30 july programme

OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME

EMIRATES LIONS vs PULSE ENERGY HIGHLANDERS Saturday 30 July 2016 15:00

SEMI-FINAL

CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

5

COLLAGE

7

VODACOM MESSAGE

9

A NEW LIONS PINNACLE 11 SUPER RUGBY TEAMS 14 COLLAGE 17 CURRIE CUP FIXTURES 19 FREEZEFRAME ACTION 21 FIXTURES AND RESULTS 23

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES

QUARTER-FINAL

OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME

EMIRATES LIONS vs Southern Kings Friday 8 July 2016 19:00

OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME

EMIRATES LIONS vs BNZ CRUSADERS

Saturday 23 July 2016 16:30

Publishers: Rugbyvaria Editor: Annemie Bester Graphic Design: Reneé Naudé

Advertising: Annemie Bester

GLRU Media and PR Manager: Annemie Bester Photographer: Deon van der Merwe Website: lionsrugby.co.za

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE • 5 www.lionsrugby.co.za

WELCOME TO EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, HOME OF THE EMIRATES LIONS WELCOME ALL TO the semi-final of the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby competition.

We wish to particularly welcome our counterparts from the Pulse Energy Highlanders, including the players, as well the management and coaching staff.

Welcome also to Johan Ackerman/Swys de Bruin as well as our coaching staff and most valued players.

This semi-final is the culmination of a most successful season at Lions Rugby, and most deservedly so. We all applaud everyone involved in the bringing about of this great season in Lions Rugby.

The table is undoubtedly set for a match of epic proportions. Both teams display an exciting running game of total rugby and this one will be no different. We trust that you will all enjoy this match and we thank

you for your loyal support.

We give thanks to our most valued Sponsors and welcome you here today.

We also welcome Altmann Ahlers and Rudolf Straeuli as well as all other dignitaries here this afternoon.

This match is our first quarter-final since 1993 which ranks this Lions side as one of the best we have seen. Good luck to Johan and our team – and as I have stated before, we are busy rewriting the history books in Lions Rugby.

Please remember to visit our website www.lionsrugby.co.za for all your Lions rugby news.

Enjoy the day with us.

Kevin de Klerk.

President: GLRU

Photos by DeonvanderMerwe.co.za

VODACOM MESSAGE • 9 www.lionsrugby.co.za

EMIRATES LIONS ON THE CUSP OF MAKING HISTORY TOP-FLIGHT RUGBY HAS arrived in Johannesburg as the Emirates Lions host defending champions Highlanders in the Vodacom Super Rugby semi-final clash at Emirates Airline Park.

remain in the running for the title.

A scintillating encounter is on the cards as two of the competition’s heavyweights go head-to-head in their pursuit of the coveted Vodacom Super Rugby trophy.

Vodacom Super Rugby fans are in for a treat as two of the competition’s attackminded teams face off on the Highveld.

As proud sponsor of this premier rugby tournament,Vodacom looks forward to the match that promises to be one for the record books.

The Emirates Lions have captured the hearts and imaginations of every South African rugby supporter no matter their allegiance.

The home side confirmed their status among the top teams in the competition thanks to their 42-25 rout of the seven time champion Crusaders at the same venue.

The Highlanders ran the gauntlet of a competitive New Zealand Conference to

The Lions will be looking to continue their fine form as they look to advance to the Vodacom Super Rugby final.

As South Africa’s best network Vodacom has been one of the biggest supporters of the country’s franchises and will continue to back our boys.

Vodacom would like all rugby supporters to rally behind the Emirates Lions as they go into battle for a chance at the Vodacom Super Rugby title.

Hold onto your seats, it’s about to get awesome! Send your messages of support using #AllOutRugby SA’s best network behind SA’s best team.

Melanie Forbes Managing Executive: CBU Gauteng Vodacom

www.lionsrugby.co.za

Photos: by DeonvanderMerwe. co.za

LIONS REACH A NEW PINNACLE

By Wim van der Berg THE EMIRATES LIONS are in unchartered waters when they run onto the field against the Highlanders today.

Never in the past has the Lions as a team progressed this far in a Super match since the Sanzaar professional competition was introduced in 1996.

Last year, in finishing eighth out of 15 teams, the Lions as a franchise reached their (then) best position in the competition.

They also won the Currie Cup last year in what proved to be one of their best years since 1993 based on performances. It was clear that this was

www.lionsrugby.co.za

a side in the making that would compare with the best Transvaal and the Lions had produced over 126 years.

Then, this Super Rugby season, they fulfilled this promise. They finished second on the log, scored the most tries (71), and the most points (535) and had the biggest points difference (186). They were, with the Hurricanes, also tops with the number of tries bonus points collected (seven) and outside backs Courtnall Skosan, Lionel Mapoe and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, with nine tries and Ruhan Combrinck (eight) underlined the exciting running game played by the Lions.

The top try-scorers in the competition were Israel Folau (Waratahs, 11) and Damian McKenzie (Chiefs, 10). ♦ Yes, the Lions have indeed won a Super Rugby competition. It was the amateur Super 10, the forerunner of the professional Super 12 and what followed, in an exciting final against Auckland in 1993. The score was 20-17.

However, that was a straight final between the two top sides in the two pools of the amateur Super 10 competition. No semi-finals were played.

There were only five sides in a pool – three from South Africa – which meant a maximum of two matches overseas and two at home before the final.

Not that it was an easy competition.

Some of the greats of the All Blacks and

• 13

Wallabies played for their unions in the tournament, as did the national Samoan side. The Transvaal side, in particular, as well as Northern Transvaal and Western Province of South Africa fielded teams that resembled a Who’s Who of South African rugby.

Incidentally, the present CEO of the GLRU Rudolf Straeuli, captained Transvaal when they faced Queensland (now the Reds) in the competition’s 1995 final.

Transvaal and the Gauteng Lions played in the 1997/’98 tournaments respectively when only the top four in the Currie Cup represented South Africa in the following year’s Super 12.

This obviously precluded any continuity in planning and training. In an attempt to rectify these shortcomings, among others, it was decided that the Lions and the Free State would field a combined side called the Cats.

The Cats’ matches were played in Bloemfontein and in Johannesburg and a lack of a home base and home support obviously was not ideal.

They finished bottom of the 12 sides in 1998, 11th the following year and played in the semi-final which they lost to the Brumbies, 5-28, in 2000. After another losing semi-final against the Sharks in 2001, they moved down to the bottom or thereabouts and remained there until 2007, when the new Super 14 accommodated both the Lions and the Cheetahs.

EMIRATES LIONS

15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 Ruan Ackermann 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel (capt.)

5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Dylan Smith

Replacements:

16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corné Fourie 18 Jacques van Rooyen 19 Lourens Erasmus 20 Steph de Witt 21 Dillon Smit 22 Howard Mnisi 23 Jaco van der Walt Coaches: Johan Ackermann (Head Coach) Swys de Bruin (Assistant Coach) JP Ferreira (Assistant Coach) 30 JULY 2016 Referee: Jaco Peyper

AR1: Ben O’Keefe

PULSE ENERGY HIGHLANDERS

15 Ben Smith (capt) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Matt Faddes 12 Malakai Fekitoa 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Luke Whitelock 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Tom Franklin 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Ash Dixon 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown

Replacements:

16 Greg Pleasants-Tate 17 Aki Seiuli 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Wheeler 20 Liam Squire 21 Dan Pryor 22 Te Aihe Toma 23 Marty Banks Coaches: Jamie Joseph (Head Coach) Tony Brown (Assistant Coach) Scott McLeod (Assistant Coach) KICK-OFF: 15:00 AR 2: AJ Jacobs

TMO: Shaun Veldsman

ROAD TO THE SEMI-FINAL

Photos by Deon van der Merwe

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THE XEROX GOLDEN LIONS 2016 CURRIE CUP FIXTURES The Xerox Golden Lions will, like all eight competitors in the new nine-team Premier Division format of the Currie Cup competition, play four homes matches and four away on alternating weekends.

PREMIER DIVISION FIXTURES August 6 6 vs Griquas - Kimberley 12 vs Boland - Emirates Airline Park 19 vs Blue Bulls - Loftus Versfeld 27 vs Western Province - Emirates Airline Park September 3 vs Free State - Toyota Stadium

The six unions of the franchise sides in the 2016 Super Rugby series will be joined by the top three sides of the non-franchise unions determined by the qualification series over the past three months, i.e. Griquas, the Pumas and Boland.

17 24

vs Sharks - Emirates Airline Park vs Eastern Province - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 30 vs Pumas – Emirates Airline Park October 7 & 8 Semi-finals

Photo by DeonvanderMerwe.co.za

EMIRATES LIONS SUPER RUGBY

FIXTURES AND RESULTS 2016 FEBRUARY 27

Sunwolves vs Emirates Lions 13–26

Tokyo

MARCH 5 12 19

Chiefs vs Emirates Lions 32–36 Highlanders vs Emirates Lions 34–15 Emirates Lions vs Toyota Cheetahs 39–22

Hamilton Dunedin Emirates Airline Park

APRIL 1 9 16 23 30

Emirates Lions vs BNZ Crusaders 37–43 Sharks vs Emirates Lions 9-24 Emirates Lions vs DHL Stormers 29–22 Southern Kings vs Emirates Lions 10–45 Emirates Lions vs Hurricanes 17–50

Emirates Airline Park Kings Park Emirates Airline Park Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Emirates Airline Park

MAY 14 21 28

Emirates Lions vs Blues 43-5 Emirates Lions vs Jaguares 56-20 Vodacom Bulls vs Emirates Lions 24-52

Emirates Airline Park Emirates Airline Park Loftus Versfeld

JULY 2

Emirates Lions vs Sharks 37-10

Emirates Airline Park

8

Emirates Lions vs Southern Kings 57-21

Emirates Airline Park

16

Jaguares vs Emirates Lions 34-22

Buenos Aires

23

Q-F Emirates Lions vs Crusaders 42-25

Emirates Airline Park

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