OORB

Interesting comments from the "Rooibontes".

Will be interesting to see which team will walk its respective talk.

OORB

SOURCE : www.news24.com

Lions prepared for catfight
07/07/2006 21:16 - (SA)

Hennie Brandt, Beeld

Johannesburg - The Lions are prepared for a mammoth battle up front when they take on the Currie Cup champions, the Cheetahs, in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.

Whether Wikus van Heerden (captain) and his cubs will be able to withstand the heat in the oven will be determined by their young tight five.

In Currie Cup terms they are still very inexperienced and they will be targeted by the Cheetahs pack.

The experienced lion in the pack who has to keep the tight five together is the 27-year-old hooker James van der Walt.

It will be expected of him and the looseforwards Van Heerden, Cobus Grobler and Ernst Joubert to give support and provide leadership to the young props, Gert Muller (tighthead, 20) and Heinke van der Merwe (loosehead, 21) and their locks, Jean Deysel and Gerhard Mostert (both 21).

You do not have to be an Einstein to realise the Cheetahs will do everything possible to overpower the young Lions both physically and mentally. The Springbok loosehead of the champions, Ollie le Roux, will without doubt play an important role as he is a master in this department. He will also want to show the Lions, along with his front row teammate, Jannie du Plessis (tighthead), that they are playing in Cheetah country.

Somebody who has first-hand knowledge of forward play is Leon Boshoff, the Lions forwards coach. As a former hooker he knows what it takes to remain standing under tremendous pressure.

Stand together and form a unit

Boshoff said: "Experience is important. The Cheetahs have someone like Ollie who can anchor the pack. The young tight five of the Lions must stand together and form a unit. Things can happen if they do that and support one another.

"When it comes to the scrums, your props are just as good as the locks scrumming behind them. Good support by the props are also of prime importance for the jumpers in the lineouts."

Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus laid the foundation for the team's victories last season by concentrating on solid scrums and lineouts. Without quality possession from these phases, any team will face disaster.

The Lions have first-hand knowledge of this after they battled against both the Sharks and the Blue Bulls.

Lions coach Eugene Eloff says that is why it is important the team get good possession against the Cheetahs.

"If we do that, the Cheetahs can't do anything. That's why we're not concentrating on them, but on what we must do."

TV: from 15:00 on MNet, SS1.

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Now for an opinion on the game from the local press.

SOURCE : www.volksblad.com

Cheetahs het appeltjie met Goue Leeus te skil
Jul 07 2006 10:24:51:153PM - (SA)
Hendrik Cronjé

DIE Vodacom-Vrystaat-Cheetahs het vandag ’n appeltjie met die Goue Leeus te skil.

Maar mnr. Rassie Erasmus, afrigter van die Cheetahs, sê sy rugbyspan het ’n besonderse skerp mes nodig as hy op Vodacompark in Bloemfontein in ’n Curriebeker-wedstryd daarin wil slaag. Dié wedstryd begin om 15:00.

“Die Leeus het ons verlede jaar twee keer maklik geklop.

“Ons sukkel altyd teen hulle,” sê Erasmus.

“Die Leeus speel net sonder drie van hul Springbokke (Lawrence Sephaka, Jaque Fourie en Enrico Januarie), so ons sal ná vandag presies weet wat ons ware krag is,” sê die Cheetah-breier.

Eerder as om te erken dat sy span dié seisoen vinnig uit sy blokke is, sê Erasmus die Cheetahs se goeie spel en 18 drieë in slegs twee wedstryde is te danke aan ’n gunstige Premierliga-loting.

Erasmus sê voorts vandag se uitslag kan deur die spanne se vertonings in die vaste fasette bepaal word.

Dít is waar die Cheetahs se Ollie le Roux, Wian du Preez, Jaco du Toit, Richardt Strauss, Jannie du Plessis, Rory Duncan, Corniel van Zyl en Barend Pieterse die skaal effens in die gasheer se guns swaai. Die Leeus se vaste vyf-voorspelers (wat plaasvervangers insluit) van Heinke van der Merwe, Daniel Muller, James van der Walt, Ettienne Reynecke, Gert Muller, Jean Deysel, Willem Stoltz en Gerhard Mostert, het nie soos in die Cheetahs se geval soveel ervaring aan sy kant nie.

Boonop kombineer Michael Claassens (skrumskakel) en Willem de Waal (losskakel) dié seisoen voortreflik.

Claassens het sy peil herwin nadat hy aan die einde van die Super 14-reeks nie soos ’n Bok gespeel het nie.

Claassens sal egter die Suid-Afrikaanse o.21-skrumskakel van die Leeus, Jano Vermaak, nie ’n halwe kans moet gun nie.

Langs Claassens kan De Waal vir ’n derde agtereenvolgende Saterdag in dié reeks wys hy is ook ’n aanvallende losskakel.

De Waal, wat die speler van die wedstryd teen die Valke was, kan dalk in die eerste 40 minute opdrag kry om meer met sy skopskoen te dikteer as wat die geval in die wedstryde teen die Valke en die Wildeklawer-Griekwas was.

Die spanne is:

Cheetahs: Bevin Fortuin; Giscard Pieters, JW Jonker, Dale Heidtmann, Gavin Passens; Willem de Waal, Michael Claassens; Ryno van der Merwe, Darron Nell, Hendro Scholtz (k), Barend Pieterse, Corniel van Zyl, Jannie du Plessis, Jaco du Toit, Ollie le Roux. PLAASVERVANGERS: Richardt Strauss, Wian du Preez, Rory Duncan, Kabamba Floors, Falie Oelschig, Chris Kruger, Phillip Burger.

Leeus: Louis Ludik; Wylie Human, Jaco Pretorius, Wayne Julies, Grant Esterhuizen; Earl Rose, Jano Vermaak; Ernst Joubert, Cobus Grobbelaar, Wikus van Heerden (k), Gerhard Mostert, Jean Deysel, Gert Muller, James van der Walt, Heinke van der Merwe.

PLAASVERVANGERS: Ettienne Reynecke, Daniel Muller, Willem Stoltz, Schalk van der Merwe, Rory Kockott, Jody Rose, Jaco van Schalkwyk.

Skeidsregter: mnr. Tappe Henning.

Afskop: 15:00.

TV: van 14:30 af op SS/M-Net en SS1/DStv.