Ken Borland

Five players will make their representative debuts for the Lions at the weekend when the relegated Super Rugby franchise take on Russia at Ellis Park in the inaugural game of the Lions Challenge.

Lions coach Johan Ackermann has thrown flyhalf Lionel Cronje, centres Harold Vorster and Stokkies Hanekom, flank Warwick Tecklenburg, and lock Franco Mostert straight into the fray as the Lions begin a new era on Saturday night.

They have, however, also chosen their strongest available combination –barring the injured Jaco Kriel, Alwyn Hollenbach, Ruan Combrinck and Deon van Rensburg, — endorsing the feeling that the Johannesburg-based franchise are eager to begin their new era with winning momentum.

“Every game will be important for us, but it’s especially important that we start this tournament well. I’m happy with the mix of players I’ve got, we have the opportunity now to try a few players but there will be a time closer to the end of the competition when I’ll have to settle on number one and number two in every position,” Ackermann said at the team announcement on Thursday.

“We want to fine-tune our game, get some conditioning and continuity going, especially getting the new players to gel, and it will be our first real contact because we haven’t had a lot up till now. We want to get our style of play going too, but really I just want to win and get the guys out on the pitch.”

Russia are the first of three international teams that the Lions will be playing, but they know little about their opening opposition, save for the likelihood that their strength will be concentrated in their pack.

“They traditionally like to keep the ball in front of their forwards.

But we enjoy it when teams come here to scrum because we enjoy that too!” Lions captain and loosehead prop JC Janse van Rensburg said.

Ackermann said he had been impressed with the quality of Russia’s play earlier this week in a game against the University of Johannesburg and, despite recent losses to the USA and Canada, he did not believe the Bears would be pushovers.

The Lions have been bolstered by the arrival of players with SuperRugby experience such as Cronje and Tecklenburg. The talented youngsters have both turned their backs on the Bulls, along with promising lock Mostert.

SA U20 cap Vorster and former South-Western Districts centre Hanekom have been paired together and, being big, tall and fast, should provide go-forward for the Lions in midfield.

Team: 15-Andries Coetzee, 14-Deon Helberg, 13-Stokkies Hanekom, 12-Harold Vorster, 11-Anthony Volmink, 10-Lionel Cronje, 9-Michael Bondesio, 8-Willie Britz, 7-Derick Minnie, 6-Warwick Tecklenburg, 5-Franco Mostert, 4-Hendrik Roodt, 3-Ruan Dreyer, 2-Martin Bezuidenhout, 1-JC Janse van Rensburg. Substitutes – 16-Francois du Toit, 17-Jacques van Rooyen, 18-Jacques Kotze, 19-Hugo Kloppers, 20-Claude Tshibidi, 21-Ross Cronje, 22-Marnitz Boshoff, 23-Ruhan Nel.

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The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) have announced a schedule of 16 matches for their top players between next weekend and July 20 in what will be called the Lions Challenge.

Following their controversial relegation from SuperRugby last year, the Johannesburg-based franchise have organised matches against international teams like Russia and Samoa, a three-week tour of North America, five games against top French opposition and fixtures against all five South African SuperRugby teams.

Lions supporters will have 12 matches, including a promotion/relegation game on August 3, to look forward to at Ellis Park.

“We took major umbrage to the decision made in Cape Town last year to relegate us and the easy route would have been to play the blame game and look for scapegoats. But we have decided to get on with the rugby and ensure we continue to serve our stakeholders. It will be important to do well in the Lions Challenge, but everyone must focus on taking on the team that finishes last in SuperRugby at the end of it,” GLRU president Kevin de Klerk said at the launch of the series at Ellis Park on Thursday.

While the Lions have been forced to loan out star players like Elton Jantjies, Franco van der Merwe, Jaco Taute and Lionel Mapoe, they are confident the Lions Challenge will provide enough of an incentive for the rest of their squad to remain with them this year.

“To try and fit in a new competition when rugby is played somewhere in the world from January 1 to December 31 was very challenging, but if we had just set up a series of friendlies then half our players would not be here by the time the promotion/relegation game comes along. The players want to test themselves against the best and commercially it is very important so we can retain our players,” acting CEO Ruben Moggee said.

The Russian national squad, with 49 players and management, are currently in Gauteng and will be the Lions’ first opponents, at 7pm on January 19.

Coach Johan Ackermann’s other international opposition will be on June 1 against Samoa, who will be in the country preparing for their quadrangular tournament against the Springboks, Scotland and Italy.

French powerhouses Montpellier and Grenoble, who are in contention for the Top 14 semi-finals, will visit in July.

The Lions will also play the Cheetahs, Bulls and Kings in the build-up to this year’s SuperRugby competition, and the Stormers and Sharks during the June break.

“There’s no doubt that we won’t be treating these as friendlies, the team know that already. We’re going to be in competition mode, it is about earning back the respect we deserve and we will prepare for it as for any other SuperRugby season, the conditioning and tactics will be done in that same way.

“I hope the attitudes, heart and passion are at that same level because our one common goal is to win back promotion into SuperRugby,” Ackermann said.

Fixtures: January 19 – v Russia (Ellis Park); January 26 – v Cheetahs (Ellis Park); February 2 – v Bulls (Orlando Stadium); February 9 – v Kings (Ellis Park); February 23 – v Namibia (Windhoek); March 16 – v Mont de Marsan (Ellis Park); April 13 – v U.S. Invitational (Irvine); April 20 – v North American Barbarians (Vancouver); April 27 – v Chicago Lions (Chicago); May 11 – v Agen (Ellis Park); June 1 – v Samoa (Ellis Park); June 8 – v French Barbarians (Ellis Park); June 15 – v Stormers (Ellis Park); June 21 – v Sharks (Ellis Park); July 12 – v Montpellier (Ellis Park); July 20 – v Grenoble (Ellis Park); July 27 – SuperRugby promotion/relegation (away); August 3 – SuperRugby promotion/relegation (Ellis Park).

Despite a spectacular loss to England in their last match of 2012, it was clear throughout the year that world champions New Zealand remain the benchmark in world rugby.

Their unbeaten run – extending to 20 Tests from the start of last year’s World Cup – came to a shuddering halt in London as England beat them 38-21, giving some hope to the chasing pack that are busy growing sides for the 2015 showpiece tournament.

It was a fabulous end to the year for the Red Roses after promising much but delivering little in losing three times to the Springboks and once each to Australia and Wales.

South Africa were also busy building a team, having lost the likes of John Smit, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha, Jaque Fourie and Danie Rossouw. Their new coach, Heyneke Meyer, seemed to have developed a sturdy, hardy outfit as they ended the year with an unbeaten northern hemisphere tour, but there were few flashes of brilliance from the Springboks and the rugby they played was generally dull.

Australia endured a troubled year, beset by injuries and speculation over the future of coach Robbie Deans, but if the crop of talented youngsters they have reach full bloom, then they will certainly be a major threat at the next World Cup.

Argentina immediately showed the benefits of joining New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship (replacing the Tri-Nations) for the first time, and the game can only grow in that country.

France, under new coach Philippe Saint-André, are also developing rapidly into another formidable outfit.

Wonderful attacking flair was once again the hallmark of the All Blacks’ success, but their game was also based on a steely defence and the core of experience that ran through the side was also a great help. By the end of the year, Tony Woodcock (96), Keven Mealamu (102), Owen Franks (45), Richie McCaw (116), Kieran Read (48), Dan Carter (94), Ma’a Nonu (76), Conrad Smith (66), Cory Jane (41) and Piri Weepu (69) had 753 caps between them, compared to the 431 the entire Springbok team had for their last Test of the year, also against England in London.

But South Africa had won – albeit by just a point – in the rain at Twickenham the week before against the same England side that then put the All Blacks to the sword and the other indication that they are not impossibly far off the world champions came in Dunedin in September when they tied New Zealand down for long periods. They would ultimately pay for Morne Steyn’s poor goalkicking and Dean Greyling’s lack of discipline in that match, going down 21-11.

In their return meeting in October, the iconic FNB Stadium would prove to be no protection from the attacking brilliance of the All Blacks as they swept to a 32-16 victory in their most impressive display of the year. Without the amulet of forward dominance, the Springboks were made to look second-best and the anti-Meyer chorus grew louder.

But even the All Blacks’ attacking brilliance is no protection from defeat if they lose the forward battle, as England showed two weeks ago when their pack put their bodies on the line in such impressive fashion.

The good news for the Springboks is that it is easy to see their pack developing into a world-class unit. Despite the absence of Bismarck du Plessis for most of the year through injury, Adriaan Strauss stepped in and enjoyed a superb season in the middle of the front row. Jannie du Plessis manfully filled the tighthead berth throughout the year, but there is no lack of loosehead talent with Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp, Heinke van der Merwe and Coenie Oosthuizen all in the frame.

Eben Etzebeth showed signs that he will fill the considerable boots of Bakkies Botha, while, despite several injuries, the loose forward stocks still look strong with Francois Louw, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen all having an impressive year.

It is among the backs where the future looks cloudy for the Springboks.

Burly inside centre Francois Steyn only played half of the Tests in 2012 due to injury, captain Jean de Villiers slotting into the number 12 jersey in his absence. With problems inside of them – Morne Steyn was in poor form at flyhalf, Johan Goosen was then injured before Pat Lambie eventually played in Britain and Ireland – there was little inspiration from the backline when it came to attack.

In Meyer’s defence, his first year in charge was always going to be a conservative one. In 2013, he should be able to build on the positives of 2012, most notably some incredible defensive displays, to ensure the Springboks are no longer left in the wake of the All Blacks.

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-12-12-rugby-2013-the-all-blacks-will-still-be-the-team-to-beat