AJ will lead shock Boks

AJ will lead shock Boks

26 May 2006

The Springbok XV team that will be announced next week for the match against the World XV will contain a number of shock selections.

Keo.co.za has reliably learnt the starting line-up for the unofficial Test at Ellis Park on June 3. It differs greatly from several predictions this past week, but at Friday’s “captain’s run”, the thinking in the Bok camp became much clearer. And a source close to the camp confirmed what is an exciting and youthful squad.

Uncapped lock pair Andries Bekker and Johann Muller will combine in the second row, while Ricky Januarie and Meyer Bosman will be the halfback pairing. Also, Bulls inside centre Wynand Olivier is to be switched to the No 13 jersey with De Wet Barry alongside him.

Olivier is considered by many as one of the brightest future Boks and his display in this game will be keenly watched. As expected the wings are experienced duo Gaffie du Toit (left) and Andre Snyman (right). Brent Russell gets his chance at fullback.

But as predicted by this site, AJ Venter, will be asked to captain the team in the absence of John Smit. Venter will be skipper when the Boks play a Free State Shimla side in a warm-up match at Vodacom Park this evening. He is expected to be formally announced as captain only next week though.

He has beaten off the challenge from Wikus van Heerden to lead the team, but the Cats flanker will play in the No 7 jersey alongside Venter who will start at No 8.

Baring injury, it seems coach Jake White and co are using this game to experiment with some youngsters ahead of more important matches later in June. It is unlikely that many of these players will feature against Scotland in Durban on June 10.

The front-row of Deon Carstens, Hanyani Shimange and Lawrence Sephaka will have their work cut out, especially with former Bok strongman Cobus Visagie out to prove a thing or two.

Springbok XV to play the World XV:

15 Brent Russell
14 Andre Snyman
13 Wynand Olivier
12 De Wet Barry
11 Gaffie du Toit
10 Meyer Bosman
9 Ricky Januarie
8 AJ Venter (captain)
7 Wikus van Heerden
6 Joe van Niekerk
5 Johann Muller
4 Andries Bekker
3 Lawrence Sephaka
2 Hanyani Shimange
1 Deon Carstens

Replacements:
16 Gary Botha
17 Jannie du Plessis
18 Albert van den Berg/ Danie Rossouw
19 Juan Smith
20 Ruan Pienaar
21 Jaco van der Westhuyzen
22 Wayne Julies

By Andrew Hollely, in Bloemfontein


328 Comments

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  • 1.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:02 pm

    thats good

  • 2.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:04 pm

    :mrgreen:

    Sigh…

  • 3.cab: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:04 pm

    that is good, front row dodgy tho.

  • 4.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:04 pm

    weak looking tight 5

  • 5.cab: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:05 pm

    jake still trying to convert van niekerk into fetcher, definitely has the speed, no forward in the game has his speed.

  • 6.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:05 pm

    cab,
    pierre spies has more speed than all the forwards and most backs

  • 7.cab: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:07 pm

    keg, true spies is bladdy fast, but dont underestimate joe, could be a close run thing.

    i like the idea of the strong DwB at 12 and WO doing his stuff at 13, similar the powerful snyman at wing allowing the little dance russel in at 15, could be great to see.

  • 8.RedCard: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:08 pm

    Ja boet! So much for Jakes wild statements…

  • 9.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:08 pm

    Worrie about our defense with WO

  • 10.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:09 pm

    worried

  • 11.jds: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:09 pm

    Jake White is a genius!

  • 12.bigg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:09 pm

    Whats so shocking about this team Andrew? :mrgreen:

  • 13.Quinntessential: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:10 pm

    Why oh why De Wet Barry why|??????????

  • 14.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:11 pm

    Hope they surprise us all by beating a starstudded world ix

  • 15.gecko: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:11 pm

    Pierre Spies is a bit tall for a fetcher isn’t he?

    Last week all the muppits called for White to rest some players/blood the youngsters.
    Now he has, and this thread will go to 300 posts with people moaning he has done that.

  • 16.Rudebud: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:12 pm

    I thought that Wikus was Jake’s blue eyed boy. The next best thing to John Smit ? After publicly declaring that Wikus was next in line for captaincy, this makes Jake look like a poepol.

    Bad move Jake. Now the players will take anything you say to them with a pinch of salt.

  • 17.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:12 pm

    Spies and Joe are about the same size. Remember it’s BIG JOE

  • 18.Brickwall: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:13 pm

    Just a pitty that the guy who deserves a start more than any other namely Pienaar, won’t get a start.

  • 19.steyn: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:14 pm

    keg

    why are you worried about WO in defence i think the last few games he did really good….and i think he will do better at outside center………lets see what happens

  • 20.Quinntessential: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:15 pm

    Well I am happy about AJ getting the captiancy but not about the inclusion of Barry.

  • 21.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:15 pm

    Pienaar will go on in 2nd 40 and make Marshall eat humble pie

  • 22.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:15 pm

    hope this team gets f@*d over. Jake the snake needs a good wake up call…

  • 23.gecko: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:15 pm

    Brickwall – it looks like a team that won’t get much change during the test. So Pienaar ommission might be indicative to bigger things.

  • 24.leeanthonyw: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:15 pm

    Quinntessential, this is a Bok A side, doffie!!
    A very clever selection indeed. Gives all the maybes a chance to show the Bok coach what they can do to get into the BOK side!!!! Only dubious selection is Van Heerden, that should probably be Luke Watson

  • 25.bigg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:16 pm

    Rudebud excatly about jw. JW what a ****…

  • 26.Rudebud: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:16 pm

    Jake blasted all the provincial coaches about playing players out of their positions. And then he picks Wynand at outside centre !!!

    Mooi Jake. Man of your word.

  • 27.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:16 pm

    and shimange?

  • 28.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:16 pm

    Steyn,
    WO is good with defense if they guy runs straight at him. It is a different story when they run angles. Look how De Wet Barry struggled with defense at 13

  • 29.leeanthonyw: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:17 pm

    All you ouens above are dense. This is an experiamental side

  • 30.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:18 pm

    this team does not look like a unit…just reads like a bunch of names put together…

  • 31.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:19 pm

    very experimental…

  • 32.cab: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:19 pm

    i think Barry is going to surprise a few with a good outside center like WO outside him, JW is the man.

    I do think our front row is going to get their gatte handed to them against Califano-Ibanez-Visagie.

  • 33.Quinntessential: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:19 pm

    leeanthonyw

    so?

  • 34.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:19 pm

    Only combination in this team is Shimange with Bekker for the lineouts

  • 35.Provvas: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:20 pm

    They are gonaa get klapped I suspect..
    But I hope they do well and some new guys show their talent…..Really wanna see what WO does in the green jersey…

  • 36.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:21 pm

    probably as much as JDV did in a black jersey…

  • 37.Provvas: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:22 pm

    Frontrow are gonaa be the problem…
    brent will be explosive…
    Who will Kick? Bosman or Gaffie?

  • 38.Snotmossel: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:22 pm

    Agree cab!
    Our depleted front-row is in for a snot-klap.
    Think the rest of the side is pretty well balanced with a nice mixture of strong-men like Snyman and more fleetfooted runners like Russel and Olivier.

  • 39.fabio: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:22 pm

    probable shimange!

  • 40.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:23 pm

    Shimmy for captain! LOL

  • 41.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:25 pm

    Good looking side , pitty Barry is still in the mix. I personally believe that that man needs a break from rugby. Hope he remembers there’s a guy next to him and i hope his not going to think his the flyhalf for most of the game. Otherwise nice to see the new players getting a run.

  • 42.Provvas: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:25 pm

    Does this mean we will see these players go back to their provinces after the squad is brought down to 30?

  • 43.Vandalozi: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:28 pm

    Post 28 Keg – De Wet did not struggle with the angles only his biggest problem is that he is so slow most forward can take him on the outside not to talk about backs.

    WO should be fine.

  • 44.Bloem Leeu: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:28 pm

    This is a good experimental squad. Good choice making AJ captain against the worldXV.

    Rude – I think Wickus will get his captaincy chance later in a test when John’s not playing.

    Keo – What time does the game start today against Shimlas, I wanna go and watch it.

  • 45.wpw: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:28 pm

    fabio, stop being so negative… so should JW pick his first 15 then? It will be good to see if there is indeed enough depth in the squad. Team wouldnt do too bad i think. Happy for Russel and WO as well as Muller and Bekker.

  • 46.wls: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:29 pm

    Keg not really fair on WO, he had one kak Super14 game, i even said he lost them that match.
    since then he has been a rock.

    This selection is precicly what JW needed to do.
    Seems he even listens to the public.

  • 47.Brickwall: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:29 pm

    Gecko

    I certainly hope you are right.

  • 48.keg: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:30 pm

    Vandalozi,
    I hope so cause I’m a big fan of WO.
    That boy has talent to burn!!

  • 49.banana boy: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:30 pm

    Is there going to be coverage of the game tonight Keo? anyone?

  • 50.Bloem Leeu: Reply to this comment
    26 May 2006, 14:31 pm

    Keg – I agree with you, but… my only concern is he doesn’t pass the ball

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