Cape Town — There was more drama in the embattled Lions’ camp on Thursday after a scheduled team announcement and press conference were cancelled ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Glasgow Warriors.
The Johannesburg side have been having a rough time of it on and off the field in recent months, with a chaotic trip to France highlighted by the players reportedly having to eat hotdogs in Paris and do their own laundry near their hotel before facing Stade Francais in the Challenge Cup.
The Lions also had to play that match in their training jerseys — and had to ask Stade for assistance in having their numbers printed on the back — as their usual match jerseys were not available, and they subsequently lost 17-7.
Head coach Ivan van Rooyen and the rest of the management team have also been given ratings — most of which were low — by the players in a survey conducted by the MyPlayers organisation.
Coach Ivan van Rooyen’s side are languishing in 14th position on the URC log with 24 points after recording just five victories in 13 matches, and need to beat Glasgow to regain some confidence after going down 29-7 to the Sharks at Ellis Park last weekend.
On Thursday, the Lions were due to name the team for the Glasgow match at Ellis Park on Saturday (4.15pm kickoff) at 12.30pm, and host a press conference with a coach and prop Ruan Dreyer.
That was then pushed out to 1.30pm as the players were still training, before the delay extended to about 2.30pm, when the media were informed that the press conference would no longer be taking place — but that the match-23 would still be announced.
Just before 4pm, journalists were told that Van Rooyen would only name the team on Friday.
Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli told IOL Sport this week that he had addressed the tour issues, and was awaiting the MyPlayers report.
“I am aware of all the problems that were on tour,” the former Springbok coach and loose forward said.
“We had the tour wash-up (a debrief) afterwards, and I am confident I know of all the stuff that happened there. I’ve dealt with that. We had a jersey problem, and there were some other problems that did happen, but I have sorted it out.
“On November 15, a MyPlayers sports psychologist and fitness assessment survey was done on about 53 players.
“MyPlayers does it with every franchise. It is not targeted at us because there is unhappiness within the union.
“On December 14, the preliminary results were shared with the head coach and some of the management… That report I have not received from MyPlayers.
“When I do receive that report, I will not sweep anything that is in it underneath the carpet. I have spoken to MyPlayers (CEO) Eugene Henning and he will give me that feedback. As soon as I have it, I will react to that.
“I have asked (Henning) to come back to me as quickly as possible.
“Dirty laundry would make any fan unhappy to read about, but I cannot react now to say if it is true or untrue. But I will get to the bottom of it. I am not going to leave it just there or sweep it under the carpet.
“It is concerning, but if there is criticism, it must be taken in the right light. I am not going to say that this is correct or incorrect.
“It is not a witch-hunt. I am not going out there to be suspicious of any of my staff — either the coaches or the players.
“I’ve got junior players from 19 to senior players in their 30s that come into my office on a regular basis, so I do not think (communications) is a problem.
“I would love to have any input where we are not structurally or operationally doing well. We have our challenges.”
IOL Sport