Latest news with #RenzoduPlessis
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Bok legend Jaque Fourie wants Lions to keep their players as URC ambitions flounder
Renzo du Plessis Renzo du Plessis (left) is one of the youngsters who has caught the eye at the Lions this season. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The sands of time have just about run out for the Lions in the United Rugby Championship's 'Race to Eight', and defence coach Jaque Fourie is concerned that the team are leaking star players such as Edwill van der Merwe, who will join the Sharks next season. The Johannesburg side host the Scarlets at Ellis Park on Sunday (3pm kick-off), and finish their URC league campaign the following week with a home fixture against the Ospreys. The Lions need the maximum 10 points from these last two games to have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, but they are hanging on to a slender straw. The highest points tally the Lions can hope for on the final log is 45, and no side has ever qualified for the URC playoffs with that tally. Fourie, a Springbok legend as a feisty outside centre, is worried about his team going forward. The latest Lions export to the Sharks is flying winger Van der Merwe, and Fourie is not happy that the talented back has chosen not to stay in Johannesburg. This has also been the case with other Durban-bound Lions stars in brothers Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka, flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse and prop Ruan Dreyer. 'We have to try to keep our talent here and ensure that all the players in the group improve,' Fourie said ahead of Sunday's match. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'It was difficult to lose experienced senior men such as Willem Alberts and Jaco Kriel in the past few seasons, and now Edwill. 'The Lions must retain the right group of players for the next few seasons, to some extent, as happened in 2013,' said Fourie. The Bok great is referring to the era when the Lions built a brilliant team under coaches Johan Ackerman and Swys de Bruin and won their way to three Super Rugby finals. This was between 2016 and 2018. 'There are a few young players like flank Renzo du Plessis, who have come to the fore this season. Hopefully we can produce a few more Springboks in the next two, three seasons, but we must keep them,' Fourie told Netwerk24. The Lions are struggling in 13th position on the log, and while the game is surely up in terms of the playoffs, Fourie says the team must soldier on. 'There were some really good performances, and then games that we didn't expect to lose,' he said. 'There were three or four games that we should have won. Then our position on the points table would have looked much better. 'We would love to have been in a position at this stage of the season where we have a good chance of qualifying. Instead, we just have to win and hope.'
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Lions end losing streak with vital URC victory over Connacht
Renzo du Plessis Renzo du Plessis (left) sparked the Lions into life and scored their first try against Connacht. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The Lions finally had reason to smile again after a 26-7 win over Irish visitors Connacht in their United Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park yesterday. The Johannesburg side ended a five-match losing streak, and welcomed back midfield ace Henco van Wyk, who has been stand-out in an up-and-down season that has been more down than up of late. But even he struggled to spark this match to life. That honour went to youngster Renzo du Plessis, who scored the opening try of the game in the 13th minute of a match that was a slow burner till very late on. Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter missed his conversion attempt. The Lions started the match in steady enough fashion, without being spectacular. It was a cagey affair in the first stanza. The Lions were coming off an error-strewn few matches and seemed determined to err on the side of caution. They did manage to keep the error count down, but seemed to sacrifice any sense of adventure to achieve that. The visitors, for their part, also looked a far cry from the team that almost snatched a late victory against the Stormers last week in a thrilling encounter in Cape Town. They did not look like the had the firepower or the ambition to break down an organised Lions defence. Wolhuter extended the home side's lead with a penalty from in front of the post. He landed another to make the halftime score 11-0. Another penalty early in second half from Wolhuter made the score 14-0. The game still lacked spark, however. Du Plessis picked up a yellow card for tripping a Connacht player. The Irish side thought they had scored from the rolling maul off a lineout, but the try was ruled out for an infringement in the maul. Lions speedster Edwill van der Merwe also thought he had scored in the 59th minute after a break down the wing. That try was ruled out for head contact by a Lions player in a tackle in the build-up. The Lions eventually breached the Connacht line again via a JC Pretorius try after some slick interplay. Wolhuter again missed the conversion attempt to make it 19-0. Connacht replacement scrumhalf Colm O'Riley was stretched off injured after landing awkwardly in a tackle. Connacht set up rolling maul in the 72nd minute, but the Lions defence stood firm until Eoin de Buitlear barged over the whitewash. The conversion was good. Ace outside centre Henco van Wyk recovered from an injury and was included in the Lions team to face Connacht. Image: BackpagePix Nico Steyn had the ball knocked out of his hand when it looked for all money like he would score over the Connacht tryline after brilliant work from winger Richard Kriel had set him up. Van der Merwe was unlucky again when he just failed to hang onto the ball after a kick chase. The Lions scrummed strongly to win the penalty. It was a case of third time lucky for Sharks-bound Van der Merwe, who chased down his own kick and dotted down, and Lubabalo Dobela slotted the conversion.
Irish Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Connacht suffer worst away defeat of season to Lions in South Africa
URC: Emirates Lions 26 Connacht 7 Connacht suffered their worst away defeat of the season, losing to a struggling South African outfit Emirates Lions in this URC basement battle in Johannesburg. 'We did not show the best side of ourselves,' said captain Cian Prendergast. 'Not smart with the ball, not smart with our energy management in the Highveld. The tour sums our season.' The home side, having dictated the opening half, were first to score after 13 minutes. Dominating the early exchanges, it was their pack, as expected, which led the charge through their set piece, giving them sufficient front-foot ball. On an advantage, the home side recycled the ball and eventually flanker Renzo du Plessis slipped through a porous cover to score. READ MORE Connacht, with few opportunities to attack, were unable to make a dent on the scoreline as they struggled on an unusually heavy pitch in the Highveld. Connacht did well to stymie another possible Lions try just before the break with solid defence of a rolling maul, but a penalty from outhalf Kade Wolhuter kept the home side in the driving seat, adding a second penalty from the scrum with Wolhuter stretching the lead to 11. Connacht turned around in the second half and immediately took some control, winning a penalty with Lions' flanker Du Plessis yellow carded. And when Dylan Tierney Martin touched down from driving maul, Connacht looked to have turned the corner, but the try was denied by a technical infringement in the preceding maul. By the 60th minute and Connacht still scoreless, the Lions struck again through leftwing Edwill van der Merwe, but it was also struck out due a previous high tackle on David Hawkshaw by centre Henco Van Wyk. It made little difference for Connacht, who continued to struggle with both physicality of their opponents and the environment, leaking a second try when number eight Jarod Cairns delivered to flanker JC Pretorious who stretched the lead to 19-0. There was no coming back for Connacht when they leaked a third, scored by Van Der Merwe, their late try by Eoin de Buitlear of little consolation. Shayne Bolton of Connacht makes a run. Photograph: Christiaan Kotze/Steve Haag Sports/Inpho 'A big blow to hopes,' says coach Cullie Tucker. 'We were aiming to get four or five points, still technically in the hunt. Lineout, ruck and attack – those three areas were not as good and it affected our ability to build pressure. Giving away too many penalties in the first half. 'Frustrated with the result and performance, not the group. Altitude was a factor, but we could have managed it a bit better.' Emirates Lions: Q Horn, R Kriel, H Van Wyk, B Mills, E Van Der Merwe, K Wolhuter, M Van Den Berg; M Naude, J Visagie, A Ntlabakanye, R Schoeman, R Delport, JC Pretorius, R Du Plessis, J Cairns. Replacements: PJ Botha, for Visagie and RF Schoeman for Ntlabakanye (both 67 mins), D Landsberg, I Esterhuizen, N Steyn for Van Den Berg (56 mins), R Jonker for Van Wyk (63 mins), L Dobela for P Jonker. Yellow card: R Du Plessis (49 mins). Connacht: P O'Conor, S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, C Forde, S Jennings, J Carty, M Devine, P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier, J Murphy, J Joyce, C Prendergast (capt), C Oliver, S Jansen. Replacements: P Boyle for Jansen (14 mins), S Cordero for O'Conor (HT), H Gavin for Carty (46 mins), O Dowling for Joyce and S Illo for Aungier (52 mins), E de Buitlear for Tierney-Martin and Duggan for Dooley (61 mins), C Reilly for Forde (66 mins). Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).
