The Emirates Lions squad of 25 players to travel to New Zealand for the Super Rugby Final against the Hurricanes in Wellington at the weekend has been announced.
The Lions have stuck with the same squad that did duty during the Semifinal victory over the Highlanders, with the addition of Warren Whiteley and Sylvian Mahuza.
The squad departed from OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday evening and will be playing in their 1st Super Rugby Final since 1995 when they lost to Queensland 16 / 30, and their 1st Final since the advent of professional Super Rugby.
Touring Squad:
Dylan Smith, Malcolm Marx, Julian Redelinghuys, Andries Ferreira, Franco Mostert, Jaco Kriel, Warwick Tecklenburg, Ruan Ackermann, Faf De Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Courtnall Skosan, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Lionel Mapoe, Ruan Combrinck, Andries Coetzee, Akker van der Merwe, Corné Fourie, Jacques van Rooyen, Lourens Erasmus, Steph de Witt, Ross Cronjé, Howard Mnisi, Jaco van der Walt, Warren Whiteley, Sylvian Mahuza.
According to Accuweather the forecast for Wellington NZ for Friday evening is 8°c with a 64% chance of rain, and 26km/h winds.
Looks like it could be in favour of the ‘Canes, but the last time the Lions played in conditions like that v the Blues, we all know what happened.
This is a history making team. They have it within them to be the first team to win the trophy on another continent. The players are young enough to not let the hype and fact around travel and history bother them.
6 days to Kick off.
From here on in……………………….”it’s no more Mr Nice Guy”.
Signed;
cane
@ Lion4ever:
Yeah Right!
😮
3 @ cane:
You’ll always be “Mr Nice Guy”, mate!
Fact!
@ BrumbiesBoy:
LOL,
I think R-T needs a little bit of niggle. An injection of passion. This is the friggen Final after all.
I actually really like Lions fans, they have put up with so much, over such a long period of time.
And here they are …………………………………on the cusp of GLORY. They deserve Glory. But so do MY LOT. So F.xK Em.
Nothing stands in their way but History. The Indian Ocean, The Tasman Sea and the Island Continent of Australia…………………………………………………………and The Canes.
The Guppies came……………………………….and we sent them packing 41- ZERO.
The Chiefies came……………………………….and we sent the packing as well.
And I really enjoyed sending those Teams home.
But these Lions………………………………the worst performed Team in the history of Super Rugby. What pleasure can a human being take, in kicking the crap out of the long these suffering, loyal and dedicated rugby people.
PLENTY I SAY.
cane.
😉
Click on the link above, to view The Canes not so secret weapon.
cane wrote:
What can one say about a guy who is surely in the top 3 pivots in world Rugby?
Speed to burn.
A sensible thinking stand-off.
A brilliant Rugby brain.
A hairdo that Donald Trump would be proud of.
HOWEVER, once Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Malcolm Marx runs over him and ruffles that perfect hairdo, methinks his concentration will be gone, the self confidence shattered, and the ability to offload just as distance a memory as the Wellington summer of 2015.
Then Mapoe & Elton, the best pivot in world Rugby, will run rings around him, and Bob’s your uncle…..
Either way, a new 1st time Champion will be crowned.
cane wrote:
Isn’t child molestation a crime in Wellington?
5 @ cane:
A KIWI to ref the final!
From Stuff.nz
Kiwi referee Glen Jackson has been appointed to control the Super Rugby final between the Hurricanes and Lions in Wellington on Saturday.
The final will be the 40-year-old’s 53rd Super Rugby match.
Australian Angus Gardner and New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe will be the assistant referees, while Kiwi Ben Skeen is the television match official.
Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos said Jackson’s appointment was a reward for his consistency.
I am actually quite at ease with Jackson’s appointment.
He really is one of the better ref’s in the competition.
Thank goodness it’s not an Aussie!
“No refs cheat.
“Lots of them are stupid but none of them cheat.”
An Edenvale Rugby Club player once told me that.
Wise words.
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
That from an Edenvale player???
He was hopelessly too wise to play for Edenvale.
You sure it was a player and not their Chairman Vic de Klerk. (Kevin’s half brother)
Vic holds the record for the fastest sending off in Currie Cup history.
Story goes that 30 seconds into a game between TVL and WP at Newlands, there was a scrum. Vic was the TVL hooker, and the WP hooker made a comment so Vic hit him and consequently got his marching orders. (Can’t remember who the WP hooker was).
As Vic was trudging off the field, TVL’s coach Pa Pelser was just coming out of the tunnel and asked Vic what happened, according to Vic he answered that “He was giving me shit the whole game so I hit him”. (Or words to that effect)
Sure was a different era then.
12 @ BrumbiesBoy:
I actually agree to a large extent.
Just like I think there is no coach alive that picks a team that he doesn’t believe can win a game – even with race quotas applicable.
@ cane:
Dream on Mr Cane. You can continue to live in your Beanesque world, but what a lot of you Kiwis forget is that in recent years, the Lions have traveled very well, and have won more than they lost in in the last 2 years. And the Hurricanes are in danger of taking on the “chokers” tag that has dogged NZ rugby for so many years.
@ Lion4ever:
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one.
Where have I heard that before.
Okay ……………………I,m a plagiarist.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exhalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
Plagiarism again…………………………….But WTF. Lionman.
Where are we………………. without dreams.
The Lions touched down in Wellington yesterday just after midnight.
They looked surprising fresh and eager for the upcoming contest.
And, I must say their Coach, Johan Ackermann was very impressive. Cool, collected, a wry smile, and very flattering towards the Home Team. Absolute Class. This man is a class act.
Reporter………..”Any regrets about sending a “B” Team to Argentina”
Ackermann …… “None, many of the players who went to Argentina came back ill, so no regrets at all”. (with a wry smile).
I’m not sure if he saw me in the back ground, with my “Welcome to Hell” placard or not.
😉
Weather forecast for sarurday is not getting any better.
“Rain at times, easing. Cold southeast, strong at times”.
Max 8 degrees…………Min 6 degrees.
Not brai weather is it Okies.
Hell is freezing over.
😡
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