Jean is captain!
30 May 2006
Jean de Villiers is Jake White’s shock choice to captain the Springbok XV against the World XV on Saturday.
Announcing the team in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, White surprised the gathered media by naming the talented inside centre to lead the team for the festival match.
De Villiers has 20 Test caps (and 11 tries) to his name and is considered by many to be one of the most naturally gifted players in the country. He has obviously, at 25-years-old, got a long career ahead of him.
This elevation could be the beginning of his apprenticeship to eventually taking over from Smit full-time in the next few years.
De Villiers was not considered by any for the position in speculations in the past week. After it was vacated by the injured John Smit, AJ Venter, Wikus van Heerden and Victor Matfield were expected to carry the torch.
Both Venter and Van Heerden are included in the squad and were considered the only candidates in the race, after Victor Matfield dropped out because of injury last week.
The squad of 23 includes three players who have not previously played for the Boks – lock Johann Muller, scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar and centre Wynand Olivier – all on the bench.
Wayne Julies will travel with the squad to Johannesburg as cover, while the rest of White’s charges will remain in Bloemfontein to continue preparing for the first Test against Scotland in Durban on June 10.
After white toyed with the idea of fielding a young and inexperienced line-up, he has actually chosen a team full of experience for a match that will help map the way forward in an extremely congested international season.
Certain combinations will be tested against a World XV that arrived on Tuesday morning vowing not to just make up the numbers.
The match 22 is extremely experienced with a combined 400 Test caps behind them, while the starting XV has 345 caps, broken down to 150 among the forwards and 195 in the backline.
Springbok XV versus the World XV:
1. Deon Carstens
2. Hanyani Shimange
3. Eddie Andrews
4. Danie Rossouw
5. Albert van den Berg
6. Wikus van Heerden
7. AJ Venter
8. Joe van Niekerk
9. Ricky Januarie
10. Jaco van der Westhuyzen
11. Gaffie du Toit
12. Jean de Villiers (captain)
13. Jaque Fourie
14. Andre Snyman
15. Percy Montgomery
Replacements:
16. Gary Botha
17. Lawrence Sephaka
18. Johann Muller
19. Pedrie Wannenburg
20. Ruan Pienaar
21. Wynand Olivier
22. Brent Russell
23. Wayne Julies
By Andrew Hollely
319 Comments
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30 May 2006, 14:26 pm
100!
30 May 2006, 14:26 pm
kevin w
You are clearly in the same league as my girlfriend when it comes to knowledge of the game.(She knows precious little)The Ndunganes are much improved and have had very good seasons.With this sentiment I agree,Andre Snyman is a highly experienced Springbok who evidently has been in superb form for Leeds and Gaffie du Toit is also a capped Bok,played well for the Cheetahs and can actually kick a ball.It would take one video session for an international coach to pick up that the Ndunganes cannot clear their own lines effectively and exploit this weakness.As far as Ricky Januarie goes he is the Bok incumbent and will be given a chance to prove that his poor form in the Super 14 is not a permanent malady.Ruan has shown his worth and been rewarded and will establish himself at this rate,it is Jake that has sung the tune of consistency and he himself must stand by this. You clearly forget Ricky Januarie’s excellent performances for the Boks last year or simply suffer the non-white=quota syndrome.
30 May 2006, 14:27 pm
yippee!
30 May 2006, 14:27 pm
eina! beaten by an ikey…
30 May 2006, 14:27 pm
wasn’t meant to be big g
30 May 2006, 14:27 pm
P.S. Kevin I too am a Sharks fan and would love to see Ruan as No.1,but his time will come sooner rather than later.
30 May 2006, 14:28 pm
Mossel
Fok pel. There is no time to bring in someone else I suppose. Hopefully Pretorius will be fit, although its sad that that there is not a better option.
If Bret Barrit just had a little more experience or Maybee Pienaar, I wopuld have gone with them.
I strongly believe that your most talented ballplayer should be 10. (Even JDV, but his kicking abilities might be a propblem)
30 May 2006, 14:28 pm
Brickwall (post 94)
Check it out. The thread is still on the homepage. NZ multi-million squad selection. 91 Players in group.
30 May 2006, 14:28 pm
30 May 2006, 14:28 pm
big g
joe is very talented thats for sure, but when last did u see any of the flair that made him such a great player in the first place. He is just playing on reputation, and has been dion it for a while now
30 May 2006, 14:29 pm
OK guys this isnt springbok 1st team and this is no test.
So yeah let jdv play captain but with me been bull supporter would have like to see aj venter (lots respect for him how he gets the forwards moving) get the nod. The battle won in the forwards get your lineouts and scrums and drives and send your backline away. Can clearly see this isnt a test match cos what the hell is joe doing playing no 8 pedrie should have been there. Ricky january showed poor form for the cats … very predicatable. He cant kick and he loves to run instead of giving the backline ball … hell he takes about 4 steps and then pass the ball. Ruan should play from begin. Then jdv i think he needs some rest but then again since this isnt a test maybe white wanted to boost his ego afterall jdv hasnt played a decent game for stormers.
oh yeah thanx jdv for letting the mighty bulls go play semi-final we thank you for that and jake also thanx you. aehahahahah
30 May 2006, 14:34 pm
:blush:
30 May 2006, 14:34 pm
30 May 2006, 14:34 pm
Kevin
I agree on some points ie his kicking. I think he has a great pass though. With regards to seniority i think he has only had one season with boks. Fourie is actually more senior. Personally i dont mind him, but my preference, even though i am a shark fan, if FDP for scrummie.
30 May 2006, 14:35 pm
30 May 2006, 14:36 pm
:redface:
30 May 2006, 14:36 pm
:ashamed:
30 May 2006, 14:36 pm
strange no-one mentions jacques botes?
he was, with AJ and pedrie the form loosie in the S14.
according to some stats i saw, luke does not even rate in the top 4.
as for january’s distribution, he had a 99% passing grade in his clearance/passing game in the S14, i still rate fourie though, and ruan deserves his place through is performances.
30 May 2006, 14:37 pm
NZ did not pick 91 players in the All Black squad – only 39. Then there is the Junior All Blacks that’s going to play in some pacific tournament and the Under 21′s.
All of these together makes the 91
30 May 2006, 14:37 pm
Mmmmm….
30 May 2006, 14:37 pm
Grrrr how about
:catstowinsuper14:
30 May 2006, 14:38 pm
How about :youredreamingaboutyourmother: then RedCard?
About a slikely?
30 May 2006, 14:41 pm
PA
pienaar will become a great, has to work on defence and passing though
would also pick fourie
30 May 2006, 14:43 pm
kevin, yip FdP is also good, we have 3 worldclass scrumhalves, the only problem with Januarie is his conditioning, he looks to have put on a few pies, but he’s a great little player.
Am the first to agree that the Cats are ****, but that would also mean droppiing a player likes Jacques Fourie, who is our best backline player.
30 May 2006, 14:47 pm
125
30 May 2006, 14:47 pm
drunk ****** – the reason the Bulls cannot win the S14 ever is because the have a problem OFFLOADING IN THE TACKLE – the BULLS love to go to ground and this is when Richie MCCAW steps in to say THANKS – THATS WHY WE DO NOT WANT BULLS LOOSIES – THEY CANNOT OFFLOAD IN THE TACKLE
30 May 2006, 14:49 pm
Mystic Boer (post 119)
NZ’s multi million-dollar squad selection
Saturday 27 May 2006
The New Zealand Rugby Union will on Sunday commit R6 million to a squad selection that will include 91 players.
“This is all part of a long-term strategic initiative to have more elite players involved so we can potentially develop more All Blacks.â€
The Junior All Blacks refers to players next in line to play for the All Blacks, not to age. The other squad is a Maori squad.
My point is only that Jake should have made the squad bigger and included a couple of more players. That way he could have tested them all and have the results first hand available. Nobody would have slammed him the way they are doing now. Makes sense.
30 May 2006, 14:49 pm
122
30 May 2006, 14:50 pm
motoX
Good points.The hallmark of a great player is his ability to sum up a situation and pick the right option most of the time.The Bulls this year wether through the demands of their coach or purely through lack of tactical awareness failed misearbly in this situation.
30 May 2006, 14:50 pm
:banghead:
30 May 2006, 14:50 pm
dial-up to slow
30 May 2006, 14:51 pm
:axe:
30 May 2006, 14:52 pm
30 May 2006, 14:52 pm
:shakefist:
30 May 2006, 14:52 pm
:fight:
30 May 2006, 14:52 pm
:confused:
30 May 2006, 14:53 pm
:verbaas: dat niks van die wil werk nie…
30 May 2006, 14:53 pm
WTF
30 May 2006, 14:54 pm
Brick jyt die : : vergeet!
30 May 2006, 14:55 pm
rastafox,
I’d rather be in the same league as your girlfriend, because clearly your league doesn’t require a brain! Would i be pushing for the Ndungane’s if I had a problem with non-white players you friggin idiot! It is you my friend that is obsessed with the colour thing.
Yes Gaffie can clear his line, but can he finish off and score tries … don’t recall too many from the Super 14. You can’t defend yourself to victory, just like you can’t save yourself to prosperity!
30 May 2006, 14:55 pm
Ek het gepoep:
En nou is ek skaam:
30 May 2006, 14:57 pm
30 May 2006, 14:57 pm
Baie geluk Jean,
Onthou net die kaptein moet wys hoe word daar getackle!!!!! – en ttans is hy slegter as MJoubert .
30 May 2006, 14:58 pm
:clown:
30 May 2006, 14:59 pm
:WTF:
30 May 2006, 15:00 pm
i wanna see january get the ball and pass it… not run 4 steps and then pass it …when he see a gap then he can run with it. Thats what makes george gregan such a good player he is unpredictable.
Then the backline maybe its south african mentality but we sell r wings … what i mean is the ball gets to the wing but theres no space to run they right on the line. I would like to see the ball go to the wing but before that happens the center must cut into the field. Give the wing some space. yeah then also tackling i wanna see some crunching tackles from the backline.
30 May 2006, 15:01 pm
sooner or later ill get one that works. albeit accidently.
30 May 2006, 15:01 pm
Wikus, AJ en Joe is almal baldraers, wie gaan cross-defense doen en fetch?
30 May 2006, 15:01 pm
150
30 May 2006, 15:02 pm
150 !
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