Bok captain quandary
25 May 2006
Springbok captain John Smit has been confirmed as a non-starter against the World XV next weekend.
Smit has been withdrawn from field training sessions due to an unresolved groin injury. According to the Springbok medical staff, this is a proactive and precautionary measure.
Smit will receive intensive medical treatment and rehabilitation at the training camp, but will not be risked against the World XV. His likely replacement in the No 2 jersey will be Gary Botha – with Hanyani Shimange on the bench – but who will take over the captaincy remains a mystery.
The logical choice seems to be Bulls lock Victor Matfield, but White has indicated earlier this season that he may go for Cats skipper Wikus van Heerden. White was hoping to rest Matfield for the game in any event.
Van Heerden has taken a full part in the Bok training after recovering from a knee injury in the latter stages of the Vodacom Super 14, but if indications at practice are to be believed he is probably not even going to make the starting XV.
Smit’s absence from the international season’s opener has been confirmed, but no official word was forthcoming on who a likely replacement captain would be. With all five of SA’s Super 14 captains in attendance, the name will probably come from them. Matfield (Bulls) and van Heerden (Cats) are the early favourites, while De Wet Barry (Stormers), Schalk Burger (also Stormers), Juan Smith (Cheetahs) and AJ Venter (Sharks) are outsiders.
By Andrew Hollely, in Bloemfontein
62 Comments
25 May 2006, 06:58 am
Van da man.
25 May 2006, 07:01 am
Give it to AJ
25 May 2006, 07:15 am
AJ got no discipline.
25 May 2006, 07:29 am
Juan Smith would be my choice!
25 May 2006, 07:42 am
JS in the future not yet, he seems a bit hot headed still. But definetaly a leader in a few years time.
Got to go to Wikus, Matfield has proven how little leadership he has in the Bulls.(made some really stupid decisions this season)
So what position would wikus play then?
25 May 2006, 07:44 am
I AGREE WITH STOFFEL – GIVE TO AJ. HE HAS HAD NO DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AGAINST HIM IN THE LAST 5 YEARS! I ALSO THINK THIS MIGHT BE HIS LAST YEAR OF RUGBY. TO JAKE : PLEASE GIVE THE NON-TEST CAPTAINCY TO AJ. IT WILL DO WONDERS FOR HIM!!!
25 May 2006, 07:51 am
AJ gets my vote too.
25 May 2006, 08:01 am
Don’t be stupid people! Stop being biased! If AJ was at the Lions you sharkjies wouldn’t be forwarding AJ as the Bok captain. Some of you Sharks fans are a bunch of *****..
25 May 2006, 08:02 am
AJ all the way
25 May 2006, 08:03 am
Who gets your vote “not so” bigg?
25 May 2006, 08:06 am
AJ would certainly be an inspirational captain, would also be exceptable to most of the team.
25 May 2006, 08:10 am
Fawlty – Juan Smith… Infact I think John Smit should be dropped all together… Bring on Gary Botha & Schalk Brits
25 May 2006, 08:11 am
Wikus or smith DWB NEVER maybe AJ
25 May 2006, 08:13 am
15.) Percy Montgomery
14.) Andre Snyman
13.) Jacque Fourie
12.) Jean De Villiers
11.) Gaffie du Toit
10.) Meyer Bosman
9.) Ruan Pienaar
8.) AJ Venter (c)
7.) Juan Smith
6.) Schalk Burger
5.) Victor Matfield
4.) Danie Rossouw
3.) Eddie Andrews
2.) Gary Botha
1.) Deon Carstens
25 May 2006, 08:15 am
Its seem like a decnt team with what JW has to play with but You know *** boy Jaco is fly half again so no Meyer Bosman yet.
25 May 2006, 08:18 am
We should make a reality tv show called the springbok selector where for one season the coach has to play with a squad selected by the public would be intersting
25 May 2006, 08:27 am
Shouldn’t we just rename these ou’s the AmaCroCroco,no wait thats taken already!!!
25 May 2006, 08:39 am
Juan Smith or AJ Venter
Venter did a good job this year. He’s not the dirty player he use to be. Good leader at the moment.
25 May 2006, 08:49 am
yes I concur, One of the ingredients of the Sharks improvement this year is the way that AJ has matured into a player that brings on his youngsters leads the team whilst still having the underlying “take no nonesense” steel.
As a Blue Bull supporter I must say that VM leadership has been or seemed to be sketchy at best. We definately missed Anton Leonard.
25 May 2006, 08:49 am
SMITH OUT! Hurrah!!! Blessing in disguise!!! YES MAN JA!!!!!
25 May 2006, 09:00 am
bigg @8
What are you talking about ? AJ was at the Lions.
AJ for me.
The added responsibility will help him maintain his own discipline.
25 May 2006, 09:04 am
Dooster
What have you got against Juan Smith?, and by the way he is not out so relax its still easrly in the day.
25 May 2006, 09:05 am
Bigg you have lost your way as usual, just posting to “stir” — no other reason. AJ is by far the best bet & his discipline has improved immensely.
25 May 2006, 09:09 am
Dooster
Smit is our captain and he’s out.
Smith is an excellent fklanker or no 8 and should start,and has a handoff that would keep Jerry collins away.How many okes has he put on their back last season?
25 May 2006, 09:17 am
AJ WILL LEAD BY EXAMPLE
25 May 2006, 09:28 am
Matfield will be a good captain given time. His captaincy got better and better with every game this year.
AJ rather than Juan. Juan is a great olayer but a kak captain. Refs get irritated with the guy during the game. I think P3 is playing better rugga thn AJ though, but AJ isn’t far behind.
I heard a whisper that G Botha may become captain for the game, but I find it very difficult to believe. That said its a great idea if Smit gets injured and Jake doesnt wanna make someone in the starting 15 captain, as you wouldn’t have to make any changes to the rest of the starting lineup, just to accomodate a captain
25 May 2006, 09:53 am
AJ captained the Sharks until Smit returned and was inspirational…I think his discipline was superb, and didn’t get involved in niggles in even the local derby games….
25 May 2006, 09:56 am
I think it would be absurd to hand the captaincy to someone who is not a seasoned Bok, even though it is not an official test.
25 May 2006, 10:00 am
As far as I am aware this is an unofficial test. Doesnt really matter. I believe AJ is the best option and this even coming from a stormers/WP fan…..
Matfield, although an awsome player is as brain dead as Barry, v Heerden doesn’t deserve to be there, I dont think JS has the leadership qualities needed yet, nor the respect of the other players. Burger will turn into another Skinstad, once he became captain, his game turned to ****.
AJ has the respect of the others, and will shoe great leadership, probably better than Smit in the long run.
25 May 2006, 10:07 am
Make De Wet Barry the captain. He is the one of most creative backs in world rugby..
25 May 2006, 10:13 am
Kudu, please share the drugs you’re on. As stated earlier, I am a stormers/WP supporter, but I will be the first to admit that Barry is a brain dead crash test dummy. Moron is way too good for the idiot.
25 May 2006, 10:27 am
anton leonard would have been the best captain after pienaar
25 May 2006, 10:27 am
Bring back Kepler….
25 May 2006, 10:34 am
Tompig,Kudu is pulling your socks man.
But dont be surprised when Barry has a decent game every now and then. Remember Jake is the coach and he will have the green jersey on.Also he will have 2 better players on his inside and outside.I am glad he is in the squad atleast as backup,but i did not say the same about MJ.
25 May 2006, 10:34 am
aj is a good choice
25 May 2006, 10:42 am
It is a no Brainer – AJ.
25 May 2006, 10:51 am
what difference does it make if it is an unofficial test or official other than for stats again
and to think that we have a world class ref to officiate is another farce
henning go man go
25 May 2006, 10:52 am
jake white for captain, with all the injuries who better to captain than the coach yeeeehaaaa!!!
25 May 2006, 11:18 am
So Gary Botha starts and Shimange gets some more time to practice his bench-sitting?
It seems JW thinks furniture is an important part of transformation …
25 May 2006, 12:17 pm
think jw should select a captain thats good enough to be in his world cup squad. would’ve been better if he was a regular in the starting line-up. this player should also be selected in a few games (even if jsmit is playing) to give him more exposure and to see whether this will work if js is injured at the world cup
25 May 2006, 12:30 pm
Silent Bob
There is conflict reports from the Springbokcamp. Read on Supersport last night that Shimange has got a foot injury. Hence Gary Botha. However, in this mornings paper there is a photo of Eddie Andrews, Shimange and Sephaka forming the frontrow. Seems like a madhouse up there. Hope Jake knows what’s going on.
25 May 2006, 12:38 pm
I think van Heerden should get it. He propably wont be in the starting lineup every game but it would be a good test run for him and Jake to test combinations in the WorldXV game. Otherwise the only other option is AJ
25 May 2006, 12:41 pm
The picture didnt show much, they rotate the forwards in two groups: Eddy, Shimange, Sephake
and then with OS, Gary, Carstens
25 May 2006, 12:52 pm
Bloem Leeu
I thought Os is injured ? The news yesterday clearly said that Shimange is injured as well ? What’s going on there bru ?
25 May 2006, 12:56 pm
Rude
I go the the practise sessions in the afternoons and everytime there is different players on the field and others walking around.
There is no talk of P3 being injured but he only practise 1 or twice this week. Bizarre
25 May 2006, 12:58 pm
Rude
The same with Chavanga earlier in the week he practised full speed, now he also has a groin injurie. What’s it with all the groin injuries??
I think all this is a smoke screen, but dont ask me why
25 May 2006, 13:00 pm
Bloem Leeu
Bizarre indeed. Hoe Jake is not setting himself up to play the blame game should they lose the game next weekend.
Thanks for your daily reports about the camp. Will rather trust you than all the conflicting reports from the papers.
25 May 2006, 13:07 pm
Thx Rude
I got new respect for Victor and Gary on Monday..or was it Teusday? Anyway they were the only Bulls players to complete the full training from all the Bulls players after they returned from NZ for they 1st practise.
The funny thing was the forwards kept chirping him calling him Old Toppie and asked if he was OK the whole time
25 May 2006, 13:16 pm
I would like to see Jake put his money where is mouth is and pick Wikus. He is the business!! Plus he is a Lion so that helps…
25 May 2006, 13:17 pm
I tried to wisper it in jakes ear the other day
25 May 2006, 13:22 pm
Ek lees nou net op news24 Pienaar is ernstig beseer en is vir 8weke uit!
25 May 2006, 13:26 pm
You Lie!!!
25 May 2006, 13:51 pm
Here comes ****, I suppose NDK will get another lucky call up !!!!
25 May 2006, 13:56 pm
supa
jou liegbek, was nou daar. jou idee van ñ grap? jy’s siek man
25 May 2006, 13:58 pm
AJ and Wikus are the only options. Matfield has already proven a failure as captian and Juan Smith needs to mature a bit – he lost his cool a few times in the Super 14 this year and the opposition will have taken note.
25 May 2006, 14:17 pm
AJ,JUAN anybody except Victor!
Barry and Burger are no cappies.Barry has ‘stampt’ his head to many times and Burger needs to play Hulk in the loose…but please no Vic!
25 May 2006, 14:53 pm
well it sounds like Wickus will need to be picked at 7 in that case, if Jw is true to his word.
6. Burger, 7. Wickus 8. Juan/AJ.
25 May 2006, 15:28 pm
AJ or Juan. They’re both exceptional leaders.
25 May 2006, 15:39 pm
Not only is Barry the most creative player in the Bok squad, but he also has an educated left and right boot. Pure class I tell you. This guy is a legend.
25 May 2006, 16:36 pm
Matfield has made to many comments this season about players from other unions to be considered for the captaincy. Wickus or Juan would be the logical choice. For me Wickus is the better captain out of the 2.
25 May 2006, 16:49 pm
kudu, i also like Barry, but educated left boot?
25 May 2006, 18:25 pm
yes bring back Kepler lol
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