By Ken Borland
JOHANNESBURG Feb 22 (Reuters) – Possible relegation from
Super Rugby will be the strongest driving force for South
Africa’s five franchises in 2012, with the Lions and Cheetahs
most in danger of extinction.
While the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks all have enough
pedigree to make winning the tournament their priority, for the
Lions and Cheetahs – who have just seven top-10 finishes between
them in the 16 years of the SANZAR competition – it will be a
desperate battle for survival.
The Eastern Cape-based Southern Kings have won promotion
into Super Rugby next year in the South African Rugby UnioN
(SARU) boardroom, meaning one of the current five franchises
will have to make way for them.
The “big five” have called on SARU to prevent any of them
being dropped by convincing SANZAR to make it a 16-team
competition, but they are unlikely to win that battle with
contracts signed with broadcasters and franchises through to the
end of 2015.
The Johannesburg-based Lions managed a fairytale domestic
Currie Cup triumph last year, but are currently in the midst of
a financial crisis and a lack of top-class players could count
against them in the more competitive and demanding southern
hemisphere tournament.
Elton Jantjies, 21, emerged as a slick flyhalf who served a
fluent backline well in last year’s Currie Cup, but he and
veterans Butch James (flyhalf) and CJ van der Linde (prop) are
the only current Springboks in the Lions squad.
Lions coach John Mitchell is in a typically defiant mood,
however.
“Our only concern is ourselves and our environment, not what
other people are saying. We’re just interested in our goals as a
team, we’re familiar with each other and that’s something I
believe we can bank on,” the former All Blacks coach said on
Wednesday.
Continued…
