Lions replaces Mostert with a real lock

The following from news24:-

"The Lions, desperately searching for a replacement for recently departed star lock Franco Mostert, have confirmed that Stephan Lewies has joined the union ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby season.

Lewies, who will turn 27 later  this month, is currently playing for the Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan.

Lewies has been on the Sharks’ books since 2012 as has played 63 Super Rugby matches for the union, but his career has been blighted by injuries in recent times.

He featured in one Test for the Springboks - against Scotland in Port Elizabeth in 2014 - when he came off the bench to replace captain Victor Matfield in South Africa's 55-6 win.

In 2016, Lewies was included in a South Africa 'A' squad that played a two-match series against a touring England Saxons team.

He was named in the starting line-up for their first match in Bloemfontein - a game the Saxons won 32-24.

Despite attempts to hang onto Mostert, the Lions lost their battle to do so and the 29-Test second-rower has formally joined former Lions coach Johan Ackermann at Gloucester in England.

The Lions, beaten Super Rugby finalists the past three seasons, open their 2019 campaign against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on Saturday, February 16."

A vey good replacement who would help the Lions a lot in Tight phases of play where Mostert went missing.  

And Gloucester by a wide margin lost because their Tight 5 did not function properly - how about that?    However you seems to favour locks not involved in Tight 5 performance - which you have done for years.   I saw the game and Mostert was weak in tackling and Mostert gained very little on average in ball carries (2,27 per carry) and  his tackles were weak.   So his actual contribution  was no t positive as you tried to make it look.    

No Mozart - you make it sounds as if Gloucester won the game - they lost by 18 points - which is a bog margin in that type of game.     If you are to be believed Gloucester beat their opponents - but that is where the BS took over.    

In any event of Gloucester was that good - why the loss?   Please explain that one,      

Mostert is a big loss for us ...

Lewies is a solid replacement ... but I would have preferred keeping Mostert.

The Lions certainly are losing ground. So many top players have abandoned ship.

I wonder who's next.

Warren?  

Yes ... the WC certainly is an incentive to stay ... so much so that we've seen the return of the elderly pair ... hopefully soon to be retired ... Vermeulen and Schalk Brits.

Can we expect a mass exodus after the WC?

I can see the only familiar face at the Lions being Elton Jantjie s ... heaven help us!!

CC

Indeed heaven help us with Jantjies.   Van der Walt - who was kept out of the Lions team because of Jantjies - moved to Edinburgh where he, Duhan van der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman and WP Nel are the key players in a sharp upturn in performances.   

Edinburgh thus far beat both Montpellier and Toulon in the Champions Cup  competition and last week also beat Glasgow in the Pro 14.   They top their pool in the Champions Cup and they are second after Leinster in Conference B of the Pro 14.

Sorry to disagree with you - my problem is the lack of physicality in Tight 5 play of Mostert.   It weakens the Tight 5 combination and reduces the rolling maul prospects  as well as defending opposition mauls drastically as was evidenced again in the Gloucester match last week,     I prefer physically stronger locks as a key to lock play.    

Mike ... the Lions have had a dominant scrum set piece for the last few season now ... both with Mostert at 5 and at 7 ... and ... on top of that ... Mostert has taken top honours for the best lineout jumper in SR 2 seasons in a row ... it's why he was selected to be a Bok ... he also has an incredible work rate, second to none ... is strong defensively, missing very few if any tackles ... and so to be honest ... I'm not sure what you're on about.

Mostert is a class act.

Oops ... let me quickly go edit my post ... hopefully he hasn't spotted it yet ...

Couldn't agree with you more, BlueBok ... he is a class act and there is no evidence to prove that he's a liability in the scrum set piece.

It's fabricated nonsense.

Just one comment on the very real problem of Mostert is taken as an attack on what I wrote and start to incorporate other BS - especially from Mozart - as well.

What about the absence of rolling mauls and his poor contribution when it comes to defense against opposition rolling mauls on test level.    The one Mozart discovered (against France) showed that Mostert's contribution in forming and co-ordination of a maul was non-existent.   Better to ignore that aspect.as it counts against Mostert.       

What a load of crap it is!!!!!!!!!

Mike ... you are desperate to have Schickerling included in the match 23 ... and that's why you're trying to eliminate his competition (Mostert & Snyman) with these tall tales.

He's a good player ... but at this stage in time he hasn't shown himself as a worthy replacement.

He will have to really impress this year if he's to go to the WC ... and quite frankly ... I can't see it happening. 

The locks assured of their spot (barring injury) are Etzebeth, Lood, Snyman and Mostert ... with Du Toit as a possible cover playing on the blindside.

Accept it.