The uncomfortable truths lurking in the Ellis Park hallways

OPINION: There are many fairy tales that I react to differently as an adult than when I was a child.

One of the starkest examples is Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes.

As a child, I thought it was hilarious.

A bunch of adults pretending to see a set of invisible clothes? These people are stupid!

However, reading this story as an adult, it has a very different connotation.

Honestly, adults are supposed to get it.

We get how a whole room of people could be so terrified to look stupid or lose their jobs that they say nothing, even when we’re all silently thinking the same thing.

Clearly, this fairy tale has some substance to it and a very universal message.

And like the Emperor’s clothes, that message is quite transparent in its importance.

When the fear of being ostracised is hanging in the balance, the motivation to conform and join the groupthink can be overpowering, especially when people on both sides of you are joining in the lie.

It’s easy to see how fear of rejection can lead adults to say something they know isn’t true to spare themselves from rocking the boat.

Even the chamberlains at the end of the story are so dedicated to keeping their jobs that they continue the charade, even when an entire crowd is shouting the truth.

In the case of the Lions, the emperor is owner Altmann Allers, a man of vast fortune and influence, but also someone who is not willing to fork out the funds needed to acquire top-notch players to boost the team’s prospects for better results.

And it seems that decisions made by top management are never questioned by the coaching staff, and they operate in a scenario where they mostly get told what to do.

The scenario at the Lions is all too familiar by now.

They have moments of pure brilliance, but every season they fail to deliver.

Currently in 13th position in the United Rugby Championship standings – this from a side that won their opening four games and looked to be a top-four team – they are unlikely to finish much higher in their final week of regular competition.

Many a scribe and rugby pundit has attempted to uncover the dramatic and sometimes spectacular demise of the Lions every season.

Let’s just throw some obvious questions out there.

Why did they let Sanele Nohamba – South Africa’s URC Player of the Tournament and the Lions’ Player of the Year – go when he was the only game driver they had?

Why are they getting rid of Springbok wing Edwill van der Merwe, and who will replace him?

@rugby365com can reveal that Sharks wing Eduan Keyter is the man stepping into Van der Merwe’s boots.

Since joining the Sharks in 2022, the wing has struggled with a serious ACL injury.

He has featured in just 25 matches for the Sharks.

Keyter arrived at Ellis Park Stadium for his medicals on crutches. He is still in rehab and could make his Lions debut in the Currie Cup.

Why do they always seem to contract injured players when the very expensive rehabilitation is at the Lions’ cost?

Another example of this is Kade Wolhuter, who joined on loan from the Stormers in September 2023 but only featured in his first game for the Lions in January 2024 and has since had multiple setbacks through injuries.

New additions who arrived in Johannesburg injured include Keyter, WJ Steenkamp (broken leg), and Sebastian Lombard (pectoral muscle tear) from the Bulls, as well as Juan Schoeman (achilles) from Bath.

So let’s talk about money.

It is common knowledge that the spectator numbers at Ellis Park have declined dramatically over the last few years, mainly due to the dangerous setting of the iconic stadium as well as the poor results of the team.

It is understood that Ellis Park is struggling to sell any membership packages these days.

Due to the South African Rugby Union’s new Test match model, it does not include the Test match tickets, while it also excludes all play-offs in the URC and  Challenge Cup.

The Lions are in their fourth straight season of not making the top eight, and the sixth straight season of no success under coach Ivan van Rooyen.

Other URC sides would have had little appetite for such failures – in fact, three Irish sides have replaced their coaches this season alone, with much less fanfare or reason to do so.

Van Rooyen’s record in the URC over four seasons of just 33 wins from 70 matches isn’t one to boast about.

The Lions will take a break following their URC clash against the Ospreys this weekend.

@rugby365com