Top Boks sit out Currie Cup
2 Jul 2010
Twenty contracted Springboks will undergo a conditioning programme between the end of the Tri-Nations and the Currie Cup play-offs.
As reported by this website in January, an elite group of players will not feature in the domestic competition until the semi-finals and final. Saru confirmed the news on Friday, and added that the move to condition 20 contracted players was geared towards World Cup success in 2011.
‘We undertook a similar programme in 2006 and were satisfied with the results and have again had buy-in from the provincial unions and our competition sponsor, Absa and from SuperSport,’ said Andy Marinos, manager of national teams. ‘The significant difference this time is that the players will appear in the knockout stages of the Absa Currie Cup – something that didn’t happen in 2006.
‘That was a strategic decision as we wanted to give the players some game time before the end-of-season tour, which will be deliberately approaching as if it were a World Cup campaign.’
The Boks finish their Tri-Nations campaign on 4 September, and those that are not among the selected group will play for their provinces.
Western Province look likely to benefit from the return of Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Francois Louw and Gio Aplon. They’ll receive a second wave of Boks a month later, assuming that they qualify for the play-offs.
After the Tri-Nations, the Bulls should have Francois Hougaard and Zane Kirchner back to boost their backline.
Strangely, coach Peter de Villiers has included several players with long-term injuries in the group of 20, players like Heinrich Brussow and Fourie du Preez who are not available for the Tri-Nations nor the Grand Slam tour.
Jean de Villiers may have been excluded due to his lack of game time at a South African union, but their are a couple of other injured players who could do with an extended run. Juan Smith has missed the Incoming Tours as well as the Australasian leg of the Tri-Nations. The same goes for Bismarck du Plessis, who is currently recovering from a neck injury.
Ruan Pienaar is also in the contracted group despite reports that he’ll take up a contract with Irish club Ulster at the end of the year.
The contracted Springboks are: Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Adrian Jacobs, Ricky Januarie, Tendai Mtawarira, Victor Matfield, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Danie Rossouw, John Smit, Juan Smith, Morné Steyn and Pierre Spies.
32 Comments
2 Jul 2010, 16:56 pm
Adi Jacobs is back?
2 Jul 2010, 16:58 pm
Good squad that. Does this indicate Pienaar’s contract with Ulster is not done and dusted? SARFU has no hold over foreign clubs. Like Franscois Steyn, they can’t tell Racing Metro to rest him.
2 Jul 2010, 17:07 pm
“Strangely, coach Peter de Villiers has included several players with long-term injuries in the group of 20, players like Heinrich Brussow and Fourie du Preez who are not available for the Tri-Nations nor the Grand Slam tour” – that must be the most stupid comment to come from a professed rugby journo…
Strangely enough its called supporting those players who have served the Boks valiantly while their battered bodies recover from being damaged in the name of national sporting combat… In short its called being loyal to those players who have shown loyalty to the Bok jersey… Yes it is strange and unrecognisable to many for it is a rare site in SA rugby to see such as thing as loyalty to players…
Well done PdV. Many salute you.
Jean de Villiers needs to realise that although he may always be a blonde favorite of the liberal Weepee self-prfessed revolutionary brigade, he needs to prove himself for the Boks again – he has to work himself up from lower down the ladder of preference…
2 Jul 2010, 17:13 pm
How can Jean De Villiers not be in that group?! IS it cos he went to play in Ireland?
2 Jul 2010, 17:14 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-3: Well said about PDiv and SARU (maybe?) showing loyalty and supporting those Boks.
2 Jul 2010, 17:14 pm
@THEBokFan(bokfan1)-4: Its because even the Irish thought that he was playing rubbish…
2 Jul 2010, 17:16 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-6: And he was, expect one game vs Perpignan. At least he wasn’t so consistantly rubbish like CJ at Leinster.
2 Jul 2010, 17:18 pm
Looking at that squad again – only thing missing a top tighthead and a fullback. Snor has 1 year to find the right players (although F Steyn will probably be the 15).
2 Jul 2010, 17:19 pm
@THEBokFan(bokfan1)-5: Yeah, SARU… Many of their decisions seem to resemble those of a troop of clowns at cirque… no – Boswell Wilkie, but this time SARU have permitted something positive to happen, it seem.
Have to laugh at this continual sniping agenda at PdV… Keo and co. would dearly like to see him trip up…
2 Jul 2010, 17:23 pm
@gecko(gecko)-7: Yup, CJ was an embarassment at Leinster…
I saw JdV do one thing notable the whole season – a crash ball from about 10m to score a try…
The looks of utter surprise on his Munster team mates’ faces when it happened, said it all…
2 Jul 2010, 17:27 pm
Holland 2-1 up on Brazil
2 Jul 2010, 17:32 pm
A Brazilian sent off – bwahahahaha
2 Jul 2010, 17:52 pm
ORange wins
2 Jul 2010, 17:57 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-12:
And now again, what say you?
If it ain’t DUTCH it ain’t MUCH.
The Brazilians allowed Dunga( played a lot in Italy) to force them to play crazy Italian type cheating football.
What happened to the beautiful game? All I saw was petulant, over-aggressive cheating Brazilian footy with a stupidly weak ref. allowing them too much leeway.
They simply concentrated on not allowing the Dutch to play their game.
2 Jul 2010, 18:10 pm
These players were contracted at the beginning of this season. At that stage JdV was still overseas bound, Heinrich B, AdI Jacobs etc were still playing rugby. Ruan Pienaar had at that stage no overseas contract as well. Absolutely nothing strange giving the point in time when contracts was dished out.
2 Jul 2010, 18:41 pm
WELL DONE HOLLAND……………YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Felt totally awesome to see the Dutch win it. Almost felt like I was still living in Amsterdam. What a great, great feeling to see Holland win this one. Saw them go down to Brazil while living in Holland in 94 in the semi of that world cup held in America. They also lost to Brazil in the semi in 98. So this time the victory felt so00000000000 sweet to see them beat Brazil in my own country.
Go party now the Dutch supporters. You deserve it. So many came to our country to watch their team, think about 40 000 came, by that they also supported our world cup we are hosting.
Now for the next game, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GHANA, GOOD LUCK GHANA. Hope they win.
2 Jul 2010, 18:47 pm
@ET(ET)-14: After that game I may even watch Ghana play… I shall be supporting the Black Stars… What price a Holland vs Ghana semi ? Nobody saw that coming, if it does?
2 Jul 2010, 18:55 pm
It’s obvious these 20 contracts were sighned at the beginning of the year.
This is a great plan, blood more youngsters while resting my beloved Boks without loosing much the currie cup by playing them in the semis
2 Jul 2010, 19:03 pm
This is a step in the right direction. I wish we were more agile in our decision-making. Why twenty players, not thirty? Many of our props and other key players are excluded.
We make half-right decisions.
2 Jul 2010, 21:23 pm
muntari …… the man no ghanaian wanted in the team!!!!!
2 Jul 2010, 21:25 pm
ahhh f*ck the human traffic’
ers scored
2 Jul 2010, 21:30 pm
@charo(charo)-20: GO GHANA. GO GHANA.
Really hope Ghana win tonight.
2 Jul 2010, 21:35 pm
@Puma(Puma)-22:
hi puma.
guys are going crazy.
ghanaians aren’t arrogant like NIGERIANS.
they are hopeful …. but don’t expect it is their right to win.
see you on the other thread.
2 Jul 2010, 22:34 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-17:
Since it is now into extra-time that speculation of yours is still possible.
So go Ghana, do it for your Leeds son, Tony Yeboah, the man of the goal of that season fame.
2 Jul 2010, 23:13 pm
@charo(charo)-23: Charo, damn feel for Ghana now. That missed penalty could cost them. Hate these penalty shoot outs. What a pity about that damn miss. Hope they can still make it.
Damn Ghana could have been through to the semi now. Not watching the penalty shoot out. Nerves can never take that. Will see after who have made it through.
3 Jul 2010, 08:48 am
Adi Jacobs is best option of a contracted springbok center…! we are in trouble come world cup time.
Should be Jean and Jaque and back up JDJ and Olivier, Adi is over the hill.
3 Jul 2010, 10:53 am
Let them sit out the whole of the CC and let them assemble for training camp a month before the EOYT to ensure that they are fresh and have no reason to lose to minnow sides like Ireland.
3 Jul 2010, 12:33 pm
Poor Ghana!
3 Jul 2010, 14:38 pm
I’d love to know who is going to pay these guys while they sit on their a$$es drawing a salary from their Unions?
3 Jul 2010, 14:46 pm
@gecko(gecko)-2: no gecko it aint done and dusted
4 Jul 2010, 08:31 am
no guthro steenkamp! Does he not have a contract then?
5 Jul 2010, 13:14 pm
What was the vibe with CJ has any one been watching club rugby? Scrummaging or general play? The oke was a machine when he left.
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