Ruan’s big Bok chance
25 May 2006
Springbok assistant coach Allister Coetzee admits there is a slight problem on the wings, but is thrilled with his choices at No 9.
The Bok backline for the opening international of the year is slowly taking shape, but one position which is far from settled is scrumhalf. A plethora of skilled halfbacks – amazingly all fit – present a pleasant selection conundrum for Coetzee and co.
With Fourie du Preez, Bolla Conradie, Ricky Januarie and Ruan Pienaar all fighting for the starting spot, it may be the Sharks man that gets his first Springbok cap. Pienaar has been a revelation this season and certainly deserves an opportunity ahead of more seasoned campaigners whose wares are well documented.
While the other three have been tested at international level, the World XV match presents Pienaar with an ideal chance to find his feet. “We are blessed at scrumhalf,” Coetzee told keo.co.za, “and we are still working out our options. On paper certain combinations work, but when put into practice deficiencies are shown up.”
Coetzee firmly believes the stop-gap wings – Gaffie du Toit and Andre Snyman – will not let the side down in the absence of out-and-out wingers such as Bryan Habana, Tonderai Chavhanga, Ashwin Willemse and Breyton Paulse.
It is a view shared by White, who is known to favour versatile backs. “Specialists are not essential. Pace is not a problem with these guys and they bring some extra bulk to the equation,†Coetzee said.
When questioned on the options at the base of the scrum, Coetzee produces a broad smile. South Africa is arguably better equipped in this position than any other country at the moment.
The one thing the Boks of 2006 are doing is focussing on the finer details of the game. “Jake has worked hard in the off season to find new ways to improve aspects of our play. And this year he has made it important to get the little things right first.”
Meanwhile, Cheetahs prop Jannie du Plessis, who was called to the Bok camp as a precautionary measure following the slew of injuries to front-rowers, may also get a chance to play against the World XV.
Despite not featuring in White’s original 45-man squad, Du Plessis may be used after losing CJ van der Linde to a fractured leg and BJ Botha to a sore neck. Also, Lawrence Sephaka is not match-sharp and Eddie Andrews is nursing a damaged shoulder. Os du Randt and Gurthro Steenkamp are already out.
By Andrew Hollely, in Bloemfontein
34 Comments
25 May 2006, 06:39 am
Allister Coetzee should be sent home …
25 May 2006, 06:58 am
“argueably” Andrew Ellis, Byron Kelleher, Kevin Senio and Piri Weepu are “better Equipment” than those 4 half backs. Satistics would say so for 2006 s14 anyway, for all they’re worth
25 May 2006, 06:59 am
Jannie du Plessis what thoughts on him?
25 May 2006, 07:01 am
why is coetzee with the boks? he is a knobhead!!!
25 May 2006, 07:23 am
Stoffel, I personally think Jannie is a great propect at tighthead. He is heavier more aggresive at breakdowns and possibly stronger than BJ anyway.
BJ’s advantage is his height or lack thereof though which enables him to get under his opponent. Short tightheads always come out on top.
Jannie is far better than Eddie or Sephaka anyway and should have been there from the beginning.
25 May 2006, 07:29 am
Agreed Ice
Jannie du Plessis does look a fine prospect and shouldn’t let any side down.There must be some concern about Free State front-rankers being able to play a full match,it would be a shock to their systems after Rassie’s keep ‘em fresh tactics!!!
25 May 2006, 07:49 am
what happens if jannie gets an injury? do you think cobus visagie is the answer?
25 May 2006, 07:59 am
How is possible that Sepahka is not fit after a s14 season. YES I know he did not start in most games but surely he trained with the CATS?
Perhaps his committment is not what it should be and that is why he did not start? — I will never understand why a man with world in ruigby as his oyster, does not take this opportunity with both hands — eish
25 May 2006, 07:59 am
I would love to see Pienaar get a chance to show his skills behind the Bok pack. This guys got class and im sure could become a superstar.
25 May 2006, 08:02 am
Why do we need bulk on the wings? Is this the attitude of a Bok Backline Coach?!!
South Africa will lose ground in the pace department. Who cares about bulk, if you are going to be outpaced all the time. France have some of the lightest players in the backline. Only recently have they gotten some bulkier players. But on any day, I’d back the french backline to outplay any other backline.
25 May 2006, 08:06 am
The Backline I’d rather see against the World XV is:
15.) Percy Montgomery
14.) Andre Snyman
13.) Jacque Fourie
12.) Jean de Villiers
11.) Brent Russel
10.) Meyer Bosman
9.) Ruan Pienaar
And Forwards:
8.) AJ Venter
7.) Juan Smith
6.) Schalk Burger
5.) Victor Matfield
4.) Danie Rossouw
3.) Eddie Andrews
2.) Gary Botha
1.) Deon Carstens
25 May 2006, 08:09 am
Lack of transformation there RugbyStudent. Will have to go with Ricky or Bolla at scrumhalf to make up the numbers.
25 May 2006, 08:18 am
Alister coetzee is a liability, and should only be used to carry tackle bags, thankfully they have brought in the aussie to overide any **** decision he makes. Suddenly he’s an expert
with cats coaching credentials. Agreed he should be sent home
25 May 2006, 08:28 am
Rugbystudent
Given the injury crisis, I cannot think of one change I would make to that team. Good one.
25 May 2006, 08:28 am
Finally somebody has confirm that janiie is in the bok setup… something i’ve been talking for two days now. Yet nobody listened, nobody knew anything.
Anyway good that Jannie is there, at least there is considerable hope that the tight five might fair against the world’s XV tight five. There are some great new prospects, and this underexpeienced for now team definitely can pull out a win in that match. Although the forward pack will be different into the world XV match. Jannie at tighthead, Eddie is injured, and now after Sephaka is also riddle with a small injury, deon comes in. One of the locks will rather be Muller or Bekker. And we might see Wickus play for this match, AJ rested a bit for th efuture, with Joe playing 8. time will tell.
hey tsiko, please shut up. RugbyStudent’s squad is definitely the best we have so far after the terrible injury omen.
25 May 2006, 08:29 am
Pitty Bret Barrit is not in the squad. I think that he is a better 10 than Bosman.
25 May 2006, 08:31 am
Who is you captain Student?
25 May 2006, 09:03 am
Rugby student…nice team…..I do wonder about Bosman. Its funny that Jaco has just had a bad game and he is written off again. He made a big diffs in the position of Roets’ when he got back and has played more good games than bad. Bosman is not proven. Even tho Jaco has been playing fullback he would shade Bosman IMO.
I like Carstens a lot.
You could also let Danie come off the bench,have AJ at lock and give Wickus his bok gametime ,see if he can do it…..even let him try his hand as kaptein ,see if the senior boks will respond to him.
Bulky no so fast wings !!!!!!!??
Havent we been hearing the comment from all and sundry that “there’s no substitute for speed” ?
Look at Frikkie Welsh’s bulky addition and how things goyt worse when Akona and Brian were dropped/chganged wings respectively.
Hasnt Habana’s pace been somnething that has been the difference for the boks and Bulls on a number of occasions.
The other teams will know exactly where to target us. Both these boys are pretty good and im happier with gaffie in the side,but hell man,we need specialist wings who have a few of the other skills…..catching high balls,an OK kick and the abilty to read a game.Why leave introducing JP Pietersen or the Ndungane’s to the bok setup for later. All 3 of these guys have the above abilities and vision and the abilty to join the line.If they are not the finished article,well then thats whjat coaches are for…get em started.Our old hero’s are going to keep getting injuries and you dont want a new boy thrown in when it really matters. get em started now. Lets have a new sensation developed this season !
25 May 2006, 09:04 am
Jannie!Jannie!Jannie!Jannie!Jannie!Jannie!
mmmm,but even if he has the game of his life will he be picked against the ‘big guns’- NZ,AUS? I dought it.
25 May 2006, 09:44 am
ricane,
Ha ha
Except for marshall you guys have no scrumhalves who are anything special at 9. Ellis, senio, weepu… oooooooooooooooooooh.
Were **** scared of those gamebreakers
25 May 2006, 10:03 am
Still can’t fathom anyone, other than opposing sides, relishing the fact that Gaffie is back in the fold!
25 May 2006, 10:11 am
As an ex tighthead I rate Jannie du Plessis as our best nr3. The man can play
25 May 2006, 10:30 am
bryce
Not exactly over the moon about gaffie,but becoz I never saw Snyman for Leeds I remember him ending crapply for the boks and this is why im happier about Gaffie than about Snyman.Its a comparison thing.
Also it seems Snyman was great for Leeds ,but who are Leeds and their opposition in comparison to Boks and their opposition. Does playingb well in the English league equate to internaional duty vs Oz,Nz,France??
25 May 2006, 10:36 am
playing 2 fullbacks (gaffie and russell) on the wing is of no disadvantage to us, as the two positions have effectively been interchangable in recent years, and russel and gaffie have the required pace. if a worst case scenario occurs though, we’ll simply have to break up the centre pairing of JdV and JF, as they both have what it takes to play wing.
the twins though are not an option, great as they are in provincial tournaments they don’t offer anything special to make an international team. anyone remember how kak they were when they first came onto the provincial scene? if they took so long to get used to currie cup and super rugby, they’ll take a helluva long time to get used to test rugby, and we don’t really have time to nurture them in the frame anyway.
i would put fourie on the wing (he’s played fullback and is solid under the highball) and play snyman at outside. problem solved, kapeesh
25 May 2006, 11:51 am
Ali.h, some players develop later than others – they have got the experience and there is absolutely zero reason to believe that garbage posted in your message.
In that case Jaco should never have been chosen for the Boks because he was a late developer too.
25 May 2006, 12:00 pm
bunce, last yr when chester williams was the coach of the cats and he failed he was the only one who got the chop and also got criticized..this despite the fact that he had Rassie as a forwards coach and Brendan venter assisted with the backs. No one was critical of them. Now Ludicrous was coach along with Coetzee who assisted with the backs and now he is still getting criticized… It is not as if the backline coach has all the say about the moves. Do you really think a coach is going to give the backline coach free reign to do as he pleases? At the end of the day the coach will inveriably get the boot and maybe his assistants as well…
25 May 2006, 12:44 pm
mikey,
jaco made his debut in 2000 while in his early twenties, this despite being in a kak bulls side. it was injuries that kept him sidelined, not form, but that’s besides the point. the world cup is next year and there isn’t time to develop players for test match quality anymore. yes they are solid players but how many of their tries have been scored out of individual brilliance? not many. in most cases they have simply finished off moves created by those on the inside.
and they have consistently been shown up by aussie and kiwi wingers in this years s14, despite both of them being in SA’s 2 top performing teams.
25 May 2006, 14:40 pm
get visagie in at prop.
25 May 2006, 14:49 pm
I thought this was not an official test. do the Springboks then get (test)caps for this?
25 May 2006, 14:58 pm
RUGBYSTUDENT I think the Bulk issue is based on how England won the last world cup, Remember worldcup rugby is miles different to year in year out test rugby. the Games become tighter and that is where strength comes to play.
Jake White knows what he has in Habana
25 May 2006, 15:27 pm
Coetzee is a muppet and should be sent home and be done with. look what happened to the cats when they were left in his hands!
25 May 2006, 18:18 pm
agree comment 21,bryce in oz,gaffies excuse after our Boks got hammered 27-0 by the All Blacks “no one really explained the running and defensive lines to me” and thats coming from a senior BOK,lol
25 May 2006, 18:20 pm
how would RUSSEL be at flyhalf,i reckon he`d be a real handfull !nice team Rugby student
26 May 2006, 02:31 am
ruan will enjoy this game against marshall, hopefully marshall isnt up to his usual dirty tricks and stomp on ruans hands.
snyman, although in a week side leeds, was pretty good. snyman and marshall were the only attack the leeds team had. snyman looked for work all over the place, his defence was sound.
an outside center has got to have pace, so all of those who reckon snyman not fast enough for wing shouldnt be considered for #13 then.
the grounds up north are heavy and the difference between snyman and say habana over 50m would be almost nothing. snyman if i recall correctly was absolutely massive on defence when he previously played for boks before breking his ankle. im really glad that jake has got him into the setup. agree he mite not start in the big games, but is worthy of being in the 22. paulse would get my pick to start. he is sound in defensive lines, is very clever defender and his attacking lines are also smart. and huge positive he can kick well, very well. a winger that percy needs since habana hasnt proved kicking class yet.
our team needs guys like snyman, percy, paulse, os, vic and AJ to give direction and calmness out on the field. in a way jake is doing a sir clive in that he is equiping the team with old steady heads for the big tight games. the smarts and workhorse attitudes will win us a world cup. this is what we are building for. add to that the young talent in ruan and olivier and burger and we gonna be a great side in a season time.
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