Lions Super Rugby Squad - 2018

The 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 flank 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 now with Munster.

Lions 2018 Super Rugby 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 (captain)

I am not sure what will happen this year - but I feel the Bulls and Sharks are going to do better than they did last year.   Unfortunately there are too many negatives insofar as the Stormers are concerned - but they are also likely to show some improvement.  

However, it is way too early to make forecasts and I agree with you that Jantjies should never have been in the Springbok team and Dreyer was a farce.   Coetzee is a better player than he is credited - but I prefer Willie le Roux at fullback.

The Bulls first match this year is against the Hurricanes and one would like to see how they shape up against strong competition.   That game would show us -

*   whether Pollard is going to be any good;

*    how the Bulls loosies and centers shape up.

This is a duplicate topic. Here is the link to the other one: Link to duplicate topic

The other version of this topic was created by that much self-esteemed Beeno

IMO Pollard will improve this year but this will in part depend on coaching and if he can stay injury free. He's had a tough battle back from his past injuries and was thrown in the deep end again by coaches.

JW I am surprised at how useful you can be!  Yes the widely esteemed Beeno posted this exact articl e but Chipped ou was snoozing!

Beeno, I was referring to that "much self-esteemed Beeno". Not sure who this "widely esteemed Beeno" is

Beeno blindly taking a bow  (image provided to aid comprehension)

There is your next avatar when you need a change JW. 

Beeno, I will give your suggestion the attention it deserves