Lions president Kevin de Klerk is confident that his team will take what he believes is their rightful place in Super Rugby.
Sport24
The Lions were replaced by the Southern Kings for this year’s competition, but are favourites to return next season after beating their foes from Port Elizabeth 26-19 in the first promotion-relegation match last week.
For the Southern Kings to stay up, they have to win Saturday’s second clash at Ellis Park by at least eight points or with a four-try bonus point.
But De Klerk believes his team will shut the door on the Kings.
“We want to right some wrongs. It will taste real sweet if that happens. I am proud of my team and for the courage they showed over the weekend,” he said.
“The way I see things, the Kings won’t make it.”
However, if the Southern Kings lose the promotion-relegation playoffs, De Klerk expects them to again fight for their spot in the SARU boardroom.
“Yes, if we win it will again be another ball game. This time we’re going to the boardroom with a loaded gun. Then we’ll have shut everyone’s mouths with the way we played and prove that we belong in the series.
“The Kings supposedly did well in their first season? But now we are thrashing them?
“We’ll have a plan of action in place when such a time arrives,” continued De Klerk.
The clash at Ellis Park kicks off at 17:00 on Saturday.
Teams:
Kings: 15. SP Marais, 14. Hadleigh Parkes, 13. Ronnie Cooke, 12. Waylon Murray, 11. Scott van Breda, 10. George Whitehead, 9. Shaun Venter, 8. Jacques Engelbrecht, 7. Wimpie van der Walt, 6. David Bulbring, 5. Darron Nell (captain), 4. Cornell du Preez, 3. Kevin Buys, 2. Bandise Maku, 1. Schalk Ferreira
Replacements: 16. Charl du Plessis, 17. Hannes Franklin, 18. Steven Sykes, 19. Devin Oosthuizen, 20. Nicolas Vergallo, 21. Wesley Dunlop, 22. Shane Gates.
Lions: TBA
Ongeskik ou Kev, net hieroor hoop ek jou senuwees is gaar teen Saterdag.
Ek glo julle gaan wen Saterdag maar dan begin jul nagmerrie van voor af, geniet die rit.
Dear Mr de Klerk
As a lifelong Lions supporter, and also a former member of the Chairman’s Council that voted you in on 29th July 2009, I must say that I am EXTREMELY dissapointed at this statement that you have allegedly made.
I would have expected that the last 12 months or so would have taught ALL at the Lions that nothing is ever to be taken for granted, and that sometimes a little humility goes a long way.
I would like to point out to you that, just as you didn’t ask for the Lions to be voted out of Super Rugby, so the Kings did not ask that the Lions should be voted out either. Merely that they be given a chance to compete, something they had been promised for a number of years prior.
The Kings proved that, despite the political pressure that was bought to bear in order to get them included in the Super Rugby competition, they were able to build a team at VERY short notice, and whilst that team were never really serious challengers, they managed to do something that our team (yes OUR team Mr de Klerk!), has failed to do in the last decade, and that is to win the hearts of the majority of neutral Rugby viewers in South Africa.
I am dissapointed in this somewhat juvenile outburst, that quite frankly I never would have expected from a President of a Provincial Union that is challenging for, BUT HAS NOT YET ACHIEVED a place in Super Rugby.
That I, together with every other Lions fan in this country want and expect our team to win on Saturday is without question. I just hope that it happens.
If it doesn’t, this statement may well come back to haunt the GLRU / Lions.
Yours sincerely.
A devout, but nervous and now somewhat embarrased Lions supporter.
@ Scrumdown:
RESPECT for YOU
I also felt this outburst was not necessary. By moaning like this is not how a President must act. But like you said its out and he will have to live with it.
@ superBul:
Very disappointed in the MAN.
In his position, and as an ex Springbok, he should know better.
Maybe he sees himself as a “modern day” Louis Luyt, which I’m afraid he is not.
The reason why the Lions were so useless in their last few season comes down to appauling managing and executing at administrative level.
In a way, the Kings represents what SA and South Africans aim to become. Hard working and doing as much as they can with as little as they have. Breaking through all kinds of barriers, if only given half a chance.
The Lions, sadly, represents the REALITY of SA. We have an abundance of talent, resources and skill, yet due to the pathetic way the system is run, by corrupt, money greedy and inept officials, we will never realise our potential, till there is a complete clean out.
The financial ails you had to deal with, had nothing to do with the players.
The loss of your biggest private investors ever, had nothing to do with the players.
The shocking handling of your most succesful coach in more than a decade, had nothing to do with the players. Ok, just a little.
I want the Lions to do well. I want the Kings to do well. I want all SA teams to do well (maybe the stormers a little more, and the bulls a little less). And I think you will do well in this years CC. And next year, you will TANK in SR, AGAIN. Why? Well, if a year in the wilderness cannot change your heart, nothing will, Mr. De Klerk.
For far too long, the Lions leadership kept quiet. Now that KDK is a bit verbal and giving his opinion, he is suddenly being rude. He has just articulated what many Lions supporters feel.
2 & 4 @ Scrumdown:
Kudos Scrumdown!
You guys and some of us (me included) had such high hopes for what Kevin de Klerk could do for the battling Lions at the time of his appointment.
It now seems he is just another waffling individual with no tact and a mouth wide open!
The least Kevin could have done is wait till Saturday and then graciously announce that the Lions should now be back in Super Rugby.
That said, I honestly think he envisages that SARU will try and screw the Lions over again in the boardroom before the new season of Super Rugby starts, and that he was probably trying to fire the first salvo in that direction, to prevent it from happening. We don’t know what the rumours in the rugby underworld in the passages of SARU are, what they plan to do.. and a strong stance by the Lions might aid their cause in this regard.
I feel for both the Southern Kings and the MTN Lions, but a deal is a deal and SARU should now stick by the target they have posted to both the Lions and Kings!
Should the Lions win the series, which looks likely, they should take part in Super Rugby, no questions asked, no change in plan.
Oh, for the day we can have some better rugby administrators at the Lions, SARU and the IRB!
@ Lion4ever:
Yes, we all feel like that, and it is our right to say so. However, I for one would like to see the President of the GLRU saying so in a manner a little more befitting his station in life.
Not like someone in a Rosettenville bar after half a bottle og Klippies.
Mr de Klerk knows what transpired at the meeting where the vote was taken to let the Kings in to SR.
HE knows what the mood was at the start of that meeting, and he knows what transpired to alter that mood from one of pro Lions to anti Lions.
It seems however that some lessons are never learnt, and that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Enough of the BS. Lets just get the game over with. Then Mr de Klerk must get rid of the incompetent management inhabiting King House and replace them with people who are capable of, and willing to work hard to get the Lions back where they were in the first half of the 1990’s.
@ Scrumdown:
The Lions must just win this match. Then public opinion will sway back towards the Lions. I know we had a lot of sympathy due to the manner in which the Lions were kicked out. But having said that, the Kings garnered a lot of respect for the crowds they pulled, and also for the fact that they tackled so much. I agree that we need some real strong professional administrators working in King House. I had an issue with the http://www.lionsrugby.co.za and had response from Manie Booysen. Something I have never had before from the Lions. I think he may be the right person for the MD’s job.
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