Just when the Lions snagged their first win of the season, the rugby gods throw a wrench in the works. As they gear up to challenge a peppy Ulster squad this Saturday at Ellis Park, they'll have to do it minus a key player. Hold onto your jerseys, folks—this might get bumpy.
Assistant coach Morne Steyn dropped the news on Tuesday that Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is benched for the upcoming game to nurse a minor injury back to health. With an eye on the bigger picture, Steyn remarked,
"Krappie is actually almost ready to play, but we don’t want to force him. Next week we have a week off, so that will give him two weeks to recover quite nicely."
It's clear they're playing the long game, keeping him fresh for the national squad. Steyn added, "He’s in the Bok squad as well, so you don’t want to risk something and get him out of the tour."
The hits don't stop there for the Lions. Flanker JC Pretorius is sidelined with a knee problem, expected to miss a whopping four months. Steyn expressed his concern, saying, "JC, unfortunately, it sounds like he’s out for four months with a knee issue. That’s not good for us as a team and for JC. He’s one of our top players, so we’re really going to miss him."
Reflecting on their recent 29-18 triumph over the Scarlets, Steyn wasn't shy about the team's performance. "Looking back, I didn’t think it was our best game, but still we got five [log] points. That’s a positive for us. You don’t play great rugby, but still get five points, that’s great for the game coming up." This upcoming clash against Ulster, who recently toppled a Bok-laden Sharks team 34-26, promises to be a strategic and bruising affair. "Ulster are a quality team. They’ve got great forwards and exciting backs. From nine to 15, almost all of them can kick, so it’s going to be a tough, physical battle. Luckily, we play in Joburg, so hopefully we can tire them a bit and run them around," Steyn projected.
Amid the setbacks, winger Eduan Keyter found a silver lining after their victory against the Scarlets, which snapped a three-game losing streak in Europe. He shared, "It just gave us a bit of confidence and belief in ourselves. It was a tough tour, but this gave us a good start and makes us ready for the upcoming game." With the Lions poised to host Ulster, the stage is set for an enthralling showdown at Ellis Park, where 1,771 fans witnessed their last performance. Buckle up—it's going to be a wild ride!
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Just when the Lions snagged their first win of the season, the rugby gods throw a wrench in the works. As they gear up to challenge a peppy Ulster squad this Saturday at Ellis Park, they'll have to do it minus a key player. Hold onto your jerseys, folks—this might get bumpy.
Assistant coach Morne Steyn dropped the news on Tuesday that Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is benched for the upcoming game to nurse a minor injury back to health. With an eye on the bigger picture, Steyn remarked,
"Krappie is actually almost ready to play, but we don’t want to force him. Next week we have a week off, so that will give him two weeks to recover quite nicely."
It's clear they're playing the long game, keeping him fresh for the national squad. Steyn added, "He’s in the Bok squad as well, so you don’t want to risk something and get him out of the tour."The hits don't stop there for the Lions. Flanker JC Pretorius is sidelined with a knee problem, expected to miss a whopping four months. Steyn expressed his concern, saying, "JC, unfortunately, it sounds like he’s out for four months with a knee issue. That’s not good for us as a team and for JC. He’s one of our top players, so we’re really going to miss him."
Reflecting on their recent 29-18 triumph over the Scarlets, Steyn wasn't shy about the team's performance. "Looking back, I didn’t think it was our best game, but still we got five [log] points. That’s a positive for us. You don’t play great rugby, but still get five points, that’s great for the game coming up." This upcoming clash against Ulster, who recently toppled a Bok-laden Sharks team 34-26, promises to be a strategic and bruising affair. "Ulster are a quality team. They’ve got great forwards and exciting backs. From nine to 15, almost all of them can kick, so it’s going to be a tough, physical battle. Luckily, we play in Joburg, so hopefully we can tire them a bit and run them around," Steyn projected.
Amid the setbacks, winger Eduan Keyter found a silver lining after their victory against the Scarlets, which snapped a three-game losing streak in Europe. He shared, "It just gave us a bit of confidence and belief in ourselves. It was a tough tour, but this gave us a good start and makes us ready for the upcoming game." With the Lions poised to host Ulster, the stage is set for an enthralling showdown at Ellis Park, where 1,771 fans witnessed their last performance. Buckle up—it's going to be a wild ride!