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Trio swaps Lions for Sharks
Thursday, November 26
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Promising eighthman Willem Alberts heads a trio of Lions players officially part of the Sharks Super 14 preseason training squad.
Joining Alberts in the Shark Tank is up-and-coming fullback Louis Ludik and second rower Gerhard Mostert. The Golden Lions Rugby Union were keen to retain the services of Alberts and Ludik in particular, but Sharks coach John Plumtree confirmed the duo, along with Mostert, form part of the Durban-based franchise’s training squad.
New Lions assistant coach Johan Ackermann said a massive 74-man squad, which assembled earlier this month, will only start field training once new coach Dick Muir returns from Springbok duty. Muir, the Bok backline coach, will then assess the group, which will be cut down to 40 next week.
“This is our fourth week in the gym - with the goal that we make the players hungry to practice on the field again. They must crave it," Ackermann told Sport24 on Wednesday. Faced with a mass player exodus, the struggling Johannesburg-based franchise signed a number of new acquisitions which they hope will help rebuild the franchise in 2010.
Notable new signings include Griquas captain Jonathan Mokuena, Bulls duo Burton Francis and Marius Delport, Griquas lock Jacques Lombaard and Western Province discard Tonderai Chavhanga.
Lombaard and Chavhanga, however, are undergoing rehabilitation along with Johan Snyman and Jano Vermaak. Lombaard will reportedly undergo a knee operation on Monday which will sideline him for two week, while Chavhanga is still struggling with a shoulder injury.
Snyman is recovering from a back operation and star scrumhalf Vermaak only had plates in his broken ankle removed last week.
Ackermann, a former Springbok lock, says he looks forward to the challenge as Lions forwards coach. "I am beginning at the deep end with a tough competition (the Super 14).
"But Dick has already done great things with big teams.
"And if I have to get involved with any guy, then that would be Dick, because he can lift a team," said Ackermann.
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8. Kanko
7. Deyzel
6. Keegan Daniel
5. Sykes
4. Alberts
3. Smit
2. Bismark
1. Beast..........
So... we buy 3 decent players and let 2 go!
Doesnt make sense!
I'm holding thumbs that Jake and Co kno what they are doing!
PS : Stormers may struggle without Luke to lead them (like him or hate him he did perform well at S14 level)and the Lions are agreat bet to finish 14th.
But Dick has already done great things with big teams.
So, the Lions are a 'big' team, I mean 70 players!
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more
the preasure will be on them even more now cos of these signings and the fact that the sharks could'nt even pull a full-house in the stadium during the cc-semi final should be a real worry.
plus span of those sharks players ars out of form. wonder what plumtree is gonna do about smit and pienaar,