Young Lions are still very hungry
Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:46
Young Lions lock Johan Snyman on the charge. (c) Gallo
The cynics are wondering when the John Mitchell honeymoon will end in the 2010 Currie Cup. However, his young Lions team is determined to make this a long-lasting and very successful marriage.
Mitchell, now the full-time head coach in Johannesburg, is determined to keep his team's feet firmly planted and show that last week's impressive victory Western Province was no fluke.
Their next challenge is an ambitious Griquas outfit and the added spice to this Round 10 Currie Cup encounter in Johannesburg is that just one point is separating the fifth-placed Lions (25) from Griquas (in sixth) on the standings.
With both teams' play-off aspirations on the line, this may well the most intriguing game of the weekend.
The Lions, apart from their new-found confidence, have an abundance of skills - not to mention the youthful exuberance that make them such a pleasure to watch.
Their four-match winning streak is, currently, the most by any of the Premier Division sides.
Mitchell, who has warned his charges that they cannot afford to get ahead of themselves at any stage, expects a tough battle, saying: "It is a tough competition and it will only get tougher, because the stakes and the intensity will be higher, so we have to stick to what we are doing."
Griquas, despite having more depth than last year, could be tripped up by a host of injuries.
However, the biggest talking point in Kimberley is the decision of head coach Dawie Theron to axe Emerging Springbok scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius - an effort to shake up not only the player, but send a message to his teammates that mediocrity will not be accepted.
While Theron resorted to drastic measure ahead of this crunch encounter, Mitchell spoke of the need for "hard work".
He said that the team was "getting somewhere" in terms of how they want to play.
"We have plenty of hard work to do and we do not have any Test players, so as a young group we have to keep working together and remain committed to what we want to do."
While the aim is to get to the semifinal, Mitchell points out that the team is still in control of its own destiny.
Theron admitted that the Lions' improved form - along with other results - means a win in Johannesburg is non-negotiable f Griquas want to stay in the play-off race.
Recent results:
2007: Lions won 45-24, Johannesburg
2007: Lions won 28-0, Kimberley
2008: Lions won 36-32, Kimberley
2008: Lions won 41-20, Johannesburg
2009: Griquas won 23-19, Johannesburg
2009: Griquas won 36-31, Kimberley
2010: Griquas won 26-20, Kimberley
rugby365.com Prediction: One of the finds of the season has been South African Under-20 flyhalf Elton Jantjies's form for the Lions in the Currie Cup. The maturity he showed in scoring 31 points in their win over Western Province last Saturday will be needed against Griquas this week as well. The young man, barely out of his teens, has a bright future ahead of him, but it is in crunch matches like these where his composure will be tested. He outplayed one veteran last week in Willem de Waal, but this week faces another in Naas Olivier. Their performances will be pivotal in the outcome of the match. We feel the Lions will retain their momentum and sneak a good win - by 10 to 15 points.
The teams:
Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe (captain), 4 Johan Snyman, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 David Bulbring, 19 Renaldo Bothma, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marius
Delport.
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Rocco Jansen, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Naas Olivier (captain), 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Cecil Kemp, 4 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 3 Jean Botha, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Burger Schoeman, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Jean Stemmet/Richard Lawson, 22 Rudi Vogt.
Date: Saturday, September 11
Venue: Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Madel de Villiers
Contact Us | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Advertising
