One thing I would say is that fetchers still have a place under NH referees, our refs haven’t applied to new breakdown regulations with the same stringency as SH/S14 referees so I think every nation (and possibly team) should have one in their squad at least.

Its high speed, physical chess, combined with the heart of boxing. What a game!! Its just a pity that Divvy is nowhere near a grand master…

Anther aspect is that, yes, you can either try and dominate the tackle, or you can get speed off the line in defense, and bring the ball carrier down around the legs for the next man to try and get his hands on the ball. If I was playing Brussouw, I would play him at 7 or 8, and instruct the other flankers to get off the line and tackle around the legs, with Brussouw ready to steal it as next man, or go for an intercept from an offload. I would also commit a klow number of players to the ruck, because its case of win it or dont, and if players are rushing up on defence, they can miss tackles and you need more players in the line.

If no specialised fetcher in the team, I would have the line move up slow and steady, and dominate the tackle point to disrupt their momentum. Two big layers per tackle,and commit slightly more players to really slow their momentum. Counter rucking is key here, and players tehn ned to be taught to not stop after teh tackle, but to keep blowing over the ball.

The nineties, they were naughty too.

Well, in FLO’s case anyway.

he bested duanne twice this year, i was there both times. and he was better than spies the entire season.

if he is given a game here and there at test level with changing combos all the time, is he really supposed to shine?

hell, flouw and stegmann have both had more consecutive games than kanko? how the hell is that possible?

Loving the start of the test series against India. This Ashes series is painfully forecasting tough times for us over the next 4-5 years…

Can’t think of anyone this year apart from Pocock, and even he wasn’t consistantly effective.

And don’t go all Richie on me. He’s no longer a fetcher. He’s evolved far beyond that.

defensively, the first half hour settled the game in the baabaas favour though if the boks young guns (lambie and elton) had had their kicking boots on the outcome would have been different.

in the second half in fact, the defense tightened up and the tight five (as others have mentioned above) took the game tot he baabaas and the cracks appeared (remember beast shoving neema up his tialata?).

ja, fetchers, ja. not such a big thing imo if your tight five dominates and if biz is on teh field, why would we need another fetcher?

we dont in fact. let biz disrupt (he is the second strongest bok in gym testing, beast being numero uno) and let guys like schalk, alberts, spies and juan HURT the opposition with kanko coming on late to seal the deal.

yes, this is the future.

btw, good luck at the lions kocky. i know the desperation you felt to cement your place as a starter made you desperate to shine but all it did was make you seem a little selfish.

and now we have hoffman and mcleod so i guess you decided to head off. all the best man and thanks for all your efforts!

Anyone who claims specialist fetchers didn’t exist before 1995 is simply ignorant and wrong.

When they are adequately doing their job the loose-trio has an easier job to effect and the backs get good go-forward ball to trouble the opposition.

Without that everything becomes just pressured and cumbersome for the rest of the team and mistakes accrue leading to opposition putting points on the scoreboard.

It is still the tight five even with the new rules.

stormers and wp dont have an out and out fetcher either….F Louw and Schalk certainly not a brussow type.

But stick to your theory …..lets see what happens….pocock and mcc caw will have a free luch….again.

S14 – Alberts,Deysel,Kanko.
CC final – Alberts, Daniel, Kanko.

No fetchers there. You were out-muscled.

Who didn’t?