OPINION: Why can’t the Lions buy experience?

During their disappointing 35-22 defeat against the Bulls in their United Rugby Championship (URC) cross-Jukskei derby at Ellis Park last weekend, the Lions were shown how incredibly important an experienced bench is.

Although the hosts led by a point at halftime, the Bulls were able to deploy current Springboks Willie le Roux and Canan Moodie, as well as former Boks Nizaam Carr and Akker van der Merwe during the second half, which turned the tide of the match overwhelmingly in the visitors’ favour.

After the match Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen was questioned on the impact of the Bulls bench and readily admitted that it made the difference, explaining that you can’t buy experience.

“It’s obviously difficult to speed up learning with 205 caps, I think that was the Bulls’ caps today (Saturday). Bok caps was about 205,” said van Rooyen.

“Bringing Willie off the bench, you see the big difference he made, Canan (Moodie) made a big difference. You can’t buy experience immediately. So we have to stick to what we want to and make sure everybody aligns with what we want to do.”

But the question has to be asked, why can’t the Lions buy experience?

All the other franchise teams are doing it, just take the Bulls bench, Le Roux, Carr and Van Der Merwe were all brought in from overseas as already experienced players.

Even in their starting lineup players like Marcell Coetzee, Wilco Louw and Harold Vorster (the only non Bok), were all also brought in from overseas with extensive experience.

Feeder team

But the Lions unfortunately seem to be more of a feeder team for other franchises as their exciting young up and coming talents emerge at the union, impress over a few years and are then snapped up.

You could write a book about the number of talented Lions players who have left the union over the past decade, but just looking to the recent past, exciting youngsters such as Wandisile Simelane, Hacjivah Dayimani, Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka, Carlu Sadie and Jordan Hendrikse have left over the last few seasons.

It isn’t just the youngsters that leave, however, as the Lions also seem to lose experienced players like when former captain Burger Odendaal left for Wasps a few seasons ago, while this season it looks like current captain Marius Louw will be on his way out.

Last season’s URC player of the season, Sanele Nohamba, is also reportedly heading for Japan, while it is still up in the air if Francke Horn will stick around or also head off for greener pastures.

Basically, the Lions will never be able to have an experienced, settled squad, if they can’t hold onto their players, and buy experience where they need it.

Although Johannesburg isn’t a very attractive place for top class rugby players, it is the financial capital of South Africa and there are surely plenty of businesses and people eager to invest in rugby here, so the Lions should have no excuse about not having enough investment.

The Sharks have Marco Masotti and his MVM Holdings, the Bulls have Patrice Motsepe and Johan Rupert, and the Stormers have the Red Disa Consortium. The Lions really need to sort themselves out and get on board with their own major investor, or get left behind … if they aren’t already.