Lions Vs Reds. Bloem.

[tranquility]

Re: Lions Vs Reds

Well this one doesn't. If we don't seriously belt these blokes then we do not deserve any of the plaudits we have received this year. The Lions are a rabble

 

[PaarlBok]

Well I wont underestimate the dillema Dick Muir find himself after a disasterous start as Lions coach. Know he can do much better and its desperate times for him and his coaching staff and players. They have to deal today with a supporters rock up at their offices demanding results.

Baywatch wont lose the captaincy but Wikus van Heerden will be in the match 22. In the pack Gert Muller will replace Buys.

 

[TOCC]

this is my starting side

15. Hynes
14. Morahan
13. Chambers
12. Fainga'a
11. Ioane
10. Cooper
9. Genia
8. Houston
7. Braid
6. Higginbottam
5. Humphries
4. Simmons
3. Weeks
2. Fainga'a
1. Daley

16. Hardman
17. Holmes
18. Byrnes
19. Shatz
20. Lucas
21. Tapuai
22. Davies


So Fainga'a comes in for Hardman, Simmons replaces Byrnes and Houston replaces Shatz, backline remains the same.
After watching Chambers last week its got me a little bit more excited, his the biggest bloke in the backline and as he proved he is hard to stop. He could become the big strong outside centre that the Reds have needed for so long.

Then having Digby and Morahan on the wings gives us a pretty big backline, not short of pace either.

 

[disco]

15. Hynes
14. Morahan
13. Chambers
12. Fainga'a
11. Ioane
10. Cooper
9. Genia
8. Houston
7. Braid
6. Higginbottam
5. Humphries
4. Simmons
3. Weeks
2. Fainga'a
1. Daley

16. Hardman
17. Holmes
18. Byrnes
19. Shatz
20. Lucas
21. Tapuai
22. Davies

Yeah I'm all for that 22. Would also be happy to see Davies start with Ioane at 13. Ioane was lethal from OC against the Sharks in the last 15 minutes when we were chasing the game.

I'm feeling a bit like Ruggo with this game it's must win for us & everything is in the Lions favour.

The Lions haven't won a game yet, rested from the bye, game is at altitude, we've come off a bruiser against the Sharks, 3rd & final game on the road.

i'm a lttle nervous hopefully the boy's aim up as we owe the Lions one from last year when they beat us at Suncorp.

 

[RugbyReg]

yep, I'd go that team.

Although I might consider 'resting' Daley for Holmes to have Dales ready for the Bulls at home next week.

The Lions generally have a tiny backline, so happy to keep Chambers starting at 13 with Diggers on the wing.

 

[tranquility]

good call noddy. Give Dale a rest and chuck Kennedy on the pine.

 

[DPK]

yep, I'd go that team.

Dont say that round youngens.

After watching Chambers last week its got me a little bit more excited, his the biggest bloke in the backline and as he proved he is hard to stop. He could become the big strong outside centre that the Reds have needed for so long.

Did anyone else see a general likeness to Morgs? I thought that Chambers looks like a younger version of todays Morgs with a bit more pace.

 

[Spooner]

Lads - Does anyone have an update on what the Reds plans are at openside for next season and beyond? Daniel Braid is not able to re-sign as the ARUs marquee player rules currently stands. I know last month they signed 17 year old Aus Sevens player, Liam Gill, from Gregory Terrace, who also captained QLD and Aust Schoolboys, but surely an experienced 7 is worth their weight in gold at this level, so I assume they would be looking to sign someone from outside the squad. Is Lei Tomiki (ex Castres, Tahs and Brumbies) a 7? Or do you think Jake Schatz has proven that he's good enough at this level?

 

[PaarlBok]

The Lions wont play at Osfontein against the Reds. :

 

[PaarlBok]

Wikus on his return
Sport24

Wikus relishing Lions return
Johannesburg - The Lions will welcome back flanker Wikus van Heerden to their side for this weekend’s Super 14 clash with the Reds at Coca-Cola Park.

Van Heerden returned from a stint at Saracens in England a few weeks ago and immediately had a run with the Golden Lions Vodacom Cup squad before the team returned from their overseas tour and will now begin his time at the Lions the only way he likes it – in the deep end.

“It’s a challenge, isn’t it?” Van Heerden said, “and I like challenges, especially the big ones. I started my career at the Lions and it’s time to give something back.”

Van Heerden is certain to be in the starting line-up when coach Dick Muir names his team on Thursday for the clash, but has already seen the difference since his last stint several years ago in the Lions setup.

“I really haven’t been with the team that long, but I can say they are incredibly positive in the team setup and they are very optimistic about the last part of this year’s Super 14. There is a genuine feeling in the team that one win can turn things around for them but they need those small breaks in a game,” Van Heerden added.

“When you are in a team that isn’t winning, it makes it so much harder and you have to work much harder to get things going your way. The refs, the coaches and everyone looks at you differently, but if we can get that first win, then we can start building momentum for the rest of the season.”

Van Heerden concedes that the Lions need to bolster their defence, but says since he has been there; Muir has been working hard on correcting this aspect which has let the Johannesburg side down.

“The team works so hard to score spectacular tries, but then their opposition scores soft tries against them, so it is something we need to rectify,” he adds, “But Dick has spent the last few weeks on the defence and they are working very hard to get the balance right in the team. Hopefully it will be this week against the Reds.”

The former Lions captain made the choice in coming back to South Africa mainly due to his family, but felt Muir’s team was the best place for him to offer something back, especially with the Bulls overflowing with loose forward talent.

“Honestly, I came back mainly for my family,” he quips, “I have two young sons and the climate in England was one of the main reasons. Also when I left the Lions for the Bulls, Kevin de Klerk was one of the guys who came to see me and he was also one of the reasons I came back.

“I also had a chat to Dick when the Springboks were at Saracens last year and it sounded exciting to hear his plans. It sounded like an unbelievable challenge for me at this stage of my career. Since getting back, I’ve seen the talent there is at Vodacom Cup level and the potential is there.”

 

[Lee Grant]

McKenzies' take on things from Reds rugby
***********************************

McKenzie expects Lions to pose challenges up front and out wide
Wednesday, 7 April 2010

QR Reds' Head Coach Ewen McKenzie expects the winless Lions to pose a "complicated" challenge for the Reds both up front and out wide when they meet in their Investec Bank Super 14 match in Johannesburg early Sunday morning Australian time (kickoff 3.10am AEST).

It's the final leg of the Reds' three match South African tour and a bonus point win is a priority if the fifth placed Reds are to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

While the Reds are eight places above the Lions on the competition table, McKenzie sees some similarities between the two sides in their willingness to experiment and play attacking rugby, both directly through their forwards and out wide using their creative backs.

"They're actually a team that's not dissimilar to ourselves. They've been at the wrong end of the competition and they've certainly experimented and tried to play a lot of rugby this year," McKenzie said.

"They've got amazing statistics in terms of how much they move the ball and how many metres they run with the ball.

"They haven't got the wins yet but they'll be confident that'll be just around the corner so we've got to make sure we knuckle down and defend well, because they have got some very creative attackers and they'll be using that.

"But they've still got the driving game that we saw against the Sharks and they've scored a lot of tries through their driving play.

"They use the width of the field and they use their direct play so it's a complicated game."

The Reds scored four tries to three against the Sharks last weekend but lost 30-28 when they failed to combat the Sharks' driving maul and physicality at the breakdown.

McKenzie said maul defence was one of the things the Reds will be working on this week but there were no "big ticket items" causing him concern.

"There's plenty of things we can work on - the obvious things like maul defence will certainly come into the training program - but there's just some subtle detail around our attack and our communication which we need to tidy up that was exposed in the game.

"We'll just tidy up areas, they're not big ticket items."

The narrow loss and the four tries earned the Reds two bonus points and helped them move up the table from sixth to fifth, but McKenzie said that was little consolation.

"As much as we got two points out of the game we look at it as we've missed three points that we could have got if we'd won it," he said.

"We weren't content. It was a missed opportunity for us and we need to turn that around this week."

Two of the Reds' four tries came from new outside centre Will Chambers, who was given his first starting opportunity in the position since transferring from rugby league, the latest in a series of canny selection decisions by McKenzie.

Chambers said he is growing in confidence each time he plays and the team is also becoming more confident in its ability, despite the weekend loss to the Sharks.

"The boys are still upbeat and positive about everything. We know that we can do it and we definitely know that we can score points. It's just about the discipline and doing the little things right," Chambers said.

Chambers has now scored three tries in Super 14 rugby, all started by pinpoint passes from in form flyhalf Quade Cooper, who says it's a delight to have the powerful Chambers running off him.

"Will is so enthusiastic and energetic. And he's massive - about 107kg of pure muscle - and speed as well. So when you bring someone like that out onto a footy field you know they're going to always cause destruction out there," Cooper said.

 

[RugbyReg]

Lads - Does anyone have an update on what the Reds plans are at openside for next season and beyond? Daniel Braid is not able to re-sign as the ARUs marquee player rules currently stands. I know last month they signed 17 year old Aus Sevens player, Liam Gill, from Gregory Terrace, who also captained QLD and Aust Schoolboys, but surely an experienced 7 is worth their weight in gold at this level, so I assume they would be looking to sign someone from outside the squad. Is Lei Tomiki (ex Castres, Tahs and Brumbies) a 7? Or do you think Jake Schatz has proven that he's good enough at this level?

welcome Spooner.

Not sure if they'll bother with signing someone new? If they did I'd look at Coridas or Beau Robinson.

Tomeki is a 7 but hasn't impressed as yet. In games (QLD A) I have seen, Gill has been better. But Tomeki is there for another year, so perhaps he'll come good. Andrew Shaw played off the bench this year, so he may be a fall back too.

 

[spectator]

Lads - Does anyone have an update on what the Reds plans are at openside for next season and beyond? Daniel Braid is not able to re-sign as the ARUs marquee player rules currently stands. I know last month they signed 17 year old Aus Sevens player, Liam Gill, from Gregory Terrace, who also captained QLD and Aust Schoolboys, but surely an experienced 7 is worth their weight in gold at this level, so I assume they would be looking to sign someone from outside the squad. Is Lei Tomiki (ex Castres, Tahs and Brumbies) a 7? Or do you think Jake Schatz has proven that he's good enough at this level?

welcome Spooner.

Not sure if they'll bother with signing someone new? If they did I'd look at Coridas or Beau Robinson.

Tomeki is a 7 but hasn't impressed as yet. In games (QLD A) I have seen, Gill has been better. But Tomeki is there for another year, so perhaps he'll come good. Andrew Shaw played off the bench this year, so he may be a fall back too.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Shaw doing a runner given that Gill has been preferred to him in terms of a contract. Not quite sure when Gill will be ready for the big time but it is a good investment in the future. Hopefully Tomiki steps up. I thought he looked ok in the trials, and he does have experience.

Braid will be missed though, he has been outstanding!

 

[Godfrey]

For some reason I think A Fainga'a is going to get a double or hatrick in this one.

 

[Scotty]

Surely Chambers isn't 107kgs? He doesn't look anywhere near that big to me?

While Hardman didn't have the same impact around the park as Fa'ainga, there was a marked difference in the set piece from the Cheetahs to the Sharks game. Both the scrum and lineout were much better against the Sharks when Hardman was on, and you could argue that the Sharks presented a greater challenge. Fa'ainga is probably also the most penalised Reds player.

I'm not sure I wouldn't keep him on the bench.

 

[tranquility]

Definatley a misprint with Chambers being 107, he was quoted at 97 on the weekend and I think he hovers at around 100.

Still a very big boy.



In regards to the 7 position - I would be happy using Shatz, Tomeki and Shaw (as in whoever is in form) until Gill is ready.

It is almost as if Gill is the chosen one, I can't remember a player who has dictated his future position and caretakers have been put there as stopgaps. Hang on I think there was one in Sydney a couple of years back, played 10 i think.

One last margin note: now that the 7s is over for a little while, I wonder if Quirky is coming into Link's plans for a bench spot. Regardless of his age I don't think there would be any man who has watched him play that would doubt the fact that he is ready for Super rugby. Ezra Taylor would be getting very nervous about his contract with the Red man walking around at training I would have thought.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

Reds to play Lions:

Peter Hynes, Rod Davies, Will Chambers, Anthony Fainga'a, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia (captain), Leroy Houston, Daniel Braid, Scott Higginbotham, Van Humphries, Rob Simmons, Laurie Weeks, Saia Fainga'a, Ben Daley. Reserves: Sean Hardman, Greg Holmes, Ezra Taylor, Jake Schatz, Ben Lucas, Ben Tapuai, Luke Morahan.

 

[spectator]

Hopefully we have a good lead at halftime so that a few key players can get a well earned rest. Great to see Tapuai on the bench, and look for a huge game from Taylor if he gets on. I'm thinking that Holmes will get serious game time as well.

What happened to Kennedy?

 

[Biffo]

It is almost as if Gill is the chosen one, I can't remember a player who has dictated his future position and caretakers have been put there as stopgaps. Hang on I think there was one in Sydney a couple of years back, played 10 i think.

Very droll, very droll.

 

[PaarlBok]

Lions
Michael Killian, Wigan Pekeur, Walter Venter, Doppies la Grange,
Wandile Mjekevu, Carlos Spencer, Jano Vermaak, Derick Minnie, Wikus van
Heerden, Cobus Grobbelaar (c), Franco van der Merwe, Nico Luus, Gert
Muller, Hannes Franklin, Heinke van der Merwe.

Reserves: Hans van Dyk, JC Janse van Rensburg, Willem Stoltz, Todd Clever,
Jacque Coetzee, Herkie Kruger, Marius Delport.


The best Lions team this year, going be a big game for them.