Springboks prop Dreyer heads home to Super Rugby after lacklustre Gloucester spell
Springboks prop Ruan Dreyer has confirmed a return to the Lions in Johannesburg 13 days after Gloucester announced he would be leaving Kingsholm following the departure of the head coach, fellow South African Johan Ackermann.
Capped four times in 2017, 29-year-old tighthead Dreyer made the move to England the following year. However, his appearances at the Gallagher Premiership club were limited and he is now heading back to his former Super Rugby club to try and revive his fortunes.
In a short video message posted on the Lions’ Twitter page, Dreyer said: “I’m really excited to return. Me and my family really missed the Lions.
“We have missed Jo’burg and we really miss spending time at Emirates Airline Park. We are very excited to return back home, just to make you guys proud again, and hopefully we can fill up the stadium quite soon again.”
Confirmation that Dreyer has sorted out his future is further confirmation that the South African influence at Gloucester, the 2019 Premiership semi-finalists, is very much on the wane following the untimely exit of Ackermann, especially in the pack.
He might still be packing up his life in England, but @dreyer_ruan sent us a quick message about re-joining his #LionsFamily ? pic.twitter.com/aEIgp83C1h
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) July 9, 2020
Locks Franco Mostert and Gerbrandt Grobler, along with hooker Franco Marais, have also all left the club thrown unto turmoil by Ackermann’s decision to quit for a stint in the Japanese Top League, a departure soon followed by the exit of David Humphreys, the long-serving director of rugby who had appointed Ackermann in 2017 in succession to Laurie Fisher.
Dreyer appeared in successive Super Rugby finals, losing to the Crusaders in 2017 on a team coached by Ackermann and again in 2018 under Swys du Bruin. His first cap came against France in June 2017 under Allister Coetzee but he didn’t get a look in under Rassie Erasmus who guided the Springboks to World Cup glory last November before handing the reins to Jacques Nienaber.
Warning shot https://t.co/Rd7iRQXajK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 9, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments