Under-19s ready for the double-round challenge

June 4 - The Lions Under-19-side will be ready for action when the Absa tournament starts on July 9. The Lions’ first match will be against the Leopards in Potchefstroom. By then, says head coach Koos Ehlers, the team will have played a number of practice games against local clubs’ junior sides, and also a match against defending champions Free State. As early as March the Under-19s also had a run against the visiting French regional sides that visited South Africa. The very experienced Ehlers  has been pout in charge of the youngsters. He has extensive experience with the former Rand Afrikaanse Universiteit and University of Johannesburg also has provincial coaching experience at Transvaal and the Valke. “It’s going well. We at present have a group of 31 players, some of them contracted by the Lions and some not, and are continually looking for more players with promise at the clubs. “I’m confident that we will field a strong side – and although there is still much work to be done, we’ll be ready for the first match in five weeks’ time,” Ehlers said. The Absa Under-19 competition will this year be played over two full rounds. This necessitates a bigger squad and more depth – but Ehlers is confident they have what it takes to take up the new challenges of the competition. The Lions’ first two matches will be away. After the Leopards the young Lions travel to Cape Town to play Western Province. The first home game will be on July 31 against the Blue Bulls and is scheduled for Coca-Cola Park. The Lions played in last year’s under-19 final – an although a player like Jaco Taute still qualifies to play for the Under-19 side, Ehlers does not expect him to be available for the Under-19 competition. Taute, of course, played Currie Cup rugby last year when he was still at school at Hoërskool Monument, and this year played Super 14 rugby for the Lions.