Lions squad dissection:

The Lions have been on a downward spiral since Johan Ackermann left and took all his star players with him to England. I believe that it would be the same this year after they lost most of their experienced players. Hopefully the new coach will help turn around their spiral and use the same method Ackermann did by just letting every player do what they do best and trusting the player next to them. If he is able to make them a superstar team with ordinary players they might reach the same heights they did 2 seasons ago or even go one better. It will be the upset of the comp, but Ackermann did it lets see if van Rooyen can do the same.

Players to look out for:

Elton Jantjies: He might not be the best overall flyhalf but i believe it is because they are playing him in the wrong position he should move to inside center. They have another young flyhalf and last year they played a bit of him at 10 and Elton at 12 and that was when they looked at their best. Elton is a very inventive player but he is not good when he has to run the game they should play him where he don’t need to think and can just play what is in front of him. I know it might seems like I am saying he does not have a good rugby brain, but sometimes the best players goes of instinct and if you have to run the game you must think and can’t go of instincts.

Wandisile Simelane: This guy first grabbed my attention at the u/20 World Cup where he was the only South-African that actually impressed me. If they play Shaun Reynolds at 10 Elton Jantjies at 12 an him at 13 they will have one of the most exciting backlines in the whole comp. He is very fast and elusive and I believe one for the future of South-African rugby. He will become one of the springbok legends they tell stories about when he reaches his full potential.

Jannie du Plessis: He is another one of the South-African players coming back to the country of their birth. He just finished a stint at Montpellier with his brother and now signed for the Lions. He will help them in the scrums and will be able to take on any loosehead scruming against him. He will also share allot of his experience with the rest of the team and teach the prop’s his tricks of the trade so look for the Lions to use the scrum as an asset.

New players in the franchise:

Jannie du Plessis (Prop), Marko Janse van Rensburg (Hooker), Pieter Jansen (Hooker), Nathan McBeth (Prop), Reinhard Nothnagel (Lock), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Prop), Carlü Sadie (Prop), Ruben Schoeman (Lock), Roelof Smit (Flanker), Wilhelm van der Sluys (Lock), Frans van Wyk (Prop), Ruan Vermaak (Lock), Dan Kriel (Center), Duncan Matthews (Utility back), James Mollentze (Utility back), Stean Pienaar (Utility back), Mannie Rass (Center), Tiaan Swanepoel (Utility back), Jamba Ulengo (Wing), Louritz van der Schyff (Center), André Warner (Halfback0.

Players that left the franchise:

Jacobie Adriaanse, Danie Mienie, Malcolm Marx, Lourens Erasmus, Robert Kruger, Kwagga Smith, Warren Whiteley, Nic Groom, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Ruan Combrinck, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Madosh Tambwe, Sylvian Mahuza.