Bosman breathes some life into White
20 Mar 2006
Springbok coach Jake White will be breathing easier after Meyer Bosman’s display against the Stormers.
Bosman was the shining light in the weekend’s Vodacom Super 14 matches and eased the woes around the flyhalf position.
White has admitted on several occasions during the past fortnight that the flyhalf situation was a concern, especially with Andre Pretorius not having played because of injury and Jaco van der Westhuyzen only expected to play in a fortnight. Bosman had been erratic up until Saturday’s clinical display against the Stormers. The young Bok flyhalf had mixed the good with the ordinary in his previous matches, but on Saturday he showed the calmness of an old pro and the touches that saw White draft him into the Bok test side, despite him never having started a senior match for Free State.
Bosman’s performance with the boot and his general display will give White comfort and will probably ensure greater investment in the 21 year-old utility back.
Peter Grant, at the Stormers, has offered solidity and not much more. On Saturday he produced his worst display of the season, was substituted at halftime and then made to watch as Naas Olivier’s willingness to attack the gain line started to give the Stormers backs an edge. Bet on Olivier or Van der Westhuyzen (if he does eventually make it to the Stormers) starting at No 10 on the overseas trip.
Derick Hougaard has been outstanding with his goalkicking at Loftus. Hougaard has goaled 21 from 22 in his last three matches. His defence has been good, but he still doesn’t do enough on attack to keep the defence guessing. Hougaard will play for South Africa if White decides a kicking game is what will win him the World Cup. It is a big IF because White has never been a Hougaard fan. Hougaard will find that he is still low on the list of flyhalf candidates with White preferring Van der Westhuyzen, Pretorius, Bosman, Percy Montgomery and even Jean de Villiers as options.
Talking of De Villiers. He started to look good once Olivier moved to flyhalf, while Schalk Burger was definitely more effective playing at No 8. Schalk Brits’s general play was once again good. He is a fantastic footballer, as shown with his try, but he still let himself down early on with some erratic throwing in at the lineout. White again is not a great fan of Brits’s and has pin pointed flaws in his basics as a hooker. Any opinion is subjective. White is right that Brits can improve certain basics, but he is wrong to ignore the obvious talent of this guy. He does add a dimension to any team’s attack.
Among the Cheetahs, Juan Smith was the best until forced from the field with injury. And the prognosis on him did not appear good, while Os du Randt had a big game at Newlands.
Other individuals to play well were JP Pietersen (Sharks fullback), the Ndungane brothers, Bryan Habana (even if he still gets exposed when coming in off his wing), Craig Davidson, Victor Matfield, John Smit and AJ Venter. As a team effort, none beat the Sharks who really got their act together. Credit to the coaching staff and to the influence of senior players Smit and Venter. The latter has been in fine form all tour, while Smit emphasised his class with his first start of the season.
There was very little to get excited about in the Cats 43-15 defeat against the Crusaders. Wikus van Heerden got through an enormous amount of slog and grind, but then he always does and Klein-Jan Tromp had a decent first half before injury forced him out of the tour. Gerhard Vosloo showed commitment and so did the entire team for an hour. But then the class of the Crusaders took control of the battered Cats and the last quarter was always going to be one-sided for the Crusaders and messy for the Cats.
Venter, Smith and Smit are Keo.co.za’s three forwards of the weekend, while Pietersen and Bosman were the pick of the backs. What will please White is that in round six, several of his prominent Boks have started to show form after being too quiet in the early rounds.
PS: Tony Brown was very good against his former Highlanders teammates, but our focus is on South African players.
74 Comments
20 Mar 2006, 07:43 am
He kicks like Hougaard and is bigger and stronger than Grant and Steyn.
This boy will be the complete package by the end of this year. Needs a Gysie to teach him about getting his backline away – but he is ready for it.
20 Mar 2006, 07:44 am
keo is this the same Bosman that you were writing off?
20 Mar 2006, 07:46 am
Indeed it is: I still don’t know if he has what it takes to be the Bok No 10, but to refuse to acknowledge his performance on Saturday would be a bit insular, blinkered and bliksemish.
20 Mar 2006, 07:52 am
it’s amazing how only the cheetah fans rate their own players. every cheetah fan knew that bosman has got something special and he’s starting to prove this point.
20 Mar 2006, 07:55 am
Go Bosman!!! Maak die Cheetahs almal Bokke!!!
20 Mar 2006, 07:56 am
SA need fly-halfs, throw the boy in the deep end, get him roughened up, it will do him a world of good and come RWC’07 he will be ready, just imagine, he (Bosman) and Pienaar.
20 Mar 2006, 07:57 am
wpw?
20 Mar 2006, 08:09 am
Whats up? I know, i support the Stormers but i was impressed with this oke. He will prove most ppl wrong, espec those who doubted his selection for the EOYT.
20 Mar 2006, 08:14 am
Sharks forever!
20 Mar 2006, 08:15 am
Bosman had a blinder on Saturday. He beat the Stormers single-handedly.
20 Mar 2006, 08:15 am
wpw,
with you on bosman – he’s average.
Jaco and AP will make the side before him – i think.
A week ago everyone wanted to play De Waal – now Bosman is the best???
20 Mar 2006, 08:16 am
dis nou nie juis of die stormers die beste span in die wereld is nie.
20 Mar 2006, 08:24 am
staal, AP will have to show the same form of last season when he had 1 good game at Ellis Park… Was he not subbed at Newlands test vs AB’s… As for Bosman being average, i think i would rather trust Jake White’s opinion than yours…
20 Mar 2006, 08:27 am
Stormers se go is uit of verbeel ek my. Dit lyk my die ouens kan nog iets regkry as hulle nou begin speel soos hulle Saterdag gespeel het. Die Cheetha’s was goed maar die Stormers het goed gelyk as daai agterlyn aan die gang gekom het. So bietjie gesukkel in die lynstane en skrums maar ek dink die ouens gaan regkom. Hoop hulle begin met Naas die volgende game , Niel sukkel bietjie. Maar dit was nie so sleg nie. Hoop ons kan nou begin bou aan die span
20 Mar 2006, 08:42 am
But the youngster Meyer Bosman was nowhere NEAR as complete a flyhalf as the Sharks NZ reject, Tony Brown, who had to forward his quickly-dwindling professional rugby career in the jumper of a South African S14 franchise largely because none of the five New Zealand S14 franchises wanted his services any longer!
Isn’t THAT a worry? That the young and incumbent Springbok flyhalf is really a whole lot LESS pickworthy than an ageing All Black has-been?
20 Mar 2006, 08:45 am
did not watch this game. When Naas O came on was the scrummy also subbed or not? my ? did grant have the same services at 9 as Naas O?
20 Mar 2006, 08:48 am
Keo, Bosman had a good game in fairly static & mundane game plays. He showed willingness in defense & is a good kicker but no magic in terms of being a game breaker.
I rate him as a good prospect, a sort of more solid version of Hougaard with more BMT, but not imposing. Is he very different in age from Dan Carter because that’s who he would be facing?
20 Mar 2006, 08:48 am
Keo, I see that you can actually say good things about the Sharks these days.
I wouldnt get too excited about Bosman having a great game. Bosman, last weekend, had a good game, but had 10 bad games prior to that. JW wants Bosman to be great, he wants to defend the (In my opinion) dodgy move of selecting Bosman to early in his career. Although I am by NO means a fan of Hougaardt, I feel for him because no matter what he does, JW will look to Bosman.
20 Mar 2006, 08:55 am
Here we go again…One blinder of a match against an South African team on the backfoot and Springbok flyhalf are being written all over him…Meyer Bosman prove yourself against better opposition then maybe I will change my mind…
20 Mar 2006, 08:56 am
He had one great game take nothing away but then again that was against the stormers …… duh what so good about that.
Hougi been playing top form against top teams week after week. Sorry bosman but if u can play every game like u did on saterday then yeah no problem… but u dont.
Thanx keo for showing hougi stats
20 Mar 2006, 08:58 am
Keo are you trying to get into Jake White’s good book ?
20 Mar 2006, 08:59 am
Naas is the Baas!!!! Naas Oliver should become a springbok in a few years time. His name is a good start…
20 Mar 2006, 09:07 am
Os for Bok 10!!!
20 Mar 2006, 09:11 am
Meyer Bosman is an OK number ten, but he’s no Dan Carter. In fact, he’s no Tony Brown.
20 Mar 2006, 09:11 am
Gus Theron for Bok 13 & Rudolf to become Bok coach for the world cup???
20 Mar 2006, 09:15 am
Tackler – you are correct, SA have not had a decent flyhalf since Honiball… If Mertehns didn’t leave Durban then he would have played for the Boks… Mind you who the hell would want to live in Durban anyway
20 Mar 2006, 09:19 am
Charlie , yes i am with you on that one. He played one good game , not played , kick one good game and now he’s a hero. Comeone , he’s not ready for springbok rugby. Look at Derick , he played good rugby so far but he’s never going to get back in the springbok setup because JW don’t want him there. JW will rather go with Percy , Jaco, De Villiers but i don’t think he’s going to let Bosman come in and play bok rugby so soon. Nice to see a youngster kicking like that but what about his attacking abilities defence etc. Seen some nice tackling by tie big man Os , damn you can’t run into this guy , he will break you in half.
20 Mar 2006, 09:31 am
Andre – What the hell is happening with our team?? I am feeling so down
20 Mar 2006, 09:37 am
Tackler with all fiarness, Tony Brown has been around a long long time, Meyor Bosman only a few games in Super 14 and two on tour last year. harldy the right way to make a comparrison.
Must have felt pretty **** that this **** Tony Brown who no one in New Zealand wanted, went on to whip your own boys at the House of Pain LMFAO, Must be worrying that NZ let him go no?
20 Mar 2006, 09:38 am
Keo I agree with you.
For me the following three played impressive rugby:
1) Bosman
2) Naas Olivier and
3) Pietersen
The latter two gave more depth and vuma to the Stormers backline.
This together with the fact that since Bolla was introduced we really played good “catch-up” rugby. He really reads the play well and his long passes has shown a significiant improvement.
In the end Bosman was too well composed. Well done Cheetahs.
20 Mar 2006, 09:53 am
“…after Meyer Bosman’s display against the Stormers.” I think those last three words tell the whoile story, keo. Let’s not start offering the lad oral *** until he shows that he can replicate that form against some decent NZ/Aus-based opposition. SA teams always look good against each other.
20 Mar 2006, 09:57 am
Good news. The Stormers wont loose this weekend and the Cats wont loose next weekend.
Maak die bulle almal boksers!
20 Mar 2006, 10:00 am
wls,
not really, here in NZ once u get the message on the wall, that your AB days are numbered, u are pretty much surplus to requirement in a field of good fly-halfs.
20 Mar 2006, 10:00 am
Thanks Charlie
I have to agree. A good performance against a louzy SA team and he is now bok material. Personally I don’t want derby games cause I don’t rate them as a measure of anything. The only thing i want to see is us beating foreign opposition.
When we have a flyhalf that can put away his backline so that we score tries that win us matches against foreign opposition then i’ll jump for joy.
Jaco is our best option but even his attacking has become a bit subdued after playing for a Japanese team for too long. Remember tri-nations 2004. Jaco had just come back from a sensational time at Leicster. We had the top tri-score in that year, and subsequently won the tri-nations.
Jaco is our man, i just hope our creative genius coaches, coach all the creativeness out of him.
20 Mar 2006, 10:09 am
Why on earth would any NZ selector lose a minute’s of sleep because they let a long-in-the tooth old talented has-been like Tony Brown go to play for the Shawks in the fading light of his career?
There’s no end of decent better-than-Tony NZ number tens lined up after Dan Carter to carry the AB mantle if required! And oF COURSE Tony is a damned fine player! After all, he once wore the esteemed black AB jersey! Doesn’t get much better than that!
20 Mar 2006, 10:11 am
Andre_WP & Mike H,
Believe me, Jake White and his selectors panel use all these derbys mainly as their trial matches to select the Springbok team, and then usually forgets about consistancy throughout the whole Super 14 tournament…
20 Mar 2006, 10:19 am
I agree with Tackler our 10s are below average. We seem to produce mindless flyhalfs who can only stick with the game plan and the agreed moves. Non of our 10s are able to read the game and adjust tactics during the game.
Take Hougard for example in Saturdays game he fell back into the pocket and kicked the best front foot loose ball away. If they ran that ball the bulls had a great change to score. Other instances he tries to run slow balls that should be kicked and places his backs under pressure.
Also can someone explain why the Bulls decided to change their game plan against the Canes who love a running open game?
20 Mar 2006, 10:46 am
Naas Olivier was a revelation after Grant was subbed. How on eath did Cats let him go? Another feather in the cap for Ludicrous.
20 Mar 2006, 10:50 am
Bigg
I have given up on the Stormers this year. But after Saturday’s performance not bad , think we can only go forward from now on. As long as Gus and Werner is not coming back this year.
20 Mar 2006, 10:50 am
Keo,
Agree on Brits, something very special there. Also, a robust flyhalf with a big bott brings alot to the game. Still would prefer if he can get that bok backline away. Our centers are as good, if not better, than anything out there.
Andre_wP,
Yip there’s no bigger tackler when Os, he actually hurts okes when he lines them up, and the best thing they’re all perfectly fair tackles. Pity he isn’t lining up the foreign contingent. One or two tackles from the big man, can swing a game.
20 Mar 2006, 10:50 am
the dude is young, let him develop. we all moan about rudolf destroying hougie at the wc, or mallet destroying gaffie and then when we get another future talent we all want to throw them in the deep end.
leabe him with rassie for now, i have faith in him.
20 Mar 2006, 11:19 am
The message to Meyer Bosman has to take the form of a videotape/DVD of several hours of rugby focussing on the best of Daniel Carter and for Meyer to get the clear message that “you must not just be able to equal this guy, but you have to be able to be BETTER than Dan Carter, or else you’re bloody well yesterday’s stale toast, broer!”
THAT needs to be hammered home.
20 Mar 2006, 11:22 am
Can you see how quickly the awesome match-winning genius of a Jonny Wilkenson has already been completely forgotten?
20 Mar 2006, 11:23 am
The Stormers will win the Super 14. It has been rumoured that Chuck Norris will sign with us.
20 Mar 2006, 11:23 am
Although not a Bulls supporter I enjoy their style of rugby but as the Hurricanes coach says, at the moment the Bulls don’t seem to have a plan B. Just an observation about Jacque Cronje who I rate as the worst 8th man out of the 5 SA super 14 teams. He has got very limited ball skills and frequently drops the ball. In adition he has a very poor work rate,no pace and is very timid in taking contact. Although players like Jacque Botes, Rayno van der Merwe,Cobus Grobbelaar and Joe van Niekerk are a lot smaller than Cronje, they are all superior players. Meyer is spoilt for choice with some brilliant young forwards knocking on the door. I really hope that both Meyer and White look beyond Cronje.
20 Mar 2006, 11:27 am
Bosman looked good becuase he was playing against the Stormers.
Tiaan Snyman, Jorrie and Lance Sherrell would also look good against them.
Let see when he plays the like of Dan carter and decent opposition.
20 Mar 2006, 12:00 pm
Lance Sherrell wasn’t too horrible as a flyhalf! And he also scored with a really gorgeous blonde model girl called Sasha-Lee Walton. For a while they were both quite a glamour duo down in Cape Town! I wonder what eventually happened to both of them? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?
20 Mar 2006, 12:16 pm
Lance Sherrel was useless as a flyhalf. Had we taken a proper flyhalf on tour to NZ in stead of Lance we could have won a few games.
I think Lance lives in NZ now and posts comments on Keo’s site under TheTackler.
20 Mar 2006, 12:27 pm
Why does everyone rate Bosman so much!!! He kicked well sure, but say he had missed a couple, this hype would be severely dimmer. I didn’t see him make one line break, or do anything creative.
He just kicked well, great. We may as well get Louis Koen back into the team!!
He’s big, which is good, but he must use his size and break some tackles!
20 Mar 2006, 12:33 pm
The above headline should be followed by … “just a pity it was a few months late in the wrong jersey in the wrong city in the wrong country in the wrong F@cking hemisphere!”
20 Mar 2006, 12:39 pm
Good one Kevin w
Just remember Honiball was not the complete fly half when he started his career and it took time to develop, same with Larkham.
20 Mar 2006, 12:58 pm
Well Tackler is there are so many better why did tyhe old man show your HOUSE OF PAIN side up so badly then?
Sort of a contradiction in terms no?
CSI – i guess different countrys have different strenghts at different posistions.
20 Mar 2006, 13:05 pm
Well, wls, Tony Brown was only pitted against against ONE of the possible five NZ top-flight number tens while he was down at Dunedin!
20 Mar 2006, 13:59 pm
Hougi still best we got
20 Mar 2006, 14:12 pm
Buenos Nothches !
Los Tango Milonga est muchos bien !
Los chicas est muchos bien !
ps The Argentine womens hockey side , were not only 1 millon times hotter than their german opponents , were much better in the goal scoring dept and won 2 , 0
20 Mar 2006, 14:21 pm
Murph,
YOu must have had a very merry weekend, first Ireland win and then Freestate. Good team the Irish have.
20 Mar 2006, 14:24 pm
murph I once met a touring ladies hockey side in durban.they were from brazil.very hot.was busy coming right then my pissed mate pitched up and farked it up.will never forgive him.
20 Mar 2006, 14:27 pm
Bossman has done well enough so far at home.
But lets judge him on how well he does on the road AND against a second string French team!
20 Mar 2006, 14:33 pm
Tackeldoos
i remember King Henry handing Tony Brown his *** on a plate many times. Bosman is a still a kid.
still no kiwi friends i see!
20 Mar 2006, 14:35 pm
stucky kiwi’s arent like tackler at all and south africans arent like tackler at all.he is a outcast.with his attitude he wont be making friends in nz i promise you that.
20 Mar 2006, 14:37 pm
Actually Bossman has played overseas against the Welsh and French. He played well against Wales and I think the conditions were too much for him against France, his second game.
20 Mar 2006, 14:49 pm
Yeah Tackler and your point? he still handed the guy a lesson? imagine if he played the other lot lol.
20 Mar 2006, 15:10 pm
The only point that tackles comes close to is the point of no return when shagging BAAAA-BAAAA-RA.
20 Mar 2006, 16:25 pm
Redcard LMFAO. or the point on his nose that he tried to squeeze before he dated the sheep.
20 Mar 2006, 17:41 pm
Where is Tackler from in SA?
20 Mar 2006, 18:10 pm
bosman looking much better looks like he can go far
20 Mar 2006, 18:40 pm
good stuff, the future looks bright…the future looks green and gold!
20 Mar 2006, 18:41 pm
I was at the game on Saturday. You can play Os or Ollie at flyhalf if they can kick. Meyer is not a gamebreaker. I concur, his goalkicking was spot-on Saturday, but Hougi’s stats show the same. Besides AP, no decent senior flyhalf around. I’ll wait for Jody Rose to get his opportunity. He is very good at distributing the ball and always seems to have time on the ball. Best prospect at flyhalf.
20 Mar 2006, 23:20 pm
Two things that bother me is that one: JW went to the Bulls camp the night before they played the Cheetahs in Bloem (where Meyer missed in front of the posts)to wish them good luck “loftus is the only place where he doesn’t feel welcome” and the fact that Hougi, knows that even if he plays the best rugby of his career JW will still look him over, even if his 2 choice flyhalfs is injured and the third only played one good game so far.
21 Mar 2006, 03:36 am
there is something fundamentally wrong with the way south african coaches approach the game. they seem to think bigger is better, and this may be the case, but in the case of Bosman the guy has potential, but no real substance. we have potentially the most lethal backline outside 10, but we dont have anyone to unleash it. we need to stop being so obsessed with size, and focus more on skill, and ability to read the game. then the Bok will show the kiwis their arses!
21 Mar 2006, 05:16 am
schalla
how many games have you seen bosman play?
on the size issue: do you consider jaco vd westhuizen and andré pretorius as giants? how small should they be?
21 Mar 2006, 05:49 am
seen him play 2 games only. solid but not spectacular.i dont think anyone considers jaco and adre to be giants, but thats the point exactly. they are good because of their skill and ability to reada game. yet when people are talking about bosman the discussion often centres around his size, and the fact that he is physicaly similar to honnibal. also i think its no secret that jake likes big boys…tho that isnt always a bad thing.
21 Mar 2006, 09:09 am
NZ News S14 Number play of the week: Meyer Bosman.
22 Mar 2006, 00:02 am
CSI, where can I read about this?
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