 15. Ben R Smith (Captain), 14. Matt Faddes, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 12. Rob Thompson, 11. Patrick Osborne, 10. Lima Sopoaga, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Liam Squire, 7. Dan Pryor, 6. Luke Whitelock, 5. Joe Wheeler, 4. Alex Ainley, 3. Siosiua Halanukonuka, 2. Liam Coltman, 1. Brendon Edmonds
Replacements: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Ross Geldenhuys, 19. Elliot Dixon, 20. Shane Christie, 21. Josh Renton, 22. Hayden Parker, 23. Jason Emery
Lions: 15. Jaco van der Walt, 14. Ruan Combrinck, 13. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 12. Howard Mnisi, 11. Courtnall Skosan, 10. Elton Jantjies, 9. Faf de Klerk, 8. Warren Whiteley (Captain), 7. Warwick Tecklenburg, 6. Jaco Kriel, 5. Franco Mostert, 4. Andries Ferreira, 3. Ruan Dreyer, 2. Robbie Coetzee, 1. Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16. Akker van der Merwe, 17. Corne Fourie, 18. Julian Redelinghuys, 19. Robert Kruger, 20. Ruan Ackermann, 21. Dillon Smit, 22. Jacques Nel, 23. Andries Coetzee
Next up, at 10h45, it’s shopping time, also known as Rebels v Reds
Rebels: 15. Jonah Placid, 14. Dom Shipperley, 13. Tamati Ellison, 12. Mitch Inman, 11. Tom English, 10. Jack Debreczeni, 9. Ben Meehan, 8. Adam Thomson, 7. Sean McMahon (Captain), 6. Jordy Reid, 5. Lopeti Timani, 4. Luke Jones, 3. Laurie Weeks, 2. James Hanson, 1. Toby Smith
Replacements: 16. Pat Leafa, 17. Cruze Ah-Nau, 18. Jamie Hagan, 19. Sam Jeffries, 20. Steven Cummins, 21. Mick Snowden, 22. Daniel Hawkins, 23. Kotaro Matsushima
Reds: 15. Karmichael Hunt, 14. Chris Feauai-Sautia, 13. Samu Kerevi, 12. Anthony Faingaa, 11. Eto Ntabuli, 10. Jake Mcintyre, 9. Nicholas Frisby, 8. Jake Schatz, 7. Waita Setu, 6. Hendrik Tui, 5. Rob Simmons (Captain), 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 3. Greg Holmes, 2. Andrew Ready, 1. Sef Faagase
Replacements: 16. Matt Mafi, 17. Ben Daley, 18. Sam Talakai, 19. Ben Matwijow, 20. Curtis Browning, 21. Scott Gale, 22. Sam Greene, 23. Ayumu Goromaru
Moving further East (and a bit North) we take in Singapore’s first ever Super Rugby clash, with Sunwolves v Cheetahs starting at 12h55 SA time.
Sunwolves: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Akihito Yamada, 13 Harumichi Tatekawa, 12 Yu Tamura, 11 Yasutaka Sasakura, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Atsushi Hiwasa, 8 Edward Quirk, 7 Andrew Durutalo, 6 Liaki Moli, 5 Hitoshi Ono, 4 Timothy Vond, 3 Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 2 Shota Horie (captain), 1 Keith Inagaki.
Replacements: 16 Takeshi Kizu, 17 Masataka Mikami, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Shinya Makabe, 20 Yoshiya Hosoda, 21 Kaito Shigeno, 22 Derek Carpenter, 23 Mifiposeti Paea.
Cheetahs: 15 Sias Ebersohn, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (c), 12 William Small-Smith, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Maks van Dyk, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Hilton Lobberts, 21 Boom Prinsloo, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Fred Zeilinga.
The first game in SA is Southern Kings v Chiefs, live from PE at 15h05.
Kings: 15. Jurgen Visser, 14. Luzuko Vulindlu, 13. Stefan Watermeyer, 12. Shane Gates, 11. Malcolm Jaer, 10. Louis Fouche, 9. Ntando Kebe, 8. Jacques Engelbrecht, 7. Thembelani Bholi, 6. Chris Cloete, 5. John-Charles Astle, 4. Steven Sykes (Captain), 3. Jacobie Adriaanse, 2. Edgar Marutlulle, 1. Schalk Ferreira
Replacements: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Sithembiso Sithole, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Schalk Oelofse, 20. CJ Velleman, 21. Kevin Luiters, 22. Elgar Watts, 23. Jaco van Tonder
Chiefs: 15. Damian McKenzie, 14. Glen Fisiiahi, 13. Seta Tamanivalu, 12. Charlie Ngatai, 11. James Lowe, 10. Aaron Cruden, 9. Brad Weber, 8. Michael Leitch, 7. Sam Cane (Captain), 6. Taleni Seu, 5. Johan Bardoul, 4. Michael Allardice, 3. Siate Tokolahi, 2. Nathan Harris, 1. Mitchell Graham
Replacements: 16. Rhys Marshall, 17. Pauliasi Manu, 18. Atunaisa Moli, 19. James Tucker, 20. Maama Vaipulu, 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Sam McNicol
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Im looking forward to the Lions clash, they are showing us the way. Hopefully they can keep this going
@Dunx (Comment 1) : Can you imagine the Lions getting 3 from 3?
The loyal Lions fans are certainly being rewarded now – I wonder how many of their turncoat supporters have crawled back, after abandoning them for the bulls.
Geez lions getting alot of hometown decisions going against them
10 – 3 Highlanders
Halftime
@byron (Comment 3) : Taranaki born Pollock is having a bit of an off day – I normally find him to be better than average…..but not today.
Ok ref this is getting terrible… a try with a suspisuon that the ball was infront of the mark … and forward and now a penalty advantage to the lions that evaporates and an intercept
Lions fast asleep and concede two tries in less than 5 minutes.
Highlanders 24 – 3 Lions
47 minutes.
And the Highlanders nearly score again.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 2) : probably back with the Bulls now.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 10) : …was just thinking the same…
Lions are a wonderful attacking team….until they come up against a resolute defenders – now they are exposed for their total lack of a kicking game….
Fekitoa try.
Highlanders 31 – 3 Lions
57 minutes.
Drop goal from Sopoaga.
Highlanders 34 – 3 Lions
61 minutes.
Try lions .. after a terrible professional foul 5m out. Should have been a yello
I guess this result actually favours the Sharks…so it’s a win-win situation.
An some more home town reffing. On a warning and straight away a penalty
Ruan Ackermann scores.
@byron (Comment 19) : Pollock nearly allowing another try from an illegal turnover….guess he started with the breakfast of champions this morning, and is now suffering from a hangover.
Highlanders 34 – 15 Lions
77 minutes.
Highlanders might be regretting that drop goal now.
FULL TIME
HIGHLANDERS 34 – 15 LIONS
…and now they figure out how to break through a flat defenders….took all of 80mins. 🙄
Highlanders fail to get a bonus point.
@Ben (Comment 26) : Good result for us….Lions receive zero log points, Landers only get the 4.
FULL TIME
REBELS 25 – 23 REDS
Reds nearly managed to bore the Rebels out of their win….but alas, it weren’t to be.
25 – 23 (I think) Rebels
Sunwolves 7 – 0 Cheetahs
6 minutes.
Sunwolves 7 – 3 Cheetahs
7 minutes.
Sunwolves 7 – 6 Cheetahs
10 minutes.
Yamada scores his second for the Sunwolves. TMO will check first.
Try awarded.
Sunwolves 14 – 6 Cheetahs
14 minutes.
Dear tsietas, school is in session.
Ebersohn currently the MVP for the Sunwolves.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 37) : No surprises there.
Neil Marais try.
Sunwolves 14 – 13 Cheetahs
25 minutes.
The good news is:
Matthew Pierce, Owen Nkumane and Robbie Kempson are in Singapore – so they won’t be doing the Sharks game. Toks is in studio, so Afrikaans will be spared his bias.
Will Bobby be doing the Kings game? I sure hope so.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 41) : We might get Hugh Bladen. Oh no! 🙄
The Sunwolves are destroying the Cheetahs’ scrum.
@Ben (Comment 42) : If it’s Stransky and/or Brosnian, then I will be on Afrikaans…hopefully it will be Kobus Wiese over there.
Haven’t heard Bladen doing commentary, other than on Out Surance adds.
Shaun Venter screws up a try scoring opportunity by not passing. Dof!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 44) : *in quite some time
@FireTheLooser (Comment 44) : Think he was doing Currie Cup.
Hat-trick for Yamada.
Singapore is at least as humid as Durban, probably more humid. Look how drenched the players are. And yet the passes are sticking? Not many handling errors, certainly nothing like we see from the Sharks in Durban? What’s that about?
Take note Shaun Venter. You score tries by passing the ball to a player in space! 🙄
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 49) : Way more humid, dude.
Sunwolves 21 – 13 Cheetahs
35 minutes.
@Ben (Comment 51) : yeah I think the Sharks get quite comfy with that excuse…
This game blows that myth out of the water
4th try to Sunwolves!
Horie scores for the Sunwolves.
Sunwolves 28 – 13 Cheetahs
39 minutes.
How embarrassing for SA Rugby if the Sunwolves beat and finish higher than the Cheetahs and Kings.
Half Time
Sunwolves 28 – 13 Cheetahs
That was awful from the Cheetahs. Embarrassing first half display.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 53) : @Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 54) : I agree. They have no idea what real humidity is, anyway.
Great for Japanese rugby though!
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 54) : It’s 19:50 in Singapore now and it’s 31 degrees with a realfeel of 35 degrees.
Clear evidence SA has too many teams now (if some people doubted this). Embarrassing.
Genius by SANZAAR though. Add a 6th SA team to make the other new teams competitive.
Drop the Kings out the competition and add another team from another country.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 64) : Team from the US would be cool.
@Ben (Comment 65) : based on the East Coast would be perfect for Africa conference
Sunwolves 31 – 13 Cheetahs
43 minutes.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 66) : Indeed.
Cassiem scores for the Cheetahs.
Sunwolves 31 – 20 Cheetahs
46 minutes.
Even the Afrikaans commentators are getting fed-up with the rubbish dished up by the tsietas.
Cheetahs are their own worst enemies.
Neil Marais scores his second.
Sunwolves 31 – 27 Cheetahs
54 minutes.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 66) : You really think saru will let their little Kings cash cow be taken from them?
Greed is the cornerstone of every decision taken in SA sports.
Sunwolves miss a shot at goal.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 75) : Day dreaming mate. That’s all we’re doing.
@Ben (Comment 77) : Anzac will be pursuing that idea….they’ll also happily drop our greed driven saru, as soon as they’ve uncovered enough revenue from elsewhere.
A Sunwolves player got yellow carded. Eddie Quirk.
Boom Prinsloo scores from a driving maul.
Sunwolves 31 – 32 Cheetahs
72 minutes.
Conversion was missed.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 78) : That would be nothing less than SARU deserves.
Ref’s calls have favoured the Cheetahs…
FULL TIME
SUNWOLVES 31 – 32 CHEETAHS
Wow. The Sunwolves blew it.
By the skin of your teeth, Cheetahs.
31-13 to 31-32. Eish.
…and now, for the T20 SR game.
Will they call the game when the Chiefs reach 100?
Took the risk and went Sunwolves by 3. Oh well.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 90) : This was a good result for the Sharks….
@FireTheLooser (Comment 91) : both these teams are in the other “Africa” conference so it doesn’t really matter. Arguably it would have been better for the Sunwolves to win, because the Cheetahs have a better prospect of winning more games than them, but all the Sharks need to do is finish in 1st place in their conference or make sure they are the highest placed “next best” (wild card) team across both African conferences. I’d be very surprised if by the end of the competition the Cheetahs or Wolves are competing for this sole wild card place.
So for example, it was actually quite good for the Sharks today that the Lions lost. Because the Lions are in “Africa 2”, our conference.
Provided the Sharks finish top of this conference it’s all good.
Woeful crowd AGAIN in PE. Get these Kings out of Super Rugby now!
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 92) : I actually forgot that they are in the other conference.
If the Chiefs, skilful, exciting and recent champions (and darlings of a certain portion of the population in the Cape) can’t bring in a crowd… who will?
Attendance looks to be less than 2,000! This must be close to the smallest crowd in Super Rugby history, and the Kiwi teams have played in tiny towns like Timaru before…
Kings 3 – 0 Chiefs
4 minutes.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 97) : In what country do you reside?
The Kings had a very good average attendance in their first season. The people of the Eastern Cape have spoken with their feet at the ineptitude and self interest of Watson, and this joke of a team hastily put together on a shoestring budget.
I’m so relieved to see this guy reffing the Kings game. Means he won’t ref the Sharks game.
@Ben (Comment 99) : no fixed abode. But I did spend 5 months in NZ last year, so I know Timaru.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 102) : Wasn’t asking because you mentioned Timaru. Was just wondering.
Kings 3 – 3 Chiefs
11 minutes.
Steven Sykes held up over the line.
Kings 6 – 3 Chiefs
15 minutes.
Kings doing better than anticipated…..however I fully expect the floodgates to open in the second half – I see saru’s 16th player is officiating again.
Sam Cane scores.
Kings 6 – 10 Chiefs
22 minutes.
Kings 9 – 10 Chiefs
25 minutes.
Wtf is AJ on about?
Kings 12 – 10 Chiefs
27 minutes.
Kings 12 – 13 Chiefs
30 minutes.
McKenzie scores for the Chiefs.
Jaer has got some gas. Nothing else, though.
Kings 12 – 20 Chiefs
33 minutes.
Seu scores for the Chiefs.
Floodgates have opened already
Kings 12 – 27 Chiefs
37 minutes.
AJ is clearly not as talented with the mic as he was on the rugby field. 🙄
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 118) : Halfway open.
Marutlulle scores from a driving maul.
Half Time
Kings 17 – 27 Chiefs
Interview at half time. Kings player: “we must stick to our structures”.
Yissus but we love this “structure” in SA rugby! You never hear the Kiwis or Aussies mention it. Precisely because our teams can’t think outside the “structures”.
17-27 ht.go kings!!
@50shadesofshark (Comment 125) : Go home Kings.
http://www.allblacks.com/News/16933/carter-admits-all-blacks-play-with-more-structure
Why all the BS? Where the supporters? Why the empty stadium?
@Ben (Comment 126) : hamba cheeky hamba!!!viva kings viva!!!!
Charlie Ngatai scores. Way too easy!
Kings 17 – 34 Chiefs
44 minutes.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 127) : if you actually read that article you will see there is a difference between the patterns the ABs employ and our doffies “sticking wiv da strukchas”
Cruden scores.
Kings 17 – 41 Chiefs
47 minutes.
What knowledge let alone experience,no attack on the man,please don’t read me wrong,does the Jokers coach have of SR?
EP Jokers liquidated yesterday,that says it all
Why didn’t they just look at the second angle first? Wasting time. 🙄
Marutlulle scores his second try.
Kings 24 – 41 Chiefs
53 minutes.
At least the Kings are showing some fight.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 132) : The All Blacks are a team that does look to express itself, relying heavily on offensive systems to co-ordinate their game, but coach Graham Henry and senior players consistently preach to the team – worry about the first task, and stick to the patterns.
Henry does like his All Blacks to react to what they see, but one only has to glance as the training sessions to see how regimented they can be.
While Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has long lived by his first coaching ethos of ‘playing what is in front of you’, but equally his sides have often been clinical with their patterns of play.
Carter, talking to the Dominion Post, said that the coaches don’t inhibit expression, but that it all came back down to organisation.
“It’s quite similar with the Crusaders and All Blacks: the coaches encourage you to back your instincts and play what you see, but before you can get to that stage you need certain set structures and certain plays going into the game that you’ve developed for the opposition and areas you are looking to target,” he said.
-from the article.for the benefit of those who did not read it.
Sam Cane scores his second try.
Kings 24 – 48 Chiefs
62 minutes.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 141) : you’ve selectively quoted.
This followed:
“If you get too structured you get a bit one-dimensional and teams soon work that out, but with our plays and how we set things up I would say we are probably more structured than what Genia and Cooper are looking for and doing.
“But we have a good balance and I think that’s good, because with structure comes clarity for the team. The [players] like to know where they are going, which direction we are going and then within that every now and then you back your instincts.”
So he’s comparing the ABs approach to the Australian’s approach. He’s saying they have plans and patterns. The SA teams are very different… we’re in the category of “too one dimensional and easy to work out” that Carter talks about.
Bezuidenhout yellow carded.
Fisiahi scores and 50 is up.
The ABs have a plan B and most likely a plan C and D too. Different patterns and plans.
Ever seen evidence of any SA team having a plan B? Or shifting plans during a match? No, because “we stick to the structures”.
There’s the difference.
Kings 24 – 55 Chiefs
70 minutes.
The Chiefs have hit 50 against the Kings. The Sharks couldn’t manage this.
@Kiss_the_Gold (Comment 149) : But then on the other hand, the Kings didn’t manage to score 24 points against us.
Why all the BS from the commentators
VC meets real SR
Fouche is kak. Typical Bulls discard. Him and Visser.
FULL TIME
KINGS 24 – 58 CHIEFS
Most of you are all too pre-occupied with your own agendas to see the Kings situation for what it is. An inexperienced team that had a lot less time than all the other sides to prepare for the campaign. The reality is that the EP Kings situation is no fault of anyone currently within the Southern Kings franchise at the moment, so your vitriol is unwarranted, particularly to those who are giving their best at the moment.
Sharks had an awful 2015, did you just write them off forever based on that, get over yourselves! The Kings will improve, they are already showing incredible fight.
@Ludz (Comment 155) : amen
@robdylan (Comment 156) : It’s frustrating that our players, coaches etc are being ridiculed like it’s their fault that the EP Kings top management failed
@Ludz (Comment 155) : You’re one of the gentleman on here, and I commend you for that….and EP deserves better representation than they’re currently being given.
To me, I have no idea who the Kings represent, nor do I see them adding any value to South African rugby.
The SR competition was strong armed into including the Kings, both Oz and NZ look at SA rugby with disdain, and the Kings debacle has given them the ammunition to criticise our rugby.
What reason can we possibly put forward as justification for the inclusion of a 6th SA franchise, when we’re hardly able field 3 competitive teams in any year?
The Kings faught valiently, but still conceded 5 log points to a NZ team. This is not a development competition, it is THE premier club competition in the world…there is no time for sentiment.
If there is any hope of turning the Kings into a competitive side, and not merely valiant losers, then I’ll get on board with their inclusion – currently though, they will continue to be easy 5 points for visiting teams….
@FireTheLooser (Comment 158) : Lets judge them over a season as opposed to their 1st 2 games of that, surely that is fair to ask, Rome wasn’t built in one day and the Kings are literally being rebuilt from scratch. The Lions did it more recently, the Bulls did in the early/mid 2000s, why can’t we be afforded the same opportunity? Why should we be judged over 2 games as opposed to a season.
The Sharks last season were hapless as Crusaders ran riot at Kings Park, look where they are now! Judge us after our second season in this comp at the very least!
@Ludz (Comment 159) : Let’s be honest here – the Lions used their year in the wilderness to get their house in order, and they came back into SR a vaslty improved team….currently leading the way with innovative and attractive play.
Contrast this with the Kings, who had two years to get their house in order, yet they managed to conpletely collapse just in time for the start of SR.
Kings squandered their opportunity (and yes, the Kings currently being liquidated is the Kings representing Eastern Province).
The Kings currently playing is a saru initiative, managed by saru….and mostly coached by saru’s mobi unit (it seems). This is also why I question whom they represent, as the EP franchise collapsed.
It’s harsh on you supporters obviously, and you have been done a grave injustice by the failed EP management.
EP needs to restructure their management strucutres, and then get saru to give them their SR franchise back.
@Ludz (Comment 155) : yes.not nice to read so many people hoping the kings get thrashed every game and then seemingly taking delight therein.”Kick-someone-whem-he-is-down”-thinking?just wonder how many people know natal never won promotion from the b-league back in the 80s.sa rugby decided to promote natal back into the currie cup.if not for that decision,where would natal be today?would the sharks as a brand even exist?how many black and white nothing else matters supporters would natal have today,then?
@50shadesofshark (Comment 161) : and EP Kings were gifted free promotion to the Currie Cup a few years ago. However Super Rugby is a step up, for the elite teams and the Kings don’t belong there.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 158) : amen
@Sharks_have_Character! (Comment 162) : if the sharks were not promoted to the cc,would they have secured bartmann,kebble,lawton,visagie,plumtree?and that is just for starter?small,muller,rdp jr?would juba have come back to play b-league rugby?promotion,shrewd acquisition of players and a coach ahead of his time in ian mac helped natal built a winning team .clever marketing on that success made the sharks an international brand.the kings have been promoted but let down in the boardroom.nothing the players can do about that,or the fans.hopefully the mess in ep rugby can be sorted out now.but to put the boot into players and the team is wrong.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 164) : what is EP waiting for then? They’ve been in the Currie Cup for several years now.
@Sharks_have_Character! (Comment 165) : Did you just comment to get the last word in??because if you read the comment you would have read the answer .
@50shadesofshark (Comment 166) : doubt EP can change anything. I really don’t see any cause for optimism or indications that things will change.
In any event Super Rugby is not the place to develop a team.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 161) : Always surprises me too 50 shades, but I guess some can’t look past their own agendas
@Sharks_have_Character! (Comment 167) : You would not see it, because you don’t know much about their structures. EP u19s won promotion to A Division at the end of 2013, they finished 6th out of 7 in 2014. They won the competition last year. EP u21s won promotion in 2014, in their first year, they finished last in the comp with a solitary win against the Sharks. We will see how they do in 2016. That is natural progression. CJ Velleman and Malcolm Jaer would have never stayed without the attraction of potential Super Rugby in the future just to give you an example! Do some research on the EP Academy.
Player acquisition and player retention depends on the level of comp they are offered.
Lets not be so narrow-minded about everything gentlemen. It’s not always black or white, grey is a possibility sometimes 😉
@Ludz (Comment 169) : lovely that you see peaches and roses and sugar and spice… good for you. But I will only start to take an interest when EP start dominating the likes of the Sharks, Bulls and WP in the Currie Cup Premier Division (they were given free entry to the competition) – or at least competing on an equal footing. Until then, the siple truth is that the region has no right to a Super Rugby place and SA has no ability to field 6 Super Rugby teams. In fact we’re the laughing stock of the Kiwis and the Aussies because of it.
@Sharks_have_Character! (Comment 170) : the crusaders finished last in their first season of superrugby back in 1996.natal were promoted in 1987,and only became competitve in 1990-the year they won the cc for the 1st time.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 171) : Canterbury were in the Super 10 in 1995 mate. They’d won the NPC twice before too, when Auckland pretty much won it every year.
You’re also doing Canterbury a disservice. They didn’t lose all their games in 1996 – they beat the Hurricanes and Waratahs 😉
Point is, you don’t develop a team in Super Rugby. Defeats by 35 and 34 points in their two opening games at home are not good for the tournament in anyone’s books. This is your major stumbling block 😉
We all know EP
@Ludz (Comment 169) : If I’m not mistaken, the Leopards also managed to win u/19 comp a few years ago….yet they too couldn’t retain any of their players, or acquire top players. Surely SR inclusion should not be motivated by age group achievements.
Cheetahs have a SR team, yet they too struggle to keep their top players and they struggle to acquire the top players in the country….to me, they too need a complete management shake-up before they’ll ever be consistently competitive.
We don’t need more teams in SR, we need better coaches – it is a travesty that Varsity Cup coaches are the head coaches of two of our franchises….and an average assistant coach is the other head coach, not to mention the EP coaching team.
Our players assests are being grossly mismanaged and under utilised – we have now further dilluted our ability to effectively coach our vast player stocks.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 173) : You failing to see my point, natural progression, let me put it this way. You wouldn’t just build a house, there has to be a foundation before the house is built. Our junior structures are that foundation and we continue to get the bulk of outstanding youngsters in the EC, there will be a natural progression into the senior structures by these youngsters! It will only get better from there. As I said Rome wasn’t built in one day and it will take time! What many of you okes are failing to see is that the structure has to be right from the bottom to top before we see results.
It was headed that way until the financial issues, so now we are practically starting from scratch again. The thing about the Leopards winning it or doing well in the comp is irrelevant because you compare them to a union with a Super Rugby franchise which is the big difference. Anyway most of you seem to have made up your minds about the men from PE and that’s well within your rights. So let me not bother and rather let our progression over next season or 2 do the talking! Good day
@FireTheLooser (Comment 173) : As for the EP coaching team, you’d very surprised. Can’t speak for Deon Davids, but Mzwandile Stick and Barend Pieterse, you would be very very surprised. Anyway I will allow them to do the talking.