Brumbies would love Brits
4 May 2006
Former Bok prop Ollie le Roux believes Schalk Brits would become an “international superstar” if he was poached by an Australian Vodacom Super 14 franchise.
The Stormers hooker has once again failed to impress Springbok coach Jake White, who has questioned his scrumming and line-out ability. John Smit and Hanyani Shimnage are expected to be White’s No 1 and 2 in their position, with either Gary Botha or Chiliboy Ralepele providing additional backup.
“I’m looking forward to John Smit coming up against Schalk Brits, who is one of the best hookers in the world at the moment and one incredible rugby player,” Le Roux told Cape Argus rugby writer Dale Granger.
“The Aussies would love to sign a guy like Schalk if he isn’t picked for the Boks soon. They would take him tomorrow and in a team like the Brumbies he would emerge as an international superstar. People are always criticising Brits’ scrummaging, but it is going to be interesting to see how John, who we all know can scrum, handles the rest of his play around the field.”
Le Roux also anticipated a huge match-up between the fat boys. BJ Botha will have another chance to impress White when he comes up against JD Moller, while Eddie Andrews will have his work cut out for him against Deon Carstens.
“BJ’s a very tough guy who has come through over a number of years now and learned to cope with pressure,” said Le Roux. “JD, by contrast, is a really big, strong loosehead who attacks quite viciously to try and dominate. If BJ can hold his own against JD, then he should have no problem going on to higher honours.
“On the tighthead side Eddie Andrews had a really good game last weekend. He is up against Deon Carstens, who is not noted as a devastating a scrummager, but is very powerful.”
80 Comments
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4 May 2006, 20:15 pm
Words from Ollie who has played about 4 full games his whole career!!!
4 May 2006, 22:08 pm
You can say all you want about schalk, but the guy has got rugby in him. As far as Schalk vs Mealamu, their testrugby.com scores [regarding lineout wins / possession losses(knocks in open play+line out losses)] are as follows:
Mealamu: 149 wins / 36 losses = 80.5% success rate
Britz: 96 wins / 23 losses = 80.7% success rate.
The stats for SA hookers are as follows
Wins Losses Success %
Gary Botha 93 8 92%
Tiaan Liebenburg 106 16 87%
Delarey du Preez 48 8 86%
Hanyani Shimange 31 5 86%
John Smit 66 13 84%
Schalk Britz 96 23 81%
Lukas van Biljon 70 19 79%
Kobus van der Walt 42 13 76%
Skipper Badenhorst 24 15 62%
Based on this our Springbok captain is not as reliable as everyone says.
If I were to choose between a hooker throwing 84% and bashing into players and one throwing 81% and potentially being a game-winner, I’d go with 81% all the time!!!
4 May 2006, 23:13 pm
the only way Brits could be poached by the brumbies is if we change the rule where you have to be available for test selection to play in Oz. The qualification period is 3 years i think to play for another (Noriega and Strauss did at least 3). I doubt Brits has an aussie grandparent (or does he). Vickerman and Rathbone were immediately available.
5 May 2006, 01:34 am
I like Brits, he’s a very dynamic hooker. Why is he not seen by White as a test quality hooker? He performs against international players week in and week out in the S14. His size shouldn’t be a problem, James Dalton was of a similar build and he played many tests for SA. And as for his scrummaging, surely it can’t be that bad. For one he has the size and strength to hold his own and if its just a technique thing, learn the boy. This oke is class.
5 May 2006, 06:31 am
Big G # 9
The Bulls listened to Ollie last year before the CC final…
5 May 2006, 06:52 am
Ollie was paramount to beating the Blow Bullls at the Liefling stadium ….currie cup final.
I too would have smoked a cigar.
Bwaaaa hahahahahahaaaa
5 May 2006, 07:34 am
From the heading of this thread it would appear that the Aussies, and specifically the Brumbies, have already expressed interest in poaching Brits. And we all get our knickers in a knot trying to prevent this, trying to figure out when he’ll be eligible etc. But then it turns out that it’s merely Ollie’s speculation. Based on pretty much nothing.
5 May 2006, 07:48 am
Funny .. I have not seen the stormers scrum overpowered this year at all (or the lions in that case when he played for them), or there forwards dominated, therefor I can not see how poor SB scrumming can be questioned. His throwing into the lineout is on par, if not better than JS latly.
SB is the best hooker in SA at the momment closly followed by GB.
JS is a lumbering liability who is a weak link in any team he plays for, his tackling is very very weak, his workrate very suspect, and he provides no go forward when given the ball to drive. All teams have worked out by now that to get ‘go forward’ or to break the defencive line, all you have to do is attack the channel JS is defending in. 2 very good games (3N last year) in over 50 starts for the boks is just not good enogh.
SB has that bit of magic that the boks needs, and his basics are good and can improve to very very good.
JW has put together a very good bok squad, but his blind loyalty to some players will unfortunatly insure that we will not win the world cup in 2007, even though we have the players who can.
5 May 2006, 07:51 am
Throwing into the lineout and scrummaging is something that can be taught, just like defending. I say, Schalk Brits, Luke Watson, JD Moller, Ross Skeate, Andries Bekker, Joe Pietersen, Paul Delport all go over to the Brumbies. I love these guys and think they need better coaching.
5 May 2006, 08:18 am
We have a lot of competent hookers in this country. But in order to be the best we have to select the players that offer more than competence. The “He won’t let his country down” attitude is not good enough when you want to be world champs.
That is what Schalk Brits can bring to the Boks. I still prefer John Smit as capt and nr 1 hooker, but Schalk should move up to nr 2. Shimmie can still get his Bok salary by being nr 3 and Gary Botha who is a very competent hooker who won’t let his country down
will loose out.
5 May 2006, 08:25 am
No in South Africa, you must be big strong and stupid and you’ll get picked. Because the stas say so.
Natural talent and flair aren’t important in South Africa. That’s why players like Russell and Watson don’t get included in a Bok squad, but play for a World 15 and the Barbarians. Strange, but true.
Dwyer has a World Cup, Jake can only talk of one. He is overrated and to all of you that think he is the “Moses” of SA rugby – we can chat after the WC next year.
5 May 2006, 08:42 am
Ollie “Everyone is entitled to MY opinion” Le Roux. Respect your fellow professionals is what I say. Smit is a better player, person and is more admired than you will ever be.
5 May 2006, 09:02 am
Ollie obviously found some of that DP (which he quickly hid away in his speedo before leaving Durban)
His statement wondering how John Smit handles the rest of Brits’s play around the field could only have come from a prop.
Yes Ollie we all know that John Smit can scrum and that is what Jake White judges him on – not
on his backline play.
5 May 2006, 09:08 am
I cant help but speculate that Ollie would favour a player like Brits since he is in the same mould – Ollie was also a front-raker with very good ball skills and very effective in the loose, but wasnt the greatest at doing the basic prop work. Not bad, but not nearly as good as he thought.
5 May 2006, 09:09 am
Edwill are you one of those many Cape Town and Boland chaps who have a huge silver fern and “ALL BLACKS” stuck on the back window of their cars.
5 May 2006, 09:24 am
And that is why the Aussie scrum has become a poodle.
5 May 2006, 09:32 am
The 4 most important people in the scrum are your props and locks … a weak link there and your scrum is doomed.
When last did SA actually dominate at scrum time? So please don’t try and overinflate JS importance because of his apparent scruming ability and captancy.
SB is the no1 hooker is SA and GB is no2.
5 May 2006, 10:04 am
Paws
In a disastrous start to season some years ago,we could not seem to scrum well even against weaker opposition.Props were rotated,locks rotated and only when the incumbent hooker was out injured did the scrum settle and work well.
The hooker is and will always be a vital player in scrums as proven by The Pumas when Mendez was at hooker they tore apart the highly regarded England scrum,devasted the Irish and more than held their own against the might of the Southern Hemisphere.A hooker makes a massive difference at scrum time and it’s technique more so than size.
5 May 2006, 10:10 am
Yes, lets drop our highly succesful captain for the flashy player, it worked wonderfully with Teichmann and Skinstad.
5 May 2006, 10:16 am
Rastafox .. the hooker is vital, no argument, but as you say technigue is what counts not size .. the hooker is the link between the props and the locks .. but he also has more of a role to play in the game than just scrumming.
JS is just not up to scratch, and the springbok scrum will not be weakened by SB inclusions, the team as a whole will actually benifit.
5 May 2006, 10:36 am
Ben M … the team is successful because for once there was some consistancy is selection and some game plan.
Would you not like to see more success by actually improving the team. By adding SB your not losing anything but adding much more.
How does one measure good captancy? I for one don’t think JS is much of a captain. A Vos was a brilliant captain, much better than JS, but his record is not that good .. does that now make smit a better captain .. I think not.
5 May 2006, 10:40 am
Rastafox,
The Pumas have a unique scrumming technique, they scrum through the hooker (almost a V type scrum). No comparison to SA or other Southern Hemisphere teams, thus the hooker impact less effective.
5 May 2006, 10:50 am
BENM, EXCELLENT POINT YOU MAKE THERE.post 69.
Ladies, the hooker is THE primary scrummage and lineout forward. Any flakiness from that possition and you are skrewed. Klaar.
5 May 2006, 10:56 am
Mmmmm rednik … and john smit is the best hooker in the country?
If you really have to use that as a bench mark Gary Botha from the bulls is way better than smit .. and Scalk Brits is at the same level as JS.
Props and locks are still more important at scrum time .. and the hooker and locks timming is of primary importance at lineout time.
5 May 2006, 11:05 am
Paws, the best objective method of deciding on whether someone is a good captian would be his success rate and the opinions of his peers. Smit scores very highly in that sense. I always respected Vos, but on what objective basis can you say he was better?
5 May 2006, 11:37 am
The true colours of a captain show during difficult times .. not when the going is good. That is why Wikus of the cats is the best captain in the country .. and why Vos also rates highly ..
Where was smit during the first half of the bulls game last week? In the final 10 min against the AB last year? Where is he when the going gets togh?
I’m not saying that smit is a bad guy, I’m sure he is a nice chap and well respected, but he is not the best hooker in the country .. hell if he was second best I would have no problem .. I just don’t rate him at all as a rugby player.
5 May 2006, 14:02 pm
I have nt seen much evidence of this much-vaunted captaincy ability – in fact quite the opposite. ut Jw sas he keeps teh peace between all teh factions in the Bok setup, so ok.
If you look at overall performance, and size, I reckon Tiaan Liebenberg does pretty well.
Here are size stats:
Smit 187cm, 120 kg
Brits 181cm, 98kg
Botha (Gary) 181cm, 106kg
Shimi 176cm, 103kg
Tiaan L 172cm, 125kg
And Tiaan can throw, defend, scrummage, clean, and run in the backline. Smit’s defence SUCKS!
5 May 2006, 17:09 pm
Totally agree about Tiaan Liebenberg…he has been a revelation…surely the best hooker in SA by FAR !!
5 May 2006, 20:03 pm
Paws …………you are an idiot!Gary Botha has been terrible this season.SB is not a hooker at all!He should swop positions as his throws are awful
8 May 2006, 10:51 am
Tut tut … dear princess .. this is a discussion blog where we are each allowed our own opinion. Getting personal mearly shows a lack of class, as well as showing that you have no counter argument or lack faith in the one you might have.
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