The Lions have issued a media release concerning injuries sustained during the weekend’s Super Rugby encounter against the Blues as well as the Vodacom Cup match against the Valke.
Media Release
INJURY UPDATE: Vodacom Super Rugby Round 5 / Vodacom Cup Round 2
The Lions medical staff have released an injury update, following the Vodacom Super Rugby outfit’s 39-36 victory over the Blues at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Fortunately, only one injury was sustained during the encounter. Hooker Robbie Coetzee picked up a hairline tear to his right medial cruciate ligament (knee).
In the Vodacom Cup match between the Golden Lions and Valke, Malcolm Marx sustained a fracture to his right hand.
Meanwhile, on a positive note, Andries Coetzee, Alwyn Hollenbach, Lionel Mapoe and Michael Bondesio have all recovered from their respective injuries and will be ready to return to action this weekend. They will be considered for either the Lions Super Rugby side or the Vodacom Cup team.
Pity, Robbie Coetzee has been quite impressive, and Malcolm Marx seemed to be a very impressive ball carrier in the coupke of games I’ve seen him in thus far.
The union does still have two former SA U20 hookers on their books in Mark Pretorious and Frans du Toit, but in all likelihood Willie Wepener will step up to the starting berth and one of the youngsters will deputise from the bench.
Nice to see the “pretty boys” of the backline getting back to health and availability.
Going to be difficult for Bondisio to get a starting place ahead of Faf de Klerk who has grabbed his chance with both hands.
With Mapoe and Hollenbach available again it looks as if some depth is starting to form in the midfield, but one has to ask how long it will be before they both (and Bondisio) break down again.
Bees Roux’s continued absence has me asking questions, but at the same time the young Lions pack have not really been bettered by ANY side thus far in the competition, including the much vaunted Sharks’ Springbok laden pack.
The Reds won’t be an easy game on Saturday, but I’m sure the Lions will give a good account of themselves.
@ Scrumdown:
Faf is probably one of my favourite players at the moment, he reminds me of Brent Russel.
Its also good to know that our walking wounded are getting back to fitness.
Jis manne, can the Lions beat the Reds?
4 @ Gena_ZA:
I don’t think so, but maybe!
I used to be unsure, but now I’m not sure at all.
GBS, the logo I originally used is the one the Lions use in all of their communications.
6 @ Scrumdown:
Sorry… yeah but that Logo of yours was’nt labelled correctly… and I put the other one up, the Super Rugby one.
Yout pic had the Title of: imagecacheCA6X4H3A-83×83.jpg
If it makes you feel better, here’s your pic back, correctly labelled (named properly).
I renamed the Title to: Lions & Golden Lions
Just a reminder, do not put a fullstop at the end of an aricle’s main heading…. (one never sees fullstops in a newspaper heading at the end, neither in any online news heading at the end)…. I am talking about the big main heading of the whole Article. In this case, it’s the one in Black right at the top, not the one in Red.
@ Scrumdown:
If the Lions cut down their 2nd half mistakes and convert a few more opportunities, they could beat the Reds. Rattle Cooper’s cage a bit, and you are halfway there.
The Lions have managed to do a lot more with a lot less than WP have this year. They get my respect for that, but I can’t help but still consider them to be candidates for bottom of the SA log over the season. Maybe my skewed perspective and time will tell I guess…
@Stormersboy
I’m sure many would have thought that before the season started, now maybe not so much.
I still think what I have been thinking from the start, the Sharks will be the only SA in the top 6.
From what I’ve seen from the other SA sides hasn’t been enough to change my mind.
Lions and Bulls looked ok at home, but at some stage all this negativity and outrage over our home refs will catch up and they will overcompensate to show they are not biased, and to the detriment of some teams that have received some favorable calls.
Stormers and Cheetahs have showed they are mid to bottom of the log contenders.
Sharks is the only SA side with a really good team, as opposed to some good players in a team.
They have good depth, a wonderful draw and an relatively easy conference as the other SA sides aren’t really a threat or serious competition for them.
They are so far better than the others it’s a mismatch.
At least the Lion supporters can feel proud of their side so far and have something to look forward to.
@ nortierd:
The Lions can be pleased with what they have done so far, but this is a really long season with travel etc so over the full period I think that Wp will be better placed than many of the other teams. We are struggling now but we’ll be back. I’m sure of it!
@ nortierd:
Hey Nortie,
I agree with you, apart from the Tjarks there is not much the rest of our sides offer, especially with injuries and bottom of the conference will only be of statistical value as some teams not at the bottom were just as poor.
That said, so far none of the Kiwi teams bar the Chiefs look like they are any better, in fact I have so far found them woeful, unless something changes down there there could well be a second saffa team in the top 6 and three Aussie teams.
With the Chiefs possibly dominating the Kiwi conference, easy 8 eights for them and the sharks.
8 wins*
@Macrobull
I agree, the Kiwi sides haven’t looked impressive, but barring the Chiefs,the other sides will share derby points, where by us, the Sharks will grab 32 without any issues.
I reckon Sharks, Chiefs, Brumbies, Waratahs, Reds and Crusaders.
Cheetahs to donner uit die bus uit and take the bottom of the conference spot away form the struggling Stormers. Like last year the Bulls will have a good 2nd part of the tournament and could get into the top 6.
As for my Komkommers, will consult a bottle of Bains whiskey on Saturday and report back on my findings…
Care to join me?
@Gena
Heard from Stormerboy you are availing yourself. I suppose we have no choice but to watch them against the Brumbies, it’s like seeing 2 trains on the same track, you know what’s coming, you know it’s going to end in disaster, but you are compelled to watch
@nortierd,
There is a saying you haven’t watched rugga till you’ve watched it at Gena’s – better test this statement out then 🙂
10H30 – watch the Brumbies train derail, commuters inclusive
Then Proteas vs. Sri Lanka in the T20
Take a break and have a nice mid afternoon braai
Main course is the Lions vs. Reds and for desert we watch the Sharkies smash ’em Bullies.
18 @ Gena_ZA:
So, do you recon the Bulls have no chance against the Sharks at Lofus?
You recon the Sharks are going to pummell the Bulls?
As someone in the Bulls kraal, I suppose it is difficult to be objective.
I recon the Sharks should win… but then again when the Sharks implode (like against the Lions in the 2nd half and like against the Reds in the 2nd half), they tend to do so spectacularly, and if anybody could unlock the Sharks, it could just be the Bulls… yes, this weekend!
My Bru pick will be made with the head, and it will be a Sharks pick, but I do not think it’s going to be a slaughter.
What about the Lions vs Reds, what do you think is going to happen?
@18 Gena
Dit klink na n plan
@19 GBS
Although we know the Bulls at Loftus is tough, I’m with Gena on this one, I can’t see any SA side beating the sharks, no matter where they play
20 @ nortierd:
I hear what you say, but by how many points?
I think you guys are far too much in awe of the Sharks, even more so than most Sharks supporters here on R-T!
It’s as if the Sharks are infallable to you guys…. and that is far from the truth.
Gentlemen, there are definate cracks and flaws in the Sharks armour and it has been shown on a few occasions in the last few weeks, it’s a matter of time before some side takes them down.
I think the Chiefs are a far more rounded side in the way they are now playing, whereas I think the Sharks have the most impressive depth in their squad.
Their depth helped them buggerall in 2013.
In the Sharks / Bulls game at Kings Park in the 1st Round, even though the Sharks eventually won comfortably, the Bulls had a mountain of good possession, which they managed to muck up by not taking their own chances… and by playing Louis Fouché at No 10 and Jono Ross (at openside), Spies at No 8.
The Bulls now have a totally different set of loosies (with infinitely more balance), Hougie is starting to find form, Jacques-Louis Potgieter has made a massive positive impact, Victor Matfield is starting to get back to his Springbok form and the team seems to be staring to gel nicely… set pieces are good.
Now compare that to the Sharks… they have lost Paul Jordaan and Pieter-Steph du Toit due to injury and Doc Jannie is “vloekerig” on the field, whereas Frans Steyn and Lambie seem to be clicking nicely, with Reinach still doing well and the Sharks loosies very, very dangerous.
Springbok numbers both sides seem to be about equal.
I do not think the Sharks are so wonderful, I think they are beatable, very beatable in fact!
grootblousmile wrote:
lol that is quote fail galore!
23 @ Gena_ZA:
Hehehe
@GBS
I agree they can and will be beaten, by a team like the Chiefs, pity the Waratahs and Reds play them in Durban, I would have rated their chances at home as well.
I just don’t think any of the other SA franchises have what it takes and they should easily bank the 8 derbie wins.
I went Sharks by 11 because they seem to winning all their games by 14 plus so far.
I’m not going to say they get the rub of the green from the refs, everyone can watch the games and decide for themselves. Seems like one may not speculate unless you want the Shark supporters up in arms.
Let’s just say that with the refs against them and the whole country against them, they are still easily winning games by 14 plus, that’s how good they are
grootblousmile wrote:
No one is arguing those facts at all.
Simply saying what I think will happen.
Bulls are equally vulnerable at Loftus, see what the Stormers did to them last game before the semi’s last year
All in a days work on a rugby field
Goooooooooooo Bulls!
Moer die Sharks sommer stukkend!
I dunno. I’m not one of those that stand in the camp of “the Sharks are unbeatable” and think that the Sharks performance is great but that the other SA teams have played badly and will get better. The Sharks may well end up at the Top of the Sa conference, and may even get close to the top of the overall table, thanks to their propensity to score 4 tries very often in a match, even when they lose lol, but I do feel that they will lose more than once to some of the local teams.
Not sure if it will be this weekend though.
@SB
If not this weekend against the Bulls at Loftus of all places, against which SA team then?
Cheetahs definitely aren’t a match for them, Lions already lost the one and by the time they play again at EP Sharks will have progressed even further.
That leaves our beloved team that Brendan Venter took all but 3 weeks to read, plan against and easily beat them away after being unbeaten ( I know it’s CC, but it’s still more or less the same mob, only the Sharks have gotten better players, and us worse )
So Jake has even more time to plot and plan against a side that is by far the easiest to read and know what to expect.
Maybe by the time the last round is due the Sharks already are assured top spot on the combined log and they ” pull a Bulls ” and send their B side down to Newlands to rest their better players, but at this stage I’m not even convinced we can handle their B side
Sanzar referee manager Lyndon Bray says the decision to award Coenie van Wyk a try in the match between the Lions and Blues was incorrect.
The Lions edged the Blues 39-36 at Ellis Park last Saturday. However, the result may have gone the Blues’ way if the Lions weren’t awarded a controversial try in the second half.
Lions centre Deon van Rensburg was tackled by Blues wing Charles Piutau, and the ball spilled forward over the tryline. Van Wyk dived on the ball, and after referee Stuart Berry consulted with TMO Johan Greef, it was decided that the try would stand.
Daar het ons dit nou uit die perd se bek
Bray has since reviewed the incident, and believes the Lions should not have been awarded the try.
‘Lions No 13 is carrying the ball and about to attempt to score a try. Blues No 11 effects a tackle and Lions No 13 loses possession as a result,’ Bray said.
‘While the Blues player does jolt the ball out of his possession, he is not trying to deliberately “rip the ball” out of the player’s possession. The onus is on the ball carrier to maintain possession while being tackled. Therefore, this should have been ruled as a knock on and subsequently no try.’
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