Spencer dethroned

17 Mar 2010

Burton Francis has replaced Carlos Spencer at flyhalf while Jano Vermaak is awarded a start against the Crusaders.

Last week, Vermaak made his first appearance in 2010 from the bench. Dick Muir has decided the scrumhalf is ready to start, and has also given Francis another opportunity at No 10. The latter move is unsurprising given Spencer’s shocking showing in the 72-13 defeat to the Waratahs.

Tonderai Chavhanga is also replaced by Wigan Pekeur on the wing. Up front, JC van Rensburg is favoured over Heinke van der Merwe at loosehead and Kevin Buys drops out of the squad as Ross Geldenhuys returns.

George Earle replaces Willem Stoltz at lock.

Lions – 15 Earl Rose, 14 Wigan Pekeur, 13 Walter Venter, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Wandile Mjekevu, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 George Earle, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Willem Stoltz, 19 Robert Kruger/Jacques Lombaard, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Carlos Spencer, 22 Michael Killian.


43 Comments

  • 1.DAN_MAN: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 09:15 am

    Won`t be surpised if the hiding is bigger then last week…

  • 2.DAN_MAN: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 09:17 am

    Guilford to score 3 tries

  • 3.Spinnekop: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 09:23 am

    Earl Rose – Useless. (How many more freebies for this guy?)
    Walter Venter – move to 12
    Wandile Mjekevu – Promising player but should play VC for now.
    Cobus Grobbelaar – Not a captain.
    There is more to complain about… bur I will stop now.

    A Crusdaers team with a getting back to form Dan Carter against this team. Can we give the points for not pitching?

  • 4.Cyborg: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 09:33 am

    @Spinnekop:
    Agree with all your points.

    I will not even bother watching this one.

  • 5.Oubaas2009: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 09:50 am

    Good start getting rid of JP Joubert. Why they bought him, who knows.

    I would have played Killian on the wing ahead of Pekeur and kept Heinke in there at 1.

    But not far off the best outfit Dickie can put out there.

    Sometimes your best just isn’t good enough.

  • 6.Wikus van der Merwe: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:06 am

    Something is wrong in rugby when Earl Rose still keeps his place….

  • 7.Smellthis: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:12 am

    Right, lets play a promising 12 in the unfamiliar position of 13 – meanwhile Delport (with S14 Final experience @ 13), Hollenbach (pretty impressive in CC @ 13) and Boshoff (with S14 experience @ 13) sit at home. Interesting stuff…..

  • 8.the chosen one: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:14 am

    Agree.

  • 9.RugbyRulz: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:19 am

    @Spinnekop: # 3

    Yeah maybe you are right, Grobbelaar is not a captain. The captain wastes far too much energy tackling than captaining. The car-horse tackles enough for the entire pack and Doppes takes care of the back share.

    Problem with the Lions is there are two guys doing their share the rest are tourists.

  • 10.Mielieboer: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:20 am

    Earl Rose = worst rugby player ever to play Currie Cup

  • 11.WP_: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:23 am

    @Smellthis: Venter has played quite a bit at 13 before but I agree.

    Are those guys seriously just sitting at home? Or injured?

  • 12.Predawn: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:25 am

    @Mielieboer:

    He’d be a **** club rugby player too…well maybe not at Delicious…

  • 13.WP_: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:28 am

    @Predawn: He’d certainly fit in as a club rugby player, and he be able to utilise his best talent. Fighting. Cos he’s no good at plaing rugby

  • 14.Predawn: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:35 am

    I feel sorry for the paying fans that have to drag their asses to Ellis Park and risk their lives and motor vehicles to see this caricature representing their once proud union.

  • 15.Sonito: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:38 am

    Any team with Rose in is ****. Why does he keep on getting so many chances? He is blocking the way for more promising black players.

  • 16.Mielieboer: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:39 am

    family of snor de villiers …..

  • 17.Mongril: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:53 am

    The King is dead, long live the king!

    I really hope there are people looking after the development of young Burton Francis and Lionel Cronje properly – they have the potential to be 2 of the best 10′s in the world post 2011.

  • 18.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 10:57 am

    I really struggle to understand how Rose can keep his place. I’m going to say something very provocative now: If Rose was a white player he would have been in another job/profession years ago as he would have been dropped years ago. I’m not a racist so I’m sorry to upset some/many here by making such a statement but I just cannot understand what’s behind his continued selection. There’s far better and more consistently good players – of all colours – that is forced to stand behind him in the queue. Something’s very wrong here.

  • 19.Papoose: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:03 am

    Rose is GOODE!

  • 20.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:06 am

    What I said in #18 is in line with what Bossie said, and Bossie got fired for it. Rose immediately ran to Snor and I think this is still the case … and Muir, as Snor’s deputy, cannot afford to rock the boat, else he’ll get fired also.

  • 21.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:09 am

    The only way the Lions will get well again is by being open and honest about these matters. They will never taste success as long as there’s no honest open debate within and around the team.

  • 22.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:11 am

    Time to move on … Stormers!

  • 23.Spinnekop: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:22 am

    @Katsesnor: Remember Jorrie Muller? He was white but always got game time. I think some favoritism is going on here or there is pressure from somewhere. Or Muir keeps on playing ER hoping some Kiwi will behead Rose so that he don’t have to pick him. The downside is, Earl has one killer sidestep when trying to make a tackle.

  • 24.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:28 am

    @Spinnekop: Who’ll ever forget Jorrie “Dash” Muller. Rose however is much worse … he actually perfected the art of contactless rugby.

  • 25.Mielieboer: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:31 am

    i agree …. Rose is waaaayyyyyyy k@kker than Jorrie.

  • 26.katman: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:31 am

    The Lions must wake up and sell the Roses.

  • 27.Katsesnor: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 11:37 am

    We’ve been waiting for Rose’s X-factor to win games for years … but all it’s done is lose games. Every season we must hear from the Lions coach that Rose’s “X-factor” makes him a definite choice. “X” clearly means “wrong” as opposed to a tick mark that means “correct”.

  • 28.wpw: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 12:16 pm

    They should move Rose to 10. He will shine there!!!

  • 29.chch – welcome back Carter: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 12:29 pm

    We want to get to laugh at Carlos

    You can’t sign the Show Pony and then not play him against the Crusaders.

    I would say that Carlos requested not to play. He is soft

  • 30.Blouste: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 13:04 pm

    And about time…

  • 31.grant10: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 14:15 pm

    spencer dethroned….he should be bloody deported!!

  • 32.Storm outta hell: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 14:29 pm

    This is a good call,Burton and Francis will be an awesome 9/10
    …would start with Spencer ahead of Rose at 15…

  • 33.Storm outta hell: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 14:29 pm

    @Storm outta hell: make that Burton-Vermaak :oops:

  • 34.bananas: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 14:45 pm

    More like Carlos – “deballed”

    For once I will be cheering on ‘saders, let them pump 100points on this team because hopefully somebody back in SARU la la land will realise you cant “**** around” when it comes to professional coaches ha ha ha …
    Just because **** works for f… all and brown noses his bosses doesnt make him good enough.

    Pay Heyneke Meyer and be done with it ! Sharks need to wake up and buy Doppies he is one hell of a 12, retire Adi.

  • 35.Storm outta hell: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 14:49 pm

    @bananas: Yah…and Stormers need Vermaak…retire January ;)

  • 36.iceman: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 15:29 pm

    For next season **** Muir must try and lure some ex-players back to the team, the likes of Wickus van Heerden, Jacques Cronje, Ernest Joubert, Joe van Niekerk, Brian Majati, Etienne Reyneke, Willie Wepner, Gordon Gilfillian, Wouter Moore etc would make a huge difference.

    He should also look at finding a decent flyhalf some like Francois Hougaadt or similar quality player.

    There are many more S.A. players playing over seas who would love show their worths in a World Cup year. Start looking now don’t wait until next year!

  • 37.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 15:33 pm

    It won’t make much of a difference and Rose is still in the line up, Killian on the bench.
    Who cares?

  • 38.bananas: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 15:41 pm

    @Storm outta hell: We are prepared to give this advice for free ! Imagine what they are paying **** for his lousy performance !

  • 39.dWeePer: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 18:43 pm

    Wikus van Heerden will play for the Lions in the CC.

  • 40.catleya: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 20:22 pm

    **** can go to Europe and go and buy himself an entire team of mercenaries if he has the money, but that doesn’t mean they are gonna win didly squatch until they get the pride back into that jumper.

  • 41.ploos: Reply to this comment
    17 Mar 2010, 21:51 pm

    Not Dicks fault. he is a good coach. the best coach in the world cant make these guys play winning rugby. not enough good players, no leaders and not enough experience. the team has no balance. fire the bloody useless administration, i blame only them for the downfall of the lions union.

  • 42.roobarb2: Reply to this comment
    19 Mar 2010, 10:56 am

    Earl Rose is the new Jorrie Muller

  • 43.Storm outta hell: Reply to this comment
    19 Mar 2010, 11:01 am

    @roobarb2: Nah…ER is in a mold all of his own…none can compare ;)

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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