only once it has been tried (a number of times) will anyone ever know for sure,

KEO may be wrong about using him at centre, perhaps the question is ‘if we can keep playing Schalk Burger out of position, why not Brits’

Like Brent Russel, he’s not perfect but are the brains trust making the best use of either players talents.

did he run on drunk or did he get it from his waterbottle or what?
sounds very strange

About the same size as a big centre or a small flank? About the same as Gerge Smith..
The thing is that an inside centre must be able to work as a flanker to secure ball in the ruck as well, which is where I think his upper body strength would come in useful. HOWEVER: This si subjct to him haing the pace. He may have looked good in the past beating props on the outside, but can he cut the pace of the midfield, or when opposing hookers cut the line in his channel? He must have at least the pace of a typical inside centre, or else he will be a defensive liability at inside centre. Dunno about his distribution either…

I reckon he could be a very valuable asset at openside flank tho’…

did you consider that it is impossible for a backline coach the antisipate where one of the tight forwards will be in his aplication of his defensive pattern ?

making it possible for a very mobile tight forward to leave his intended marker behind fromm phase to phase and unsettle the backs man on / man out pattern.

if brits was in the line he would be factored into this equation and would be unlikely to see the same results.

Flank maby but …

Big But ….

As for centre, it would be an interesting move and definitely thinking outside the box but will the coaches do this, especially with their jobs at stake? Probably not if he is a SA bread coach … now the Aussies would definitely try it.

A 12 does not have to have searing speed, he need to be fast over the short distances, creating gaps and distributing very well.

This is exactly what Brits has done against my team the Bulls.

He sidestepped like no hooker could opening up gaps and he really gave the Bulls a headache.

On the other hand he is not as good at scrimmaging or the general expected forward play. Thus based on the primary skills expected from a hooker, he will not compete as well.

This was my argument with “Brits for Springbokhooker” fans last year: “But he is not a good hooker”

Only other option is to move him to 6 where he can contest for the ball and still be able to link up with the backs.

Point is, he is a brilliant footballer and I would love to see him play where he is best suited.

Also, he’s quick and powerful over say 5 metres (close to the try line) but I reckon most other backs would catch him in a 50 metre sprint.

Lots of forwards have played well among the backs, esp in phase play (Skinstad, Matfield, Brits, etc) but I don’t think he’s a first phase backline player.

Agreed.

At least we have good handling in Os, Vic, Bakkies and Schalk.

Dont recall about the rest.

Have you been reading my notes!!??

Haha, this is so close to my thoughts about Brits, it is scary.

I remember last year when everyone raved about yet another good Brits performance and how he must become Springbok hooker, I usually replied saying “Yes, what a brilliant performance for a centre”

I also suggested that at the very least he must play flank because he won’t make it as a Bok hooker.

B16, many of his tries and brilliance has come from being in the midfield, that position fits him perfectly.

Why not leave him in the forwards, and take the view that all forwards should strive to gain the same skills Brits has, and thereby raise the standards of ball handling, passing, etc among the forwards?

Men’s club with a difference
30/03/2006 10:22 – (SA)

Tokyo – A group of 40-year-old men in Tokyo have added a different stitch to the stereotype of Japanese men: a needle and a thread.

Members of a men’s only sewing club in Tokyo meet once a month to recover from the stress and fatigue of their jobs as marketing professionals, computer system engineers and film directors/producers.

As the club’s seven members do not consider themselves experts in sewing, their stitches are not aligned, fine seams are nowhere to be seen, but their works are creative.

“We decided that we don’t have to be perfect,” said 42-year-old sewing club leader, Shoichi Ishizawa, a fashion designer. “We can make a moving salamander toy, but we can’t even sew buttons.”

Their latest project was to make creative covers for “The Protector”, emergency buzzers children carry for safety. The male sewers made key-chain holders for the beepers shaped as primitive bears, spiders and other animals.

Start with a beer

Ever since Ishizawa invited his drinking buddies over for a sewing session in December 2003, their club activities have expanded to holding exhibitions and their membership has opened to children, called the “Minis” and to women, the “Flowers.”

Visitors to their exhibitions are keen on buying the frog-shaped purses, children cling tight to sheep-like toys with a long nose and a cloud of puffs, while others ask where they too can learn to sew.

The key to their success, Ishizawa says, is not to try and learn th A to Z of sewing, but just to follow where your needle takes you.

That said, the leader begins every session by first opening a can of beer as he proposes the day’s projects. Then the members choose a needle from Ishizawa’s set of more than 30, as if they were picking a favourite truffle out of a box of chocolates.

After threading the eye with a colourful thread, they choose a piece of scrap fabric to shape into something creative and maybe even useful.

“It’s just like mothers thinking up a dinner menu out of what’s in a refrigerator,” Ishizawa says. “We don’t measure every kind of seasoning. It’s like we taste too much salt in our dish, so we add curry powder to musk the taste. That’s what sewing means to us.”

“I have nothing else besides work that I do with full concentration,” Masayosu Yoshida, a 40-year-old computer-system-engineer, says. “But when I’m running a sewing machine, my hands know no stopping.”

The sewing circle members are pleased that they have overcome the prejudice and stereotypical image of sewing as a “girly thing to do,” Ishizawa says, adding they enjoy the feeling of satisfaction that comes from completing a project.

And now they have a new resolution to make something for someone special. – Sapa-dpa

#104

“even their non-starter Bands”

Maybe we should talk about other non-starters like Joe, Guthro, Juan, Enrico etc

Quality players, but they seem to be injured the biggest part of the season for most seasons.

Take Guthro, how many games has he played for the Bulls ?

Big Joe is coming back now after how long a layoff ? How many games has he played/missed for the Stromers/WP since he moved there ?

Now it’s Juan’s turn again.

How can Jake build a consistant team with players that’s always injured ?

Maybe he should overlook their brilliance and stick to players that will play most matches and build an experienced team that way ?

“I long stopped listening to bulls fans talk about their own players – but the same can be said for most provincial supporters.”

Get a pair of balls and stand by your conviction, can not always cover both bases.

Even at the Lions, he was the best attacking option we had. Lots of tries scored from his breaks.