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, 09:30 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-97: Thanks, 1996. I was there. It was painful.
8 Jul 2010, 09:30 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-96: outfoxed ?? bwahahaha
my you Saffas are getting precious… funny how when your team is hit by injury, like Big Hits, it wasnt or isnt your strongest team, yet when the ABs are hit like that we’re making excuses?
double standards seem to be the norm…
8 Jul 2010, 09:31 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-93: We played our last test match against official national opposition in 84. 3 years is not 8. Also we whipped the cavaliers in 86. But who knows what would have happened. All I’m saying is pre-isolation we beat you 54% of the time and afterwards we beat you 31% of the time, thats a big difference.
“yet you guys didnt afford us that same point when we lost to France last year in NZ did you?” afford you the same point? Sounds like an excuse to me.
8 Jul 2010, 09:32 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-95: Exactly, and recall the flourbomb tour. Point is , I never said they beat us for the entire century, only since and immediately prior to isolation.
That’s it, time for work. Outta here for a while.
8 Jul 2010, 09:34 am
@catleya(catleya)-98: i just love your analysis. ‘brussow is a creator’…’flouw reminds me of a ramora hanging around a shark’
8 Jul 2010, 09:35 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-103: Do you remember the “no lifting in the lineouts” and how many tests that cost us? Now it’s the norm.
8 Jul 2010, 09:36 am
@catleya(catleya)-98: In the last 7 test “just prior to isolation” we won 4 of them.
8 Jul 2010, 09:37 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-107: vs NZ
8 Jul 2010, 09:38 am
strong team. not sure boks will win given eden park factor and all, but it’ll be close and will set up an almighty battle for next week.
8 Jul 2010, 09:38 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-103: all teams have injuries, did I proclaim the ABs lost because of that? Dont think I have in any of my replies or at the time..
thing is, I thought the injury excuse was the domain of Big Hit, yet now Im seeing it from more then one or two SA’s (and the game hasnt even been played yet “not our strongest team”)… didnt think you guys rolled that way, guess I was wrong..
8 Jul 2010, 09:39 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-102: This is a South African site. Skewed perspectives, double standards and general abuse toward supporters of other national teams is to be expected. Sadly the confrontational style has always been encouraged by Keo and his monions…..
8 Jul 2010, 09:39 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-81: Why do you think the whole of NZ is telling anyone who wants to listen about the massive Bok props and locks etc., when in fact with their Polynesians they usually give nothing away in the size stakes. It’s all for the benefit of dumbasses like you who buy their *****. It’s called mind games. At least they know if they keep us focused on the physical stuff there is a chance of a brainfart and a yellow and that is usually game, set and match at this level.
Invoice to come via a mutual accuaintance Come to think of it- this one’s on the house!
8 Jul 2010, 09:40 am
@catleya(catleya)-104: This is what you wrote:
“It has been 15 years, and prior to that we had isolation , and prior to that they thumped us home and away.”
8 Jul 2010, 09:40 am
I suppose it wouldn’t be a springbok team announcement if we didn’t have so many experts voicing their educated opinions.
Is Div totally and utterly bonkers selecting Butch James? Or that Zane guy?
8 Jul 2010, 09:40 am
I cannot fathom how Div selects 12 and 15. Plonkers of the highest order.
8 Jul 2010, 09:41 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-102: true to form. missing a third of our runon 15 of last year is now an excuse and not a fact. well we still consider ourselves favourites
8 Jul 2010, 09:41 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-116: at least i do
8 Jul 2010, 09:41 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-109: There’ll only be 25,000 people in the stadium. It’s under construction. I wonder if this will help us.
8 Jul 2010, 09:44 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-58:
Which players – that are available – have not been selected ?
1. if youre injured, youre unavailable (eg FdP in 2010, DC in 2009)
2. if local selection policy dictates, youre unavailable (eg F.Steyn, C.Hayman).
8 Jul 2010, 09:46 am
@RedMan(RedMan)-114: If you take that PDV is selecting Ruan as cover for 9, then who would you select in place of James at 10?
8 Jul 2010, 09:47 am
@catleya(catleya)-112:
The Saffers are big in the forwards, the kiwis are big in the backs
8 Jul 2010, 09:48 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-116: but surely with all this depth you guys have, it shouldnt even be a consideration?
8 Jul 2010, 09:50 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-118: Does anyone else feel like the NZ stadium reconstructions are taking an eternity. Was this the 3rd Super14 that we seen ongoing construction ?
8 Jul 2010, 09:50 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-61:
since when is an injured player ‘available’ ?
If you pick your best team from all players available, that = full-strength.
When you select some 1st XV available players together with some fringey 2nd-XV players (eg ABs vs BaaBaas, Boks vs Leciester C) noone recognises this as ‘full strength’.
8 Jul 2010, 09:51 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-122: didnt i say were favourites imo?
8 Jul 2010, 09:52 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-122: Exactly, with our depth its not really a problem. What we are trying to do is unsettle you by showing you the quality that is injured. You should be afraid for 2011, but you’re too thick for fear. Tell me again the quality you guys are missing due to injury?
8 Jul 2010, 09:56 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-73:
such desperation to get your excuses in early.
So tell me, did the ‘full strength Boks in 2009′ (not 1 injury throughout the year) beat an injury-ravaged AB team OR a full-strength AB team in 2009 ?
If youre injured, youre unavailable – its simple.
But we “know you by now”, always the excuses in early – travel, quotas, refs, conspiracies….blah blah.
cmon, youre better than this.
8 Jul 2010, 09:56 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-119: You are forgetting a very complex 3rd point ….. the effect of politics in South African rugby. The coach has a responsibility to select a representative team which in most cases is not the absolute best team. No other coach in the WORLD faces this daunting task.
8 Jul 2010, 09:56 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-119: You said, “full strength team”, not “full strength team of available players”.
8 Jul 2010, 09:56 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-120: It was said with tongue firmly in cheek.
Sorry, hard to convey tone on a forum
8 Jul 2010, 09:57 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-124: By focusing on the WC. Many of those 6 should be picked for RWC 2011.
You don’t have to believe we have depth. Fitzie does and I rate his opinion over you 2 brain-surgeons.
8 Jul 2010, 10:00 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-126: again with the added insult, tells me Im getting to you..
this depth, was it evident when you guys played the EOYTs? what happened to all this depth then?
and why has PDV rushed someone like James back into the squad if you have all this depth?
you have some great depth in certain positions, but you lack real depth in others too..
Ali Williams, Toeava, Hore to name a couple…
8 Jul 2010, 10:01 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-76:
Boks had a massive travel ADvantage in 2009. Please dont make me shove the facts down your throat again. Even Im bored of it.
Boks did not play ONE Test match in 2009 immediately after a long-haul flight. Not 1. Both NZ (in Bloem) and Aus (Perth) did. Fact.
8 Jul 2010, 10:01 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-127: @poppa69(poppa69)-122: @sglazer(sglazer)-129:
An injury crisis in SA = 15 injured frontline boks.
An injury crisis in NZ = An injury to DC or Ritchie. God forbid not both.
8 Jul 2010, 10:03 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-129:
Im now embarrassed for you.
8 Jul 2010, 10:04 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-132: At the end of the year our players are tired from all the extra traveling in the Super 14 and Tri-Nations that your players don’t do.
8 Jul 2010, 10:05 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-131:
Says Mr Zero-Integrity himself.
8 Jul 2010, 10:07 am
I still don’t know how Steggies hasn’t made it into any squad selection even. F louw has been playing for the wp for years, and only featured this year. Deon was the biggest influence to the bulls trophies the past two years and doesn’t get a chance. His oupa hasn’t got a stand named after him probably. And remember these words: Aplon is not up to it, he will maybe be a talked about passenger in the winning team, but that one crunch game when everything isn’t going roses, he is gonna cost us big time. Hopefully this happens before the wc final so that we are rid of him by then.
8 Jul 2010, 10:07 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-132:
apparently overseas players are also relevant, Poppa. I’d list the 320 overseas full-time professional Kiwis if I could be bothered but Id be far too embarrassed to even mention them.
8 Jul 2010, 10:07 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-135: It’s probably your own embarrassment you’re seeing reflected back at you. Or you’re trying to shame me, which isn’t working. I would rather you focus on responding to the post.
8 Jul 2010, 10:08 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-133: Idiot. Advantage. You must be the only person in the world who believes that. Why don’t you start a cult?
@poppa69(poppa69)-132: Toeava hardly even makes your starting 22. Ya interesting about James, shouldn’t have been picked IMO.
Anyway I’m out of here. Don’t listen to the greatest All Black captain ever – he knows ****. Keep believing we have a travel advantage. The chickens are coming home boys. I don’t know how NZ will take another WC loss, at home too. Mass suicide. If you can’t win at home, where can you win?
8 Jul 2010, 10:10 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-133: dude first testp against oz we got there wednesday and played saturday
8 Jul 2010, 10:14 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-133: The melodrama is not convincing Panther. It’s weak.
It is true NZ had a more challenging itinerary last year than this. It was close to even with the itinerary of SA. But only in the Tri-Nations, not in Super Rugby.
One has to look at the whole season to get an accurate picture of relative travel between the two countries.
Any which way one looks at it, the fact remains that SA is playing two neighboring countries in Australasia, while NZ is playing one country in Southern Africa.
8 Jul 2010, 10:14 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-136: so the bulls for example, they had their first what was it 6 or 7 games all in SA? then they played 4 games overseas was it.. then back home for the remainder..
so one trip to Aus, one trip to NZ from Aus, a trip back to Aus from NZ, and then a trip from Brissy to SA? so they travelled over all those different timezones twice?
unlike the saders players who had to do it in consecutive weeks for the finals? then they still managed to beat the NH teams, and after playing more test matches on top too..
8 Jul 2010, 10:17 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-141: the greatest AB captain ever? in your books perhaps, not mine…
Shelford or Mourie for me, personally.. (of the captains Ive been fortunate enough to see play)
WCs next year, dont get ahead of yourself..
8 Jul 2010, 10:18 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-144: No disrespect, but a piecemeal emotional analysis rarely provides an accurate picture. One has to look at the whole picture objectively.
8 Jul 2010, 10:20 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-144: whos fault is it that they finished 4th?
8 Jul 2010, 10:21 am
I gotta get some sleep. Night all. Thanks for the conversation.
8 Jul 2010, 10:22 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-134:
By the end of TriN 2009, in 1 position alone – lock – the ABs were down to their 6th/7th choice vs Springboks last year – why else were they forced to play I.Ross as a debutant and keep selecting him despite clear deficiencies ? (yes, I know you agree). Players unavailable thru injury = A.Williams, Boric, Eaton, B.Evans. Others overseas (eg C.Jack).
If youre available, then its full-strength. Certainly the ABs were in 2009 and still suffered a clean-sweep by the full-strength Boks.
Stop hiding behind excuses. Youre beginning to sound like Big Hit.
8 Jul 2010, 10:22 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-147: their own, that and the obvious collusion by two Saffa teams..
@sglazer(sglazer)-146: well tell me, did the Saders do more travel then the Bulls this year or not? simple question?
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