The Highlanders may be a team that the Lions have targeted for a Super 14 victory, but the reality is that the New Zealanders will be looking at Friday’s match in Dunedin as an opportunity to pick up five log points.
No rugby team will be particularly concerned when examining the Lions’ defensive record in 2010.
The Lions were better against the Crusaders than they were against the Waratahs, but their half-hearted defence again came back to haunt them.
It appears as if the organisation of their defence is a major problem and one can only wonder how much of that is due to the departure of Jaque Fourie.
The Springbok centre, who left the Lions to move to Cape Town, is one of the shining lights in the Stormers’ watertight defensive system.
There are also individuals that are playing particularly badly at the Lions.
It is no surprise that fullback Earl Rose holds the unwanted record of being the Lions player that has slipped the most tackles this year.
He is not cutting it at Super 14 level and the time has come for someone else to get an opportunity in his place.
Ruggastats.com states that Rose has made 17 successful tackles this year and missed 14, which gives him a success ratio of 55%.
After him wing Wandile Mjekevu (12) has missed the most tackles.
As a fullback in a losing team, Rose is probably exposed to difficult defensive situations.
However, someone who can defend is required in the position and the other backline players are also under pressure.
Outside centre Walter Venter, who made 40 tackles in four games, has missed only four times.
The 74 tackles that captain and flanker Cobus Grobbelaar has made is the most among the Lions players.
Of course flankers make more tackles, but Grobbelaar has only missed eight times.
The Lions are expected to name their team to face the Highlanders on Wednesday.
Team management have called up experienced lock Nico Luus who will fill in for the injured George Earle
Earl “My Granny Runs faster than ” Rose is NOT a Jan!!!
Put him out to grass……
This looks worse than it is. Rose lost his biggest supporter when K9 left the blogging scene. Someday Rose will get over it. 😆
Some of my Bull friends will hate me for this, but put Rose in a winning team like the Bulls and you will be surprised.
So out is Joe Pietresen and Wicus Blaauw for the Stormers tour…
Replacements Aplon and Kritzinger.
Now the real tests starts with injuries to teams…
Good defense depends on 15 players doing their job. The best defense is by controlling the ball, meaning win the ball first and keep possession. The way the Lions play they give possession away far too easily. Rose being the last line of defense will have to tackle a player who is already at full speed, thus 14 missed tackles is what to expect.The Lions should select a team and have a game plane to play more for possession and field position.
SuperNul,
I gots to say, Rose is not much worse than Zane.
Well, a winning team manages to make Olivier/Dippenaar’s defense look good. 😆
A winning team even made Gary Botha look good. 😆
#5 hey jy dobbel met jou tanne man hehehehehe
Wil jy nou nie erken dat vandat Gerrie terug is, is die Bulls se skrum 100% beter, ek dink hy het even al vir Guthro gekry om flippen sy ding te doen!!!!! en ek dink Olivier is een vand ie beste tacklers wat daar is, ek kyk obviously ander rugby as julle!!!!!! 🙂
#6
Interresant dat jy van Wynand praat, lees die nuwe thread.
Nipples,
Ja lyk my ek praat van die Canes game, en jy praat van die Nulle/Tjietas game 😆
Let’s face facts, Earl Rose’s tackling technique is piss poor to start with.
He doesn’t deserve to be in Vodacom Cup side on current form. (Mind you neither do some of the other Lions players IMO)
If he were in a decent high school team he’d get dropped for not being able to tackle. Technically he is inept. I ask again, who is he sleeping with to prevent getting dropped?
There are two ways to stop a player coming full tilt at you. Hit him low and hard, but you may have a Lomu/Catt situation. The other way is to avoid the handoff, grab the player by the shoulders, or even the spare hand and sit down and hold on. He will have to over balance. You just need enough space to ensure his momentum doesn’t carry him over the line. Rose doesn’t even do that. You just cannot run at a 100kg forward and try to hit him with your chest if you are 80kg. Especially if he drops his shoulder even a bit. You will get clobbered every time. And that is what Rose does each time. Which brings us to the cliche of what is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
This will be an interesting clash. Both teams having terrible seasons, with only the Force being worse. If the Lions play to their full potential, we will have a favourable result. As bad as the Lions have been playing, they have to turn their season around sooner or later.
HIGHLANDERS vs LIONS, DUNEDIN, FRIDAY 08:35
Highlanders – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith 13 Kendrick Lynn, 12 Michael Hobbs, 11 James Paterson, 10 Robbie Robinson/Matt Berquist, 9 Jimmy Cowan (c); 8 Steven Setephano, 7 John Hardie, 6 Adam Thomson 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Subs: 16 Jason Macdonald, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Joe Tuineau, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Jason Shoemark, 22 Fetu’u Vainikolo.
Lions – 15 Michael Killian, 14 Wigan Pekeur, 13 Walter Venter, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Tonderai Chavhanga, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Nico Luus, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Willem Stoltz, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Wandile Mjekevu, 22 Earl Rose
The biggest concern for me from a Lions perspective for this game is CONTINUETY….
A bit of a D.Muir syndrome…
I can’t see the Lions winning this match…sorry.
BRUMBIES vs CHIEFS, CANBERRA, FRIDAY 10:40
Brumbies – 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Pat McCabe, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Josh Valentine, 8 Stephen Hoiles (c), 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Mitchell Chapman, 4 Ben Hand, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Subs: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Guy Shepherdson, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 Colby Faingaa, 20 Patrick Phibbs, 21 Tyrone Smith, 22 Julian Huxley.
Chiefs – 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Jackson Willison, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Subs: 16 Hika Elliot,, 17 Nathan White, 18 Jarrad Hoeata, 19 Luke Braid, 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Tim Nanai-Williams
Now this Brumbies/Chiefs game should be a cracker…
Also notice Giteau being moved to inside-centre…
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