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Rugby 365

Former Springbok Sevens star Robert Ebersohn will lead the Cheetahs when they face the Lions in their first Super Rugby pre-season outing in Johannesburg on Saturday. Ebersohn has been handed the captaincy for the Ellis Park outing in the absence of regular skipper Adriaan Strauss, with the Bok vice-captain on the year-end tour given a break this week. Strauss is one of several players being held back for the second pre-season outing, against the Stormers in Bloemfontein next week. Injures also played a key role in the selection, with the Cheetahs hard-working lock Martin Muller out for three months after suffering a groin injury in training last week. The only other long-term concern is fellow second row forward Andries Ferreira (knee). Cheetahs assistant coach Hawies Fourie said they decided not to use any player who returned from injury recently. "Those missing out this week will get a run next week," Fourie told this website, adding: "That is what we are using these two games [against the Lions and Stormers] for - to rotate some players." Ebersohn will start at inside centre, where he is likely to play all season - with new recruit Johann Sadie on his outside. However, this week he will be partnered by Griquas veteran JP Nel, with Sadie one of those being 'rested' after only recently recovering from a hamstring injury. The Cheetahs complete their pre-season preparation with a game against the Bulls in Polokwane on February 9 - when they are likely to feature their best available team for the first time.

 Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 JP Nel, 12 Robert Ebersohn (captain), 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Pieter van Zyl, 8 Johannes Prinsloo, 7 Tertius Daniller, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen. Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Rynhard Landman, 19 Waltie Vermeulen, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Barry Geel, 22 Hansie Graaff. Date: Saturday, January 26 Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT) Referee: Tiaan Jonker

Should be a good match up.

JP Nel. He must be getting on. Good center in his day. 

Besides Strauss, Muller, Ferreira and Sadie who else are they missing - Coenie, Brussouw, Juan Smith, Goosen and Willie Le Roux come to mind. Sarel also would make a match 22.  Its well off their best but will show if they have some depth. Wonder if they have unearthed some new talent.

The Lions are very enthusiastic and would love to knock the Cheetahs off and, for  that matter, the other Super 15 franchises.

I also saw something about Jantjes being likely to return to the Lions. I would like us to keep Taute, Rhodes and Cilliers. If Jantjes is successful they will try to buy him for sure.

Here  is the article ex keo:

Elton Jantjies will play for the Lions in the 2013 Currie Cup.

Jantjies confirmed to keo.co.za that he is on an eight-month Super Rugby contract with the Stormers, after which he will see out his Currie Cup contract with the Lions.

He will only then make a decision where to play domestically in the 2014 season.

‘I am not on loan from the Lions to the Stormers. I am on a Stormers Super Rugby contract,’ he said. ‘But I gave a commitment to the Lions to play in the Currie Cup. I think all the Lions players were shocked when it was confirmed that the Lions would not play in Super Rugby. I don’t think any of us thought it could happen and with the uncertainty of who would play [the Kings or Lions] my focus was always with the Lions. Every player wants to play Super Rugby so when it was confirmed the Lions were out I had several offers from within South Africa.

‘I settled on the Stormers after consultation with my father, my agent and after much prayer. I am religious and a lot of thought went into the move. I loved playing for the Lions and certainly won’t be rushed into making a decision about 2014. My focus now is on the Stormers and giving everything to the squad.’

Jantjies said he has dealt with the move as he would when called up to the national squad.

‘When you play for the Boks and are involved with the Bok set-up you give that your total concentration. You work with the national coaches, who invariably were very different in many ways to what we had at the Lions, and Super Rugby and provincial set-ups are so different to national set-ups. I give my all to the team I am with at the time and to the coaches guiding my contribution to the team. I don’t see myself as a Lions guy playing for the Stormers just like I won’t see myself as a Stormers guy playing for the Lions in the Currie Cup. I am a South African rugby player hoping to excel for the Stormers in Super Rugby and a South African rugby player hoping to be as successful when playing for the Lions in the Currie Cup.

‘Both Super Rugby and Currie Cup are opportunities to make a case for national squad selection. If the team does well and I am part of that reason then the rewards will follow.’

Jantjies said he is always in touch with his former team-mates and has a healthy relationship with the coaches at both regions.

‘There is a lot of respect for the situation of the Lions players who are playing for different regions this season but from the moment I arrived in Cape Town I took on the attitude that the Stormers are my team for the next eight months and they get all my effort and my loyalty.’

Jantjies made his Test debut in 2012 after first touring with the Boks in 2010. He played flyhalf against the Barbarians at Twickenham in 2010, but Test caps are not given to Bok players for matches against the Barbarians.

He completed his schooling at Hoerskool Florida in Gauteng, where he played for the Lions Craven Week side after spending his first two years of high school at Paarl Gymnasium in the Western Cape

Very big season for Elton.