Lions in recruitment overdrive
TRANSFER NEWS: Not only is veteran Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis in their Super Rugby tour squad, but the Lions have confirmed the signing of another seasoned player.
Bok loose forward Willem Alberts signed on the dotted line on Monday.
And a spokesman for the Lions also confirmed to @rugby365com that they are in negotiations with loose forward Jaco Kriel.
Alberts, 35, has played 43 Tests for South Africa.
He has signed with the Lions from Stade Français, where he played 80-odd games since 2015.
He played 77 games for the Lions in Currie Cup and Super Rugby, before joining the Sharks in 2010 and made 73 appearances for the Durban-based franchise.
A bicep injury delayed the confirmation of his arrival, but he finally put pen to paper.
The Lions have lost the services of a host of senior players – like Jacobie Adriaanse (retired), Robbie Coetzee (Japan), Malcolm Marx (sabbatical in Japan), Albertus Smith (sabbatical in Japan), Warren Whiteley (coaching), Lionel Mapoe (to Stade Français) and Ruan Combrinck (to Stade Français).
They are in dire need of some experience, hence the ongoing talks to lure Kriel (more than 100 games for the Lions and 11 Tests) back from Gloucester.
The Lions get their 2020 campaign underway when they face the Jaguares, losing finalists in 2019, in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
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