‘Boks have wing shortage’
20 May 2010
Chester Williams says Gerhard van den Heever and Gio Aplon should be in line for starting opportunities with the Springboks.
With injuries to JP Pietersen (knee), Akona Ndugane (broken leg), Jongi Nokwe (broken jaw) and Lionel Mapoe (shoulder), Bok head coach Peter de Villiers will have limited wing choices for the June Test series.
The Boks face Wales (5 June), France (12th) and Italy (19th and 26th). Odwa Ndungane and Tonderai Chavanga are the only fit wings who have Test experience, but Williams believes Van den Heever and Aplon are the form wings.
‘It is clear that there is a shortage of quality wings at the moment,’ Williams told keo.co.za. ‘Look at a side like the Bulls, they play scrumhalf Francios Hougaard on the wing while there aren’t any standouts at the Sharks, Lions or Cheetahs with the injuries to JP, Jongi and Lionel.
‘Bryan Habana will definitely start at left wing and I think Gio or Gerhard should fill in at right wing. Gerhard has been performing well for the Bulls and he’s been scoring a lot of tries, more than any other wing at the moment. So he deserves a chance.
‘Gio has played a lot at fullback with Joe Pietersen injured during the Super 14, but when shifted to wing, he has done just as well for the Stormers. Gio and Gerhard will be in my top two for wing selection.’
Williams added that Mapoe is the Boks’ biggest loss.
‘Last year, Lionel played some great rugby and he was one of the form wings. He played well again this year, but unfortunately he picked up that shoulder injury. This should’ve been his breakthrough season.’
Another potential option for De Villiers could be Cheetahs wing Bjorn Basson, who showed great try-scoring form towards the latter stage of the Super 14.
By Gareth Duncan
379 Comments
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20 May 2010, 16:42 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-296: Floksake that is funny!!! :capeflatssmile:
Made for G10 and Mini-me… With permission shall use that liberally. lol
20 May 2010, 16:43 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-350: You can spin your BS anyway you like. You accused 2 fellow posters of hijacking a thread when in fact they did not.
I reiterate… you are a chop.
20 May 2010, 16:45 pm
@mortdalemike(mortdalemike)-349:
Rather Aplon or Van Den Heever than:
Tonderai
Nokwe
Both Ndugane’s
Aplon and Van Den Heever’s performances have been great and adds depth to the Wing. It should however still belong to the two first choice men, Habana and JP.
20 May 2010, 16:50 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-352:
rulz, bp came with his #193 in his usual trolling style.
poppa is emotional
don’t think you have picked up the nuance.
the kiwi trollers are the chops in my view
20 May 2010, 16:57 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-301: Yep, great wine takes time to mature…I reckon by next year the Aussie wine will become really good
20 May 2010, 17:22 pm
@charo(charo)-354: Done and dusted mate, let it go.
@willievz(willievz)-355: You could be onto something there. I will be sure to keep my favourite vintages a secret; don’t want them getting too expensive now
20 May 2010, 17:29 pm
@willievz(willievz)-355: I could recommend a keeper… one to store and decant for that special occassion.
Homme rouge boîte de luxe
Your friends won’t go near their brannie and coke again.
20 May 2010, 17:59 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-357: Way to kill a thread. Don’t you know this is a klippies and coke site?
20 May 2010, 18:55 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-352:
Post 193.
Read it.
Everyone was talking about the wings situation and MacT and I were actually having a good debate on the subject.
Then BP out of nowhere starts harping on about the Boks vs France record which is INEVITABLY going to lead to the France always destroying the Kiwis at the WC argument.
Which is inevitably going to snowball into all sorts, followed by poppa69 once again getting on his SA refs are cheats high-horse.
Trolling.
Everytime.
20 May 2010, 19:13 pm
My Bok team to face Wales considering Id rest the Bulls and Stormers squad perhaps playing in the final of this years Super Rugby ….
15. Francois Steyn (invite).
14. Brent Russell (invite).
13. Marius Joubert (invite).
12. Jean DeVilliers (invite and vc).
11. Bjorn Basson.
10. Butch James (invite).
9. Ruan Pienaar.
8. Shaun Sowerby (invite).
7. Juan Smith.
6. Jean Deysel.
5. Juandre Kruger (invite).
4. Marco Wentzel (invite).
3. B.J. Botha (invite).
2. John Smit (c).
1. Daan Human (invite).
16. C.J. VanDerLinde (invite).
17. Schalk Britz (invite).
18. Jannie DuPlessis.
19. Ross Skeate (invite).
20. Ryan Kankowski.
21. Sarel Pretorius.
22. Tonderai Chavanga (see I dont hate all Lions players lol).
20 May 2010, 21:05 pm
Chester moet sy bek van die Bokspan af hou.
Gio Appels is te klein, hulle sal hom target die hele tyd!
20 May 2010, 21:36 pm
‘Chester Williams says Gerhard van den Heever and Gio Aplon should be in line for starting opportunities with the Springboks.’
Now let us be honest here, Chester was not always the sharpest pencil around, he only became a coach (a kak one at it) when his wife told him to take up coaching.
Chester my boi there are plenty of wingers around – fact!
20 May 2010, 22:57 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-346:
Actually, it was the spineless Vetkoek throwing around the baseless accusations, but noone takes notice of these morons, do they ? there’s plenty of good sorts around, why bother with the imbeciles ?
20 May 2010, 23:06 pm
@charo(charo)-354:
Youre lying.
1. No mention whatsoever of referees at 193.
2. The content of 193 referred specifically to Keo’s own Twitter entry which was directly BESIDE this article. Hardly ‘trolling’.
btw – I dont exactly know what ‘trolling’ is but I assume it means troublemaking via means completely outside the topic in point/unrelated ?
If so, this place has more trolls than not. The content around here is, regularly steering towards political, racist, righteous non-rugby related poop. So youre ALL farken ‘trolls’ !
20 May 2010, 23:18 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-359:
Atleast its not your magic disappearing trick every time youve been proven to speak BS.
Has that ‘photo’ of Smit with the S14 trophy – was he allowed to touch it too ?
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-352:
I wouldnt waste your energy on Vetkoek and McTuggie, tag’n'release. Ive had more fight from a piece of battered cod.
20 May 2010, 23:33 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-364:
Aaah Black pantie, you are the biggest doos troll around. Go find a puddle to jump into or something!
20 May 2010, 23:37 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-364:
lying?
stick to the subject matter…
otherwise refer some kiddie “twitter” side post.
are you suggesting your legendary sense of humour is losing it’s attraction?
or just breaking into a sweat thinking about rwc2011 in nz?
hitting the sack shortly so won’t see your response until the morning.
20 May 2010, 23:40 pm
@charo(charo)-367:
oh, before i go.
if you are going to give a lecture about political, racist posts…..
perhaps start with your fellow kiwi poppa..
i like the guy for his honesty and rugby passion…
but he seems to be a bit misinformed about the real history of this country..
cheers all
20 May 2010, 23:42 pm
@wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-353: Would more or less have to agree. Ndunganes are history in my opinion. Nokwe has the pace but not much else. Tonderai never lived up to expectations though he has tried extremely hard this year. I reckon he may have got some gametime this year had he stuck with Stormers.
But besides the point really. We dont lack wingers per se. We lack experience. Some exciting new talent brewing.
Top of my list would be Aplon (small but tough and excellent game breaker, rock solid on defence against guys twice his size, great kicker, just struggles with those cross field kicks – too short. Otherwise he´s a trooper and he set so many of the Stormers tries up this season its not funny. Van den Heever hasnt done anything too flash but he consistently finishes and is big and seems decent on defence.
Mapoe should be in the mix in future, but the newcomer who´s really setting the field on fire in my opinion is Mvovo. Watch this space boys. He´s going to be big in future. He´s fast, strong and aggressive. Excellent future prospect. Then we have the Bassons, Killians etc and perhaps on the horizon one should look at Mjekevu and Vulindlu.
In my opinion Houghaard is not a wing by any means. His best position is centre (outside). Where he reminds me of Quade Cooper in terms of talent.
No quibble. Thats the way it is at present with the older dogs like Habana, Pietersen and Nokwe always in the mix.
20 May 2010, 23:49 pm
@charo(charo)-367:
You said I started this ‘trolling’ about so-called ‘cheating referees’. I did not, sir.
Tell me, why does Keo post these Twitter entries on the page if theyre not there to be read/commented on ?
Chase your buddy, ShaunisGod around, or whatever he calls himself. I think you’ll find 99% of my posts are rugby-related. His ?
21 May 2010, 00:23 am
Killian what about Killian,
**** I feel like shaunisadog no one is listening…
21 May 2010, 01:32 am
nothing wrong with what Chester has suggested. Aplon, Van der Heever and Basson should all be earmarked for Bok places. Joe Pietersen too.
Players ready for Bok starts this year
Tiaan Liebenberg
Flip vd Merwe
Sykes
F. Louw
D. Vermeulen
S. Pretorius
P. Grant
J. De Jongh
L. Mapoe
B. Basson
G. Aplon
G. Van der Heever
J. Pietersen
On horizon
Mvovo
Mjekevu
Vulindlu
Hougaard
So really where this shortage of decent wings myth is I fail to see.
Another decent prospect at wing or Fb is R. Viljoen with a hefty punt and quick turn of pace to boot.
21 May 2010, 01:41 am
we all know this is a saffa brannas n coke site
What actually makes it appealing is the input from wide and afar in terms of both perspective and opinion.
What a dumb dour dishevelled place of insignificance it would become if we only had the likes of Mactoggle and Vettie agreeing with one another and slapping each other on the back all day every day.
Its the other perspectives from Poppa, BP and RR that actually brings diversity and interest else the agreeable brannas and coke would get pretty miff around the gullet.
21 May 2010, 01:46 am
strange (or not po strange really) how its usually found in the blogging world fraternity that its always the outsider that is brandished the troll. The insider back slapper brigade who close ranks and are always in agreement can never be termed or classified trolls, its always the non conformist outsider minority stake that inadvertently is cast as the trolling bad egg influence.
21 May 2010, 05:25 am
@skopskiet(yliad)-374:
There are trolls and there are trolls, and then there are trolling doos’s
B/Pantie fits in the later! Inside, outside, who cares, a doos is a doos ou maat!
21 May 2010, 07:20 am
373. skopskiet(yliad) it would be sooo peaceful…
PS: please take Shaunsadog with you too
21 May 2010, 08:27 am
@skopskiet(yliad)-374:
in one !
The intelligence factor around here literally halves in your intermittent absence.
21 May 2010, 17:16 pm
@skopskiet(yliad)-372:
Have to agree with you there on all counts Skoppie.
Tiaan Liebenberg – been outstanding and players whove done well in my opinion also are – Gary Botha, Deon Fourie, Craig Burden, Bandise Maku (streets ahead of Chilliboy)
Flip vd Merwe
Sykes – agreed again, one should also keep Anton van Zyl in mind and Franco vd Merwe – lock with loosie ability is a deadly combo.
F. Louw
D. Vermeulen
No shortage of talent here. Others who deserve Bok colours and more permanent roles are Deysel, Alberts.
S. Pretorius
Outstanding player – could see that in last years Currie Cup already with possible candidates in Kockott, Duwenhage (but has to stop the daft kicking thing).
P. Grant
Made me proud after an indifferent year last year. I think they should start grooming someone liek Riaan Viljoen for this position as well as I think he´d make an awesome flyhalf. He kicks well, runs well and plays intelligently. And strong on defence. A possibility? I think so.
J. De Jongh
One of the few new centres who made a claim for the jersey. Serious lack of depth in centres across the country – look at Sharks, Cheetahs, Lions and Bulls as an example.
They should stop playing around with Houghaard and leave him in centre permanently. Another who should be playing loads at centre should be Fabian Juries. He´s deadly and whats he doing? Not even warming the bench at Stormers. Playing Vodacom cup. Wonder how Barry Geel would have done if he´d been given game time this year. Walter Venter only other newcomer that springs to mind. Ebersohn been indifferent this year.
L. Mapoe
B. Basson
G. Aplon
G. Van der Heever
All good but would include Mvovo here – I think he plays as well as Basson, Van den Heever or Mapoe at the moment.
J. Pietersen
What a find! Saw him coming last year in Currie Cup too and my choice for Bok fullback at moment. Small but does the job.
Only other players in SA i would consider here at moment are, Kirchner, Riaan Viljoen (with more experience) and Stefan Terblanche. Patrick Lambie looks like a good prospect in the upcoming years.
Cant believe Ludik has been injured for so long. Would love to see how he does as he was amazing in last years Super 14. Must say Vermaak came back from injury and has not hit his straps at all this year.
On horizon
Mjekevu
Vulindlu
Definitely!!!
Also Lambie, Whitehead.
Hougaard
See above regarding centres
21 May 2010, 20:27 pm
brendon venter, deserves all the punishment he has received, he has a big mouth and needs to shut it hence this decision is a good one, he is a disgrace and shoul quit .
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