Experience will test Boks
30 May 2006
The 26-man World XV squad has a wealth of experience with the players boasting an impressive 901 Test caps amongst them.
Compared to the 400 Test caps in the 23-man squad announced by Jake White on Tuesday, the gulf is immense. It must be remembered though that many of the World XV are past their prime, while most of White’s Boks are at the peak of their careers.
The World XV is in South Africa on a 10-day tour, during which it will face a Springbok XV at Ellis Park in Johannebsurg on June 3 and a Western Province Corne Krige XV at Newlands in Cape Town on June 9.
The squad is mostly drawn from international players based in the United Kingdom with two drawn from the Japanese league. Seven Nationalities are represented in the squad, which includes seven New Zealanders, eight Frenchmen, five Australians, three Englishmen, one South African, one Italian and one Fijian.
The highest capped player in the squad is flanker Olivier Magne, who has represented France 83 times. He is closely followed by New Zealand scrumhalf Justin Marshall and Australian fullback Matt Burke, who have each played 81 Tests.
Several others have played 50 times or more for their countries – Australian wing Joe Roff (76), French hooker Raphael Ibanez (72), French prop Christian Califano (69), Australian number eight Toutai Kefu (60), Australian flank Owen Finegan (55), Italian prop Andrea Lo Cicero (53) and French centre Thomas Castaignede (50).
Of the rest, those to have reached double figures in Test caps are New Zealand flyhalf Carlos Spencer (43), South African prop Cobus Visagie (29), English hooker Mark Regan (28), French number eight Sebastien Chabal (24) and New Zealand prop Dave Hewett (22).
A handful of players have played eight Tests or less – Xavier Rush (New Zealand, 8 ), Radike Samo (Australia, 6), Mark Robinson (NZ, 3), Cedric Debrosse (France, 2), Fraser Waters (England, 2), Bruce Reihana (NZ, 2), Isa Nacewa (Fiji, 1) and Sam Harding (NZ, 1).
The only uncapped squad members are Gloucetser flyhalf Ludovic Mercier and Bourgoin lock Julien Pierre.
“We have a very experienced group of players on tour,” said coach Bob Dwyer. “Almost half of them have played forty Tests or more. The game against the Springbok XV will be an interesting match up between players who have performed well during the European season and the form players from the Super 14,” he added.
28 Comments
30 May 2006, 15:39 pm
Just to piss of the *****
DRAGONS
30 May 2006, 15:40 pm
who won the tickets?
30 May 2006, 15:41 pm
8)
30 May 2006, 15:45 pm
Dumb Question.
Would this count as a test?
30 May 2006, 15:46 pm
should be a very interesting game.
30 May 2006, 15:47 pm
Can’t wait to see Bob’s lineup I hope it looks something like this:
1.Califano
2.Ibanez
3.Visagie
4.Finegan
5.Samo
6.Magne
7.Chabal
8.Kefu
9.Marshall
10.Spencer
11.Roff
12.Castaignede
13.Nacewa
14.Reihana
15.Burke
30 May 2006, 15:47 pm
no brick it doesnt count as a test.
30 May 2006, 15:47 pm
Brick No Test status
30 May 2006, 15:48 pm
rastafax, that is a friggin mean looking team.
30 May 2006, 15:53 pm
I disagree,
I think Bob can pick a much stronger side than that. That midfield is very poor, the backrow combination is also poor.
When did Finegan start playing lock…wasn’t he a flanker?
Frontrow is strong….no doubt about it.
30 May 2006, 15:56 pm
The boks should win it comfortably.
30 May 2006, 16:37 pm
Andrew,
Just a little typo, Nacewa (fiji),
15.Roff
14.Reihana
13.Burke
12.Castaignede
11.Nacewa
10.Spencer
9.Marshall
8.Kefu
7.Magne
6.Finegan
5.Pierre
4.Samo
3.Visagie
2.Ibanez
1.Califano
My starting XV for the World XV. Hope its a great game.
30 May 2006, 16:52 pm
CSI – That was on the release given to us by the World XV okes.
I didn’t check close enough so my bad, but you are right. He played a couple of minutes at the 2003 RWC didn’t he?
30 May 2006, 16:55 pm
CSI
that team looks very good!
be scared boks
30 May 2006, 16:56 pm
Andrew
Its all good mate, yeah I think he had like 2 minutes and that was him tied down to Fiji for life. Pity as they have not selected him since.
30 May 2006, 17:02 pm
CSI – Yip, Wasn’t he supposed to tour with Fiji at end of last year, but decided to stay and train with the Blues instead? Exciting player.
It’s fixed!!
30 May 2006, 17:04 pm
Andrew
Yip, I bet it’s fixed, unfortunate for the young guy, he plays good rugby and if Blues could just play in one position he would be even better, he at 10 instead of Lavea for the NPC and getting a touch of the ball in the RWC 03 pretty much sealed the end of his AB aspirations. Sad but thats pro rugby for ya.
30 May 2006, 17:10 pm
CSI – we done the same thing to Tonderai Chavhanga actually. Just picked him against Uruguay and then he hasn’t played since.
Mind you he has been in the squad…
By the way, where exactly you based?
30 May 2006, 17:37 pm
….against the form players from the Super 14. What has Dwyer been smoking. Not one player starting on Saturday is on anyone’s list of best players of the tournament. I guess his trying to sell tickets and convince everyone that this is a worthy match.
30 May 2006, 17:51 pm
The World XV is missing one person.
Where is Christian Cullen?
What has happened to him, is he still playing club rugby?
The last time I heard he was in the UK.
30 May 2006, 18:03 pm
I believe he is injured
30 May 2006, 20:12 pm
Bloody disgrace that Cobus Visagie has only 29 test caps.
30 May 2006, 21:07 pm
Im slightly concerned that Jake is favouring bulk over speed on the wings (injuries permitted) but other than that im fairly happy with our side. Of course the World side is going to boast some top class players but after watching England nail them on Saturday i think the Boks should be able to at the very least handle these guys. In Jake we trust!
30 May 2006, 23:05 pm
Can you imagine what it is like being part of that touring group.
What an atmosphere!
31 May 2006, 01:15 am
IF they take it seriously, this could well be an excellent match . However some of those players are party biys – Roff, Spencer, Finegan, Castiaganede as starters, so I’d imagine they are right into good timing. Strong looking side though and will be better after the twickers run.
31 May 2006, 08:21 am
You know why the Bokke are going to lose?? Tackle problem!!!!!
31 May 2006, 10:36 am
WHO ELSE WILL BE PLAYING THIS WEEKEND?
31 May 2006, 23:16 pm
cullen is playing for munster. heaps of injuries and poor form.
after watching the ICC world XI play, Ned Flanders (dwyer) will have to get his players to take it seriously. The ICC team never gelled and they went out on the piss before one of the ODIs
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