Bakkies boost for Boks
8 Jul 2010
Bakkies Botha has been declared fit and will start in the Springboks’ Tri-Nations opener against the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.
Botha and Danie Rossouw were doubtful for the clash at Eden Park as they were suffering knee injuries during the week. However, both players have passed fitness tests and will feature for the Boks this weekend – Botha alongside Victor Matfield in the second row while Rossouw will provide lock and loose forward cover on the bench.
‘Bakkies is an old stalwart and with Victor they form a formidable combination,’ Bok head coach Peter de Villiers told stuff.co.nz. ‘They understand each other. Bakkies will always bring that something extra, so for us it’s a plus to have him available.
‘Both of them [Botha and Rossouw] were outstanding in the Super 14 and it’s just reward for them to be part of the mix. I’m so blessed to have a guy like Danie to fall back on if anything happens to the back three, and he can cover lock too. Then again Andries had a good Super 14 and I can’t wait to let him loose on the field.’
In other selections, Jean de Villiers and Zane Kirchner start at wing and fullback respectively which sees Gio Aplon drop to the bench. Wynand Olivier also partners Jaque Fourie in the midfield.
With Aplon – who started against Wales, France and Italy – left on the bench, De Villiers denied that he took a ‘bigger is better’ approach to this weekend’s Test.
‘We’ve got a few guys in our team whose hearts are bigger than their bodies,’ De Villiers said. ‘You can easily be fooled by physicality alone. We’ve got a holistic approach. The skill level of our team is quite high too, so we’ve struck a happy medium with the guys we’ve got in our team.
‘Last year it [team selection] was a bit easier. We only had that starting XV and seven guys on the bench. This year in almost all positions we have to sit down and think what will be best for this Test. That makes it difficult to go to a guy and explain why he’s not part of it. I just hope the players that are there will reward us with a great performance.’
De Villiers continued: ‘I think the circumstances that we find ourselves in have necessitated this kind of selection. We expect a soft field because it’s a little bit wet here. We have gone for stability more than anything else and if you look at the guys that we chose then these are the guys that brought the stability in the Super 14. We are confident that the team we selected will be up for the challenge.’
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Gio Aplon.
269 Comments
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8 Jul 2010, 13:42 pm
Has Kirshner ever played against the All Blacks? Did he have a run last year or was that just against the Lions? Dont rate him at this level, Aplon deserves a chance.
I cant wait for the match, it will be an epic, i can sense an All Black victory, there is not point debating who will win this one, the teams will do there talking on the pitch!
Go BLACK!
8 Jul 2010, 13:43 pm
@nama1(nama1)-249:
The SA Lock, that has the best form in NZ, IMHO, is Danie Rossouw.
For the “his Bull are” or the Boks.
I don’t know why……………….maybe he sleeps on planes better.
He just is.
He is enthusiastic, athletic, competent and nuggety.
I’m glad he is on the bench. And I hope he stays there for 80 minutes as well.
8 Jul 2010, 13:50 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-240: my point being the boks quality regressed since last year and the kiwi’s got better.
there can only be one winner this weekend.
8 Jul 2010, 13:55 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-253: unless its a draw, then theres no winner
8 Jul 2010, 13:58 pm
@NZMaori(NZMaori)-251:
No he aint yet, i dont belive, worst thing is our choach has left Frans Steyn out due to not being up to southern hemisphere standard
8 Jul 2010, 14:01 pm
Bakkies is the best lock in New Zeeland
8 Jul 2010, 14:13 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-252:
You’re right. He’s a real workhorse. Unlike Matfield and Bakkies, who sometimes loaf around, he put in the hard yards for the full 80 minutes. Good man to have in your team.
I think he will be cover for the loosies on Saturday. Probably Burger to come off after 55-60 minutes, I think.
8 Jul 2010, 14:30 pm
@nama1(nama1)-257: You mean 55-60 points… lol
8 Jul 2010, 14:55 pm
@nama1(nama1)-223: I’m frankly a bit worried about Kirchner, he’s never been at his best at test level…F Steyn hurt the AB’s badly last year, and i think they will pick on Kirchner. Hope he proves me wrong! I’m not too worried about WO defensively, but on attack he won’t have the same impact as JDV when linking with Jacque
Other than that it’s a good side…one other question might be Bakkies, would have started with Danie and rough tBakkies on later myself
You?
8 Jul 2010, 15:00 pm
@Gonzo Journalism(Gonzo Journalism)-255: he left out Frans because the coach can’t let egos into the team, pity though, Zane is fairly awful
8 Jul 2010, 15:03 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-107: Who won the ’81 series? That went 2-1 to NZ. And then in ’92 we lost a one off test in Jo’burg 24-27. Then in’94 we lost two and drew one there, then won the ’95 WC final, lost the next 4, won 1, lost two, won two…………. and so it goes on.
sglazer(sglazer)
My apologies. I confused the home loss situation with an earlier series, but that is not the issue. Truth is, of late prior to last year, we’ve been clapped more than we’ve clapped, including with the core playing tomorrow, and I was just beginning to think PDivvy was the real deal, but alas I think I am wrong. It would appear he has just suffered a temporary attack of the smarts, and has now resorted to falling back on his inheritance. So sad.
Fact is, matches Boks v ABs are usually not won or lost by much, because of the physical wrestling match they all happen to be, but that is just it. They are usually won by some individual brilliance that becomes the cherry on top of a good slugfest. At that level they can compete, but lately we have been able to outthink them tactically, which has brought a new dimension into play. But on Saterday it will be good old WWF again.
8 Jul 2010, 15:14 pm
This is not a bad side that Snor has chosen considering our injuries, only person missing for me is Frans Steyn.
Didnt think we would win our first game before today, but now i think we have more than a good chance of beating the All Blacks.
GO BOKKKKKKEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND SHARKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
8 Jul 2010, 15:30 pm
@bananas(bananas)-244:
Did Matfield ever win any of those awards?? NO
That doesn’t make him a **** player doesn’t it??
Yaso the reasoning of some of these gits is astounding!!
‘bananas’
What kind of stooopid name is that??
8 Jul 2010, 15:40 pm
@wpw(wpw)-263: Kind of rubbishes these “awards” when “suarez” McCaw (in the year when Brussouw made him his biyatch) and Shane Williams get IRB POTY and Matfield, Du Preez have never won…
8 Jul 2010, 15:44 pm
WO super 14 player of the year
8 Jul 2010, 15:50 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-258:
That be awesome.
@Atreides(Atreides)-259:
Afa Kirhner is concerned, it has been said over and over that he was only available for that one match. PdV also stated that there are no problems between them. The reason he isn’t eligible for selection is not PdV’s fault. So PdV can only select players who are available. Frans is clearly not. Kirchner was the best SA full back in the S14. Therefore his selection is justified. I think it’s a confidence thing at this stage with Kirchner at this level. For him to gain confidence, he has to play as much as possible. We don’t know what the situation with Frans will be next year.
My view on WO is clear. He’s had 29 chances already without doing anything to prove he deserves to be there. However I hope he does well on Saturday for the Boks’ sake. It’s just that his inclusion renders our back line impotent.
We’ll probably see a Jake White kind of game from the Boks where we present the possession to the AB’s and try to punish them if/when they make mistakes. That makes the inclusion of WO (for his defence) and JdV at wing (intercept master) a bit clearer.
In my view that would be the wrong game plan because we know how “successful” we were against the AB’s playing like that.
I would have started with Danie after his good performances in the home tests. Bring in Bakkies for the last 20 minutes until he reached full match fitness, probably by the time we play at home.
In any case, I hope we can pull it off on Saturday. 4/4 sounds much better than 3/3.
8 Jul 2010, 16:06 pm
HA !
How lucky I am to have just received an e-newsletter from Keo. Im still rolling in the aisles at the sheer arrogance of it:-
“Defeat for the All Blacks against the Springboks at Eden Park on Saturday will be a crushing experience. With the exception of Ali Williams and Toulon-based tighthead prop Carl Hayman, this is the strongest side they can select and it represents the team the New Zealanders hope will end the All Blacks’ dismal World Cup record. The Springboks are missing Frans Steyn, who will play in next year’s World Cup, JP Pietersen, Fourie du Preez, Bismarck du Plessis, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brussouw. One team has the capacity to be even stronger next year; the other is playing with the best available. If the Boks, having arrived in New Zealand just five days ago, squeeze out a win at Auckland’s Eden Park, New Zealand fans should go into mourning.”.
8 Jul 2010, 16:11 pm
Bombs away on Kirchener – perfect Gary Owens from Dan Carter – lots of them – that’s where they are going to come thorough and I doubt very much he’s up for it; but this is his chance to prove us wrong. And if it’s raining God help the poor man.
8 Jul 2010, 16:52 pm
Lowveld Club Rugby Finals – Saturday 10 July
White River 1st Team vs. Barbeton 1st Team 16:00
White River 2nd Team vs. Nelspruit 2nd Team 14:40
Both games at Whit River Rugby Club or Witrivier Rugby Klub to the locals…
Some good rugby, good brandy but bring your own chicks…
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