Bakkies wants Ackers for Boks
3 May 2006
Springbok hardman Bakkies Botha would welcome the inclusion of veteran lock and fellow no-nonsense taker Johan Ackerman in the Springbok squad this year.
“Johan is still on top of his game. It would definitely be great to have another enforcer in the Bok side, but that’s up to Jake and the selectors. After playing against him last weekend I think he still has plenty to offer,” Botha told keo.co.za.
“To have him around would be great and he brings so much experience to the table. And he has played at that level before. Bringing a guy like him at his age into the Bok setup should be viewed as a positive, not a negative,” said Botha.
Botha and Ackermann had an interesting tussle in last week’s game between the Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Versfeld. “I think it went well for me,” said Botha. “It is a challenge to play someone like Johan, but I’m always keen for a challenge.”
Botha prefers not to talk and rather do his “talking” on the field. His performance for the Bulls especially in the tight was colossal and he scored a brace of tries – one of which was a fine individual effort – and was named man of the match.
But he had praise for his opposite number. “Johan plays it hard and physical. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you are playing goood rugby you should be recognised.”
That try though was a source of great enjoyment for the towering lock. “It’s great to be able to show that us locks also have some pace and skill. I relly enjoyed that try,” he laughed.
By Andrew Hollely
86 Comments
3 May 2006, 13:58 pm
Bakkies is god
3 May 2006, 14:00 pm
i say go for him an maby pieters as well!! an ruan pienaar has to be selected this year he is too good to leave out.
3 May 2006, 14:01 pm
what the hell is bakkies doing at centre?
3 May 2006, 14:01 pm
thats matfield’s position.
3 May 2006, 14:02 pm
You could do a lot worse than the old war-horse, but what are the chances of him still playing the way he is come RWC-time
3 May 2006, 14:02 pm
bakkies is good! and ackerman well i think he deserves a call up! he is 34 thats a bit old BUT if AJ can still make it (his turning 33 this year) why cant ackers make it?
what about young locks for the future?
i know i thinking ahead but what will the game between bulls locks and stormers locks be?
boks against future boks??
3 May 2006, 14:04 pm
This guys form for the Sharks has been immense to say the least!
Would really like to see Pietersen selected though!
3 May 2006, 14:07 pm
LMAO – cab – classic annd very true
3 May 2006, 14:08 pm
they could both play. i’ve said before I like the thought of Bakkies doing the Danville twostep on the english locks’ heads and necks for sixty minutes and when his studs have been worn down, bring Akkies on to really hurt them for twenty. At the same time Matfield can finesse the lineout balls all he likes.
3 May 2006, 14:10 pm
Acker would perform the same role as Martin Johnston in the World Cup England side,a hardened professional who knows all the shortcuts and can influance the younger players.
3 May 2006, 14:10 pm
dont think ackerman will make it to RWC2007
3 May 2006, 14:13 pm
Skeate deserves a call up. Much better player than Albert VDBerg. He has done well in the lineouts, i agree with boeja, Ackerman will not make it to the RWC and i dont think AJ will either…
3 May 2006, 14:16 pm
wpw,
if you make a call up.are you gonna pick a lock with a high work rate (rucks,tackles,line outs) or will you pick a lock (line out and carry ball)
3 May 2006, 14:16 pm
i think any lock is better than albert…
3 May 2006, 14:19 pm
I get so fed up with old timers (and cab and ig) complaining about tight forwards in the backline. If they stand around in the backline all the time then fair enough, but if they just got up from the bottom of the ruck or made a tackle or was involved in some way and play is suddenly coming their way, then they are expected to make a contribution! Not like the days of old when tight forwards could only scrum and … well scrum!
Furthermore and in any event, tight forwards, like any other player on the pitch should only join the ruck or maul if they can make a positive contribution. If the wing is first to the point of breakdown – he should compete on the floor etc.
3 May 2006, 14:23 pm
Bakkies is baas
Acker is wakker.
He would be the perfect backup for bakkies.
3 May 2006, 14:23 pm
also true Tsiko, but i see you’re also a fan of this “positive contribution” measure. Has Chris Hewitt been bribing you.
3 May 2006, 14:24 pm
tsiko,
i agree!! if the kickers dont kick the ball out there is no way in hell the forwards can be around the park at every ruck! so when the ball gets turned over they must have enough skill to also handle the ball in the backline! which brings me to my next point,
our backs must also get involved in rucking and not be to scared to get in there we lose lots of ball because of backs holding on….because there is no one rucking they must hold on for dear life!
skeate’s workrate is pour.good lineout jumper and running of the shoulder but he doesnt do any dirty work.
3 May 2006, 14:24 pm
I’m not surprised that Bakkies wants Ackers in the team with him. That Matfield oke is way too dirty, punching props and strapping iron bars to his forearm. Bakkies, ever the gentleman, just can’t condone that kind of unnecessary rough play.
3 May 2006, 14:25 pm
its no doubt the bakkies v ackermann hype before the game helped push bakkies to put in his best performance of the season.
when this guy turns it on he is awesome. he just needs to do it more often on the road (and I dont mean for the bulls). i want to see bakkies win a man of the match award, playing for the boks, away from home.
we know we’ve got the best lock pair in the world with him and vic. i just wish they showed it more often.
3 May 2006, 14:26 pm
katman,
bwa ha ha ha
3 May 2006, 14:27 pm
Damn you cab! I so wanted to keep it a secret, at least it was a fair price! Any other bribes out there…?
3 May 2006, 14:28 pm
munkiboi
Yes if they can start competing away from home perhaps they will instill that feeling in the Bulls.
3 May 2006, 14:29 pm
Hey tsiko
And Ig and Cab will not like your ignorant know it all bravado. The old timers , even with a dab of altzheimers, have some value.
My opinion though is that if they scored the try then they had the right to be there. If not,,, well then they did not deserve to be there.
3 May 2006, 14:30 pm
also like to see Bakkies running with ball in hand, he can move for such a big oke, remeber him tearing down the touchline against the french in paris, and its great to see Matfield tackling in broken play, but their first duty is in the tight.
Why do you think the sharks have done so well this year? its cos they have a hard grafter like Ackerman at 4 otherwise the pack is no different to the one that got poonanied last year.
3 May 2006, 14:32 pm
how many locks will be in the bock squad of 45?
6??
3 May 2006, 14:33 pm
amazon ad 24.
But of course the old timers have some value many a coach and administrators are old timers! But, with all due respect, many old timers appear to be the ones with the know-it-all-bravado ala “in my days second rowers used to ….”
3 May 2006, 14:33 pm
cab
the stormers pack also doing well with their young locks
3 May 2006, 14:33 pm
Cab, The cats are gonna poach Bakkies to play centre with Jacque Fourie next year.
3 May 2006, 14:33 pm
jondood,
what do you think it is with the bulls?
i cant explain it. there is no logical reason why they should be so shite on tour..
3 May 2006, 14:34 pm
boeja,
ya, the stormers tight 5 definitely improved over last season, not so light anymore, should be good games against the bulls and sharks.
3 May 2006, 14:34 pm
lol Redcard, **** they might as well give us the trophy.
3 May 2006, 14:36 pm
Cats to win S14 in 2007, Bakkies to score a hattrick in the #13 jersey.
Now if only we can get the Cats into the S14…
3 May 2006, 14:37 pm
not just the bulls all the sa teams!
our touring is just longer and the aussies dont treat as so nice facilities….
3 May 2006, 14:39 pm
stormers T5 will be tested in last 2 games now we will be able to see who has the best/players who must be the bok T5 (contention_)
3 May 2006, 14:39 pm
tsiko
You are right.
The amazing thing is that you and I will uncontrollably tell those we feel close enough too, that things were different in our time.
How we used to walk kms and kms on thorny roads to get to school. How we had to endure power cuts and had to shiver and study in the gangster filled darkness.
It is always tougher in the past. We must agree.
3 May 2006, 14:42 pm
ag bo woo
3 May 2006, 14:43 pm
Bluebarb,
Nic Mallet has stated that when he toured as bok coach for some reason the Afrikaner boys were a lot more homesick than the Souties, who knows why?
3 May 2006, 14:44 pm
amazon, in which case, heaven helps my poor grand children one day! With my imagination I may just have been able to pass and kick a ball!
3 May 2006, 14:45 pm
Booja
Die trane loop vrylik ?
3 May 2006, 14:46 pm
ha ha ha no im just laughing at you oldies!
3 May 2006, 14:48 pm
boeja, mature, not old!
3 May 2006, 14:48 pm
Classic Tsiko
I had this PT teacher at high school.
The oke was maybe 40 odd. He was full opf stories but the one that really pushed it over the limit was him telling us one day that he had laid the basis for Naas Botha’s greatness.
Not exactly those words but close.
Maybe we will take credit for serving schalk brits a red bull before a game and giving him our opinion. We vcan exagerate immensly if necesarry. Not many other golden oldies to discredit us.
3 May 2006, 14:50 pm
bok ’06 locks:
matfield
botha
albert
ackers
bekker
skeate
thats 6 locks?
3 May 2006, 14:52 pm
tsiko – come now, i’m hardly decrepid and fancy myself to be somewhat newage.
no bravado, just saying that rugby remains a game of physical domination in the tight 5. Would also go as far as to say that nothing has changed insofar as whoever dominates in the tight 5 exhnages is more often than not going to run out as winners. Perhaps the most important aspect.
Personally, I’m with you and like the skillfull stuff, but you must give the tough buggers their due. Essential part of the game.
3 May 2006, 14:53 pm
Boeja
Let the good times roll.
Every wrinkle tell a story they say.
So guys like Mick Jagger and other rocker of yore must have a lot of advice up their cardigans
3 May 2006, 14:54 pm
Boeja
Does Dallas Rossouw make your squad as a flank or not at all?
3 May 2006, 14:56 pm
i just thought of the same thing! do you rate him? his good but ads no value to the boks,he never plays and if you keep himm in the squad he takes up a place in which a young fella could of learned about the bok culture?
3 May 2006, 14:58 pm
He is not that old, but I understand your point. I would rather put him in than the older Penings v/d Berg though.
3 May 2006, 14:59 pm
Cab and Tsiko
But we want physical chaps outwide now too.
Not because we believe its the best for rugby in general. BUT because Sailor, Rathbone, Tuiquiri, Nonu,Tiranuoi, Roccococo and co dictate that we do.
if our wings are five foot four then they must at least be able to carry the groceries into the house comfortably. At least
3 May 2006, 15:00 pm
Boeja
Why would you not offer Muller at the sharks a look in ?
3 May 2006, 15:02 pm
the french is small and they still beat big names! the boks must not be followers they must be leaders! and i can assure you that we have other positives that other teams dont like!
3 May 2006, 15:03 pm
Now get this – If we did not have Jake White and relied on the SARUGBY STAT CENTRE (http://www.sarugby.com/news/Stats_Centre.html) The Springbok team would be as follows, (based on player ranking during th S14):-
Deon Carstens, Schalk Brits, BJ Botha, Vic Matfield, Barend Pieterse, AJ Venter, Jaques Botha, Wickes Van Heerden, Fourie Du Preez, Andre Pretorious, Jean De Villiers, Wynand Olivier, Wylie Human, Odwa Ndugane, Percy Montgomery.
6 Sharks, 3 Bulls, 3 Cats, 2 WP, 1 Cheatah!! And the training squad of 45 would be:
Props
Deon Carstens, BJ Botha, Pietman Van Niekerk, Eddie Andrews, Jaco Engels, JD Moeller (NO OS Du Rant – he was number 17 of SA Props would you believe!!)
Hookers
Schalk Brits, Tiaan Liebenburg, John Smit, Gary Botha
Locks
Matfield, Pieterse, Skeate, C. Van Zyl, A Bekker, W Stolz (NO Bakkies – he was number 10!!)
Loosies
AJ, J Botes, Wikus VH, Pedrie W, Schalk Burger,Ryno Van Der Merwe, Jaque Cronje Luke Watson.
Scrumhalf
Fourie Du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Ricky Januarie, Bolla C (actually Scott Mathie was number 3 but has not played enough to consider the ranking)
Flyhalf
Andre Pretorious, Naas Olivier, Hougaard
Centre
Jean De Villiers, Wynaand Olivier, Ronnie Cooke, Adi Jacobs, De Wet Barry, Brad Barrett
Wings
Wylie Human, Odwa Ndugane, Giscard Pieters, Jaque Fourie, Brian Habana
Fullback
Percy, EARL ROSE, JP Pieterson
Some very interesting results there!!!!! EARL ROSE, Giscard Peters, Ryno Van der Merwe, Tian Liebenburg and Barend Peterse to name a few!!
3 May 2006, 15:03 pm
amazon,
yes he would be another option aswell as barend!
3 May 2006, 15:03 pm
Dallas should be forgotten as the series of yore.
Not quite a lock,not quite a flank.Heaps of aggresion – no brain.The man is a class one liability.
3 May 2006, 15:05 pm
BMM,
those stats are def not 100%
3 May 2006, 15:06 pm
Jislaaik Rasta
We can have you hand out flyers with that printed on during the curtain raiser for the next bulls game and then we have you take the kick off in the main game,
Just to add some spark to festivities.
3 May 2006, 15:07 pm
amazon true, which is why JW seems to want a bit of size outwide. look at the stormers amazing speed, but their outside backs are nothing more than a turnstile for the oppo on the way to the tryline.
3 May 2006, 15:07 pm
Boeja, as we know about 53.25% of stats are not accurate.
3 May 2006, 15:07 pm
Recieve the kick off
not kick it Rasta
3 May 2006, 15:08 pm
rastafox,
you talking about danie?
i agree with you if youre talking about him.
to slow for a flanker
and not as a lock!
who would you guys pick?? 6 locks for the boks?
mine:
matfield (starting)
bakkies (starting)
bekker (bench) can replace any of the 2.
muller start 2
ackerman start 2
skeate (bench)
3 May 2006, 15:09 pm
Tsiko
The main problem with forwards joining the backline is that they just seem to get in the way when the flash boys are actually going somewhere.
Besides, Bakkies dummy on saturday was a mistake. He was going to pass then realised, being a lock, that he didn’t quite know how to let go of the ball.
3 May 2006, 15:09 pm
i will drop albert for muller in my prev. 6 locks!
3 May 2006, 15:10 pm
Rastafox
A liability he may be, but playing him for 20 at a time limits the risk. His almost caveman-like approach to taking the ball up is still very effective against any team.
3 May 2006, 15:10 pm
Cab
A turnstile is sometimes a bit too complementry.
The sharks lost to freestate because brent helped Giscaard over the tryline , twice.
Very gentlemanly.
Russel is great but I do want to see backs ALSO dominate contact areas.
3 May 2006, 15:11 pm
matfield need a bit of fire under his bum because his a player who can get a bit relaxed in his position. look what ackerman did to bakkies it was the old bakkies on saterday!
3 May 2006, 15:14 pm
BMM
Thanks for the stats. Must say that some of them are a bit dodgy to me. Wannenberg has been in the top 5 SA players in the Super 14 for the last five weeks straight.
How is he not considered our top flanker based on current form?
3 May 2006, 15:15 pm
Boeja
Youre are a man of conviction. A humble one.
To admit a change of heart (Mistake) on the site here…..Geez…. big up to you my man.
3 May 2006, 15:15 pm
I would actually put Barend Piterse on the bench with Bakkies and Matfield starting.
3 May 2006, 15:17 pm
Not so sure about all those stats, but a few of the “surprising” names don’t surprise me at all. Like the Cheetah’s locks. Pieterse and van Zyl have been consistently better than any other lock combination in the SA teams. Ryno van der Merwe has been good too. As has Jacques Botes for the Sharks.
3 May 2006, 15:17 pm
No knocking Danie for his heart and commitment, but unfortunately the man struggles with basic skills.
Bakkies,Vic,Ackers and one of Bekker/Muller/Skeate/v Schouwenburg/Pieterse
would do just nicely.
3 May 2006, 15:20 pm
Insurance companies should team up with a couple of Tab Gambling houses.
On your aplication you say in which rugby team you wish for your high risk funds to be routed.
Therefore they will back your team every weekend, hedging where they can and risking everything for huge rewards. ALA force vs crusaders.
Could have some pensioners in the queu at soup kitchens but usually a little profit could be copnjured up
3 May 2006, 15:21 pm
No problemo Rasta
Rossouw is kind of in limbo in terms of where he should (can) play. You’re right his skills have let him down at crucial times.
3 May 2006, 15:30 pm
Would like to see the him get an extended run at lock.Difficult to improve your game whilst arguably the best lock pairing in the world are ahead of you.When he has played and especially in tandem with van Schouwenburg he has had some big games.
3 May 2006, 15:35 pm
Forget about Ackers. Forget about Bakkies and Matfield.
Isn’t Quinton Davids back in SA? He can take up the whole second row on his own, and if you select him now he’ll give you as much as half the effort of any other lock in the country.
3 May 2006, 16:27 pm
loafer,
LOL
3 May 2006, 16:30 pm
Ja, Rossouws lack of first team action could start to count against his bok aspirations given the emergence of some of the other locks in this years competition. Its difficult to judge someone who plays the last 20 minutes of each game.
3 May 2006, 16:53 pm
Thank God Bakkie,s does not pick the team. as well as he plays for it.
3 May 2006, 16:57 pm
So Bakkies say some nice things about Ackers and Ackers in turn says we’ll beat the Saders… Sounds fair.
3 May 2006, 18:50 pm
Fellow No-nonsensers …we need more of those in our teams
3 May 2006, 20:17 pm
all u oaks think they wont make the world cup (acers an aj) but its just a year!!! not 4 years to go
3 May 2006, 21:45 pm
Bakkies is a dirty player who deserves to get a klap.
Saying that, he does it well. He needs to get consistent with his play though, what he produced on Saturday needs to be an ongoing thing. If he does the Bulls and the Boks would go up a notch.
re:He needs to be there purely because he will bring his experience with him, as with most of the older guys, if Whitless picks 45 players hopefully some veterans will be in just to keep the youngsters honest.
3 May 2006, 22:44 pm
did some idiot mention andries bekker and ross skeate should b springboks?! geeze, probably the same idiot that wanted chris rossouw for the boks ha ha…
4 May 2006, 02:08 am
Dont swaer big g…..Cthe Rossouw boets became my biggest 4 letter words when they were on the park….
Skeate should be Matters understudy tho…he is doing great.
BMM
What are those stats from ?? Would be interested to see ow they rated the players.
Thanks tho
4 May 2006, 08:01 am
ddrek
Check the SARUGBY website
Now get this – If we did not have Jake White and relied on the SARUGBY STAT CENTRE http://www.sarugby.com/news/Stats_Centre.html
4 May 2006, 08:30 am
blouberb, dont forget MATFIELD, WILL NOT ONLY CALL THE LINEOUTS, but SMACK the prop to take him out the game,this is an intergral part of his play.
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