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January 9 - The MTN Lions started their preparations for the Vodacom Super Rugby season on Monday – and there was the good news that all the players are fit barring odd niggles here and there.
The Lions will have a full seven weeks before they kick off their first fixture in the competition against the Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park on February 25. However, coach John Mitchell will have three warm-up matches in which to determine his best combinations when newcomers to the squad show their potential in the following weeks in an effort to break into the side that won the Currie Cup.
It will be an extraordinarily hard season for the Lions – as indeed for all the other sides in the Super Rugby competition. There is a break of four weeks between June 2 and June 29 as the three Sanzar countries involved in the Super Rugby competition play their incoming tour fixtures, where South Africa will be up against England in three Tests on June 9 (Durban), June 16 (Coca-Cola Park) and June 23 (Port Elizabeth).
The All Blacks play three Tests at home against Ireland on the same dates, while the Wallabies play four – three against Wales on June 9, 16 and 23 and also a Test against Scotland on June 5, only four days before their first clash against Wales.
While the new Springbok coach will therefore have only a week to prepare the national side between June 2 and the first Test on June 9, the Lions players not involved in the Test series could perhaps be given a few days off from training during the 28-day break in Super Rugby fixtures.
The Lions play the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park just before the break on June 2 and then resume their Super Rugby campaign against the Stormers in Cape Town on June 30, with the Rebels (in Johannesburg) and the Bulls (away) to follow as their last two matches.
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