Bulls, Lions out to bury off-field woes in crucial Currie Cup clash

The Lions have moved their next two games after dismal crowd attendance, while the Bulls are blaming their load for about 20 injuries. The Lions and Bulls will both want an emphatic win in their Currie Cup clash on Saturday to put their off-field issues behind them. The teams meet at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Stadium in the suburb of Westdene after the Lions drew less than 1,000 spectators at the 62,000-capacity Ellis Park during their 52-19 victory over the Pumas last week. That, despite a R40 ticket price. Lions lure but a few Failure to draw crowds at the stadium in the crime-affected inner city has been an enduring problem for the Joburg union. Their temporary fix is to play the next two Currie Cup matches at UJ Stadium. However, even if these events attract huge audiences, as Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli hopes, he told Rugby 365 that they will return to Ellis Park for the All Blacks fixture on 25 August and the Stormers Currie Cup match on 28 August, renewing efforts to draw crowds “through strategic marketing and collaborations”. He said Ellis Park would always be the Lions’ home. The back-to-back runners-up bounced back well after their 29-27 defeat to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in the first round, which they lost closely despite fielding 13 debutants. They are third on the log and already look like hot contenders along with the Cheetahs and Boland Cavaliers. Likhona Finca and Junior Boks players, fullback Gilermo Mentoe and scrumhalf Asad Moos, are players to watch. Bulls blame injury crisis on load The Bulls, meanwhile, sit bottom of the table after a 24-10 defeat to Boland in Wellington and a 56-26 loss to Griquas in Kimberley. They have an injury list of nearly 20 players as they prepare for their third away fixture. Latest casualties include captain Nama Xaba, Shaun Schuurmann and PA van Niekerk, who are out for the rest of the campaign. Coach Phiwe Nomlomo complained that trying to run three squads simultaneously (Currie Cup, U20 tournament and team to face the All Blacks) was a key cause of their injury woes. Still, he could only prepare as best he could for the next fixture, with former Springbok Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg taking the captain’s armband. A number of Junior Boks players will make their debuts for the Bulls. “Please don’t remind the Lions that they lost in the [U23] final [to us],” he quipped. “This team won, that team lost. This is the Currie Cup. Different campaign altogether. I think it comes with different challenges.” He said preparation had focused on correcting errors that cost the team against Griquas. “I thought we were naive at times in how we put ourselves in good places. We didn’t finish,” Nomlomo said. “The biggest thing that we’re focusing on this week is just ourselves. The Lions will obviously bring a strong side, and they also want to get their season going.” Nomlomo also pushed back on the suggestion that the 23 title should have translated into a stronger start to the Currie Cup, pointing instead to the depth advantage enjoyed by sides that progressed through the SA Cup, such as the Griquas.