There appears to be enough talent for the Lions to again do well. Will the new coaching staff be up to the challenge. Blowhard wee cc has had lots to crow about and was about hoarse at the end of the season!
The Emirates Lions named a strong Super Rugby squad that includes 12 Springboks as they look to go one better than their appearances in the finals in the last two years.
Coach Swys de Bruin named the squad that includes Springbok captain Warren Whiteley as well as Springboks Ruan Combrinck, Andries Coetzee, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Lionel Mapoe and Elton Jantjies.
The Springbok forwards in the squad include Ruan Dreyer, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert and Jaco Kriel. Winger Courtnall Skosan is named in the team as well, despite being ruled out by injury for the entire tournament.
Springbok Sevens player Kwagga Smith is in the squad, while Griquas scrumhalf Tian Meyer and Pumas flanker Marnus Schoeman also feature.
Among the new players in the squad are former Bulls prop Jacobie Adriaanse, rising scrumhalf star Marco Jansen van Vuuren and Hacjivah Dayimani.
The Lions have lost two coaches in the last year, with head coach Johan Ackermann now at Gloucester while defence coach JP Ferreira is with Munster now.
Emirates Lions squad: Jacobie Adriaanse, Cyle Brink, Robbie Coetzee, Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Ross Cronjé, Ashlon Davids, Hacjivah Dayimani, Ruan Dreyer, Aphiwe Dyanti, Willie Engelbrecht, Lourens Erasmus, Andries Ferreira, Corne Fourie, Rhyno Herbst, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Elton Jantjies, Johannes Jonker, Jaco Kriel, Robert Kruger, Sylvian Mahuza, Lionel Mapoe, Malcolm Marx, Len Massyn, Christiaan Meyer, Howard Mnisi, Franco Mostert, Marvin Orie, Shaun Reynolds, Marnus Schoeman, Sti Sithole, Courtnall Skosan, Dillon Smith, Kwagga Smith, Dylan Smith, Madosh Tambwe, Jacques van Rooyen, Harold Vorster, Warren Whiteley (c).
