Coach Johan Ackerman will be confident with his team this season as they go into the tournament as the strong favourites this year due to their convincing wins in their final three matches of the 2014 Super Rugby season.
However, in an all too familiar state of events, the Lions are blighted by injuries to their squad. To classify these injuries in the simplest ways, the ‘short-term’ injury list consists of Alwyn Hollenbach, Michael Bondesio, Courtnall Skosan, Deon van Rensburg and Julian Redelinghuys. All these players are expected to make quick recoveries and rejoin the Lions in the next few weeks.
2014 Golden Lions Currie Cup Season
The ‘long-term’ injuries (players that are not expected to be eligible for selection for the entire tournament) consist of just three players; however, one name distressingly sticks out. Anthony Volmink and Lloyd Greeff will not be back this season while both the Lions and the Springboks will be without the help of flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff who is out with a broken arm.
With Boshoff out, 20-year old Jaco van der Walt will be entrusted with the important flyhalf duties while Guy Cronje has been drafted into the squad as back-up to van der Walt. Springbok sevens marvel Kwagga Smith will be eager to make his debut for the Gauteng based team.
Coach Ackermann is excited for the season ahead and claims each and every player is looking to make the team every weekend. Obviously this isn’t possible and Ackermann has noted that a rotation policy will be in place to allow each player the opportunity to show what they can bring to the game.
To put the Lions game plan as simply as possible, they will be relying on momentum to take them through each week as they attempt to work their way to the top and better their 2013 performance of 4th place.
Golden Lions Team:
Ruan Dreyer, Patrick Mulamba, Julian Redelinghuys, Dylan Smith, Schalk van der Merwe, Jacques van Rooyen, Robbie Coetzee, Malcolm Marx, Mark Pretorius, Akker van der Merwe, Willie Wepener, MB Lusaseni, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, Schalk van Heerden, Chris van Zyl, Fabian Booysen, Cyle Brink, Willie Britz, Stephan de Wit, Lambert Groenewald, Jaco Kriel, Derick Minnie, Kwagga Smith, Warwick Tecklenburg, Warren Whiteley, Michael Bondesio, Ross Cronje, Ricky Schroeder, Marnitz Boshoff, Guy Cronje, Jaco van der Walt, Robert de Bryn, Stokkies Hanekom, Alwyn Hollenbach, Lionel Mapoe, Howard Mnisi, Harold Vorster, Lloyd Greeff, Deon Helberg, Courtnall Skosan, Deon van Rensburg, Anthony Volmink, Vainon Willis, Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Ruhan Nel
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