Brutal truth: Boks need Butch
14 Apr 2011
JON CARDINELLI, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says Butch James has the hunger, the experience and the intimidating aura to be a match-winning figure at the 2011 World Cup.
‘Objects may be closer than they appear’, disclaims the rear-view mirror, a foreboding that sets its reader on edge. It doesn’t matter when or even if the Mac truck hits, only that it’s there; a threatening presence capable of reducing brave men to quivering wrecks.
Butch James looms in the psyche like a Mac truck in the rear view. Opposition coaches pore over blueprints and videotape in an attempt to nullify him, while seasoned pros like Dan Carter take the field knowing that at some point, they will be run over.
This aura shouldn’t be underestimated, especially in a World Cup year. Global tournaments are won on defence and experience, and James’s value as a game-changing defender is as indisputable as his 2007 World Cup winner’s medal. And at 32, he’s still rattling opponents.
‘I’ve never thought of Carter as a fragile player,’ James says in explaining the psychology of big defending. ‘It’s more a case of making your presence felt. You want your opposite number to know you’re around. You want him to be constantly thinking about what you’ll do next.
‘In the past I went looking for the big tackles. Now I let them come to me. If you read the situation correctly and your timing is just right, you’ll make the big hit. It’s something I learnt. I’ve matured a great deal over the past few years.’
The Springbok selectors need to face up to some inconvenient truths after a diabolical 2010 Test season. Morné Steyn may have come off the bench to kick the series-winning penalty against the British & Irish Lions, and his kicking game may have helped the Boks secure the 2009 Tri-Nations. But 2010 proved that far more is required of a Test flyhalf.
Steyn’s accuracy can no longer compensate for his defensive frailties or his failure to impose himself on attack. These shortcomings were mercilessly exposed in the 2010 Tri-Nations, a tournament where South Africa finished last on the log and trailed their opponents in
the attacking and defensive stats.
Psychologically speaking, Steyn is no more a debilitating force than Peter de Villiers is a rocket scientist. A champion team requires a flyhalf with gravitas, somebody like James who commands respect and has the capacity to make things happen. If things continue as they are, however, the Boks will field a reactionary. Steyn is more a punisher of errors than an active agent of victory. He wasn’t good enough in the 2010 Tri-Nations, and he isn’t good enough for the World Cup.
Consider South Africa’s World Cup opponents. Is Stephen Jones worried about Steyn’s gainline running ahead of Wales’ Pool D clash with the Springboks? Is Jonny Sexton losing sleep over Steyn’s attacking variation before a probable quarter-final meeting? And is Carter, one of the Boks’ likely semi-final adversaries, expecting Steyn to smother the All Blacks’ attacking fire with a well-timed defensive rush?
The answers are no, no and most definitely not. Steyn doesn’t inspire confidence in any of these departments, and is limited to a predictable type of game.
In his book, Captain in the Cauldron, John Smit describes James as the heartbeat of the team that won the 2007 World Cup. Smit reveals that every Springbok team member felt confident, and relieved, when James was named to start at flyhalf for a big Test. As Smit suggests, James’s on-field aura can be galvanising.
Injuries have limited him to 40 Tests in 10 seasons, but spineless selectors have also played their part. The conservative streak that runs through every national coach has cost him as much game time as his crocked knees and dodgy shoulder. Any regard for his virtues in general play is overruled by the paranoia that James will miss a kick at goal.
Jake White is not exempt from this group of conservatives, and it took a compelling argument by former Bok technical adviser Eddie Jones to change White’s mind on the eve of the 2007 World Cup. Because of André Pretorius’s reputation as a kicker, White so nearly ignored James’s other match-winning attributes. By the end of the tournament, the decision to back James proved inspired.
De Villiers came into the Bok job with grand ambitions of total rugby, but after failing to keep James in the country and a half-hearted attempt to convert the promising Ruan Pienaar to flyhalf, he too settled on the conservative option.
Steyn is the incumbent because De Villiers is convinced that goal kicks win matches, and while there is some truth in this belief, other aspects of the game also need to be taken into account. The 2010 season was a case in point, as despite Steyn’s 41 successive penalties and conversions, South Africa still lost five of their six Tri-Nations Tests.
De Villiers needs to be brave and pick a flyhalf who can offer him more than goal-kicking security. James is in the coach’s plans and will return home to join the Lions in May. While De Villiers may have decided on his starter for 10 in New Zealand, James is determined to change his mind.
‘It’s a talented group of players, the calibre of which we won’t see again for a while,’ he says in reference to the Boks’ decorated senior core. ‘I want to be a part of that again. It’s going to be hard to break into such a formidable side, but to start for the Boks at the World Cup would be a dream come true.’
His first task is to perform for the Lions at the back end of the Super Rugby tournament, and convince the selectors he has what most experts already recognise as the aura. It took White a while to buy into the idea, and De Villiers will also take convincing. Fortunately, James is used to making fools out of sceptics, and will relish the fight to regain a jersey that was once unequivocally his.
‘The Lions already have some impressive flyhalf options in Elton Jantjies, Burton Francis and André Pretorius,’ he says. ‘That’s fine. They’ve made no promises to me about starting and that suits me perfectly. I want it to be tough; I want to have to fight for a start. Winning a starting place is my ambition, especially in a World Cup year. After that, I want to show the national selectors what I can do.’
Four years on from the 2007 World Cup and James has added to his repertoire. The improvement has been patent in his showings for Bath in the European club competitions, and the time abroad has forced him to become a more rounded player.
‘Competing in northern hemisphere conditions can really alter your playing style,’ he says. ‘I’ve had to embrace tactical kicking a lot more, as that’s the skill set required for wet weather. There’s also more focus on the No 10 as the player the team depends on, so it’s made me grow up a lot.’
Jones argues that James has what it takes to revive a Bok backline that’s shown few signs of life in the past 12 months.
‘He hasn’t lost any of the skill that made him such a force at the 2007 World Cup,’ Jones says. ‘Bath are a different side when he starts for them. His physicality certainly adds something to their game.
‘As for his kicking, he’s always been good at identifying space and his rare ability to kick on the run means the opposition back three need to be wary. It keeps them thinking about their positioning and means that they can’t go into the game with a set plan. That’s not to say Morné Steyn is a bad flyhalf, but Butch certainly ticks a lot of boxes.’
Jones also stresses that under the current laws which favour attacking momentum, Test teams need flyhalves who can vary their play.
‘Butch can change his alignment at speed. Stevie Larkham was great at it, and Butch is right up there too. When you get quick ball, you want a flyhalf to run on to the pass, but you also want him testing the defenders with different running lines. It’s an invaluable weapon under the new laws, as the tackle is far more combative. You want a guy who can breach the gain line and set up quick ball.’
Bath coach Steve Meehan agrees that James has more than lived up to his reputation. Over four seasons, Meehan has watched James develop a maturity that amplifies his threat.
‘Defensively, I think he’s misunderstood in the sense that those big hits are more calculated than they look, and it’s not just an individual thing but something that’s planned within the team context,’ says Meehan. ‘Those big hits inspire team-mates to follow suit, and it can also put them on the front foot. There’s nothing random about Butch’s defence.’
Like Smit, Meehan doesn’t hesitate in endorsing James as the heartbeat of the team. While he’s not a leader in the strictest sense, his abrasive style and shrewd option-taking sets the standard for team-mates to follow.
‘Butch is a World Cup winner, but he’s also a fighter. He’s come back from so many injury setbacks, and the dedication it’s taken to get through rehab and then get back into his groove hasn’t been lost on the other players.
‘They admire him for his skill, and when he has something to say, there are no arguments. He tells it pretty simply, but there’s a lot of thought behind those plain words.’
It’s a travesty that James so rarely receives plaudits in his home country. It’s an injustice that stems from the perception that he can’t kick. Those who argue for Steyn as South Africa’s only kicking option are ignorant of James’s accomplishments with the boot. In the last decade, coaches have trusted Braam van Straaten and Percy Montgomery ahead of James, and James has only kicked for goal in 16 of his 40 Tests. But aside from the coaches’ lack of faith, you can’t fault James’s strike rate of 83%, a record that’s marginally less accurate than Steyn’s.
And an argument for Steyn as the Boks’ sole tactical option holds no water when you consider James’s outstanding contributions in this department. Few would have forgotten the pin-point kicking display that laid the foundation for a 53-8 hammering of the Wallabies in 2008.
He’s also never been scared to use the kick as a weapon; those attacking grubbers, chips and cross kicks so often resulting in tries for team-mates. While Steyn is the master of one discipline, James is more like Carter in that he can switch between a conservative and an attacking style of play.
‘A flyhalf needs to vary his game,’ says James. ‘If he sits back in the pocket and boots the ball continuously, he’s going to make it easy for the defence, and if he takes it to the line every time, he also becomes predictable.
‘I’m happy with the standard of my tactical kicking, and realise that it’s an important part of Test rugby. But is it everything? I prefer to play my rugby with ball in hand. My kicking is good but you need more from a flyhalf, you need somebody who can bring the backline into the game.’
– This article first appeared in the April issue of SA Rugby magazine.
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229 Comments
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14 Apr 2011, 12:35 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-144: this was Jake White’s counter when anyone criticised his conservative style of play, and i’m not sure it’s correct… for instance, our 7s rugby side is competing with the best these days, so i’m not sure i buy this “we don’t have the skill set” argument. i think we just need better coaches…
14 Apr 2011, 12:35 pm
There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.
Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am.
The next day at 8:45 am there is a knock at the Personnel Manager’s door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new Employee.
He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.
The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo’s all over the factory floor and they’re really beginning to pile up.
At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of
Tickle Me Elmo’s. She has a roll of plush Red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.
The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo’s legs.
The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena.
‘I’m sorry,’ he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, ‘but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday…’
‘Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.’
14 Apr 2011, 12:38 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-149:
Saw Schulk Burger do a good one last weekend as well.
Against the Reds in about the 22 minute.
No worse than SBW’s against the silly Sharkie that ran into him the 2 weeks prior.
But where are the ROARS of disapproval on that one?
14 Apr 2011, 12:39 pm
@cane(cane)-150:
the butcher is halaal.
he would make jihaad on sunni bin williams.
@Dawn(Dawn)-148:
schabir chic?
14 Apr 2011, 12:43 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-147: Yeah, we will be going with the same team as last year. Agree that the seniors are needed, but we can take a few youngsters that are in top form right now. Can’t see us win much if Morne is our fh. The game has moved on. Look at Bulls and Saders game. Heck that has worried me big time. Morne never done much there buddy. Bulls got 0 on the borad. That is what has me worried. Most of our Boks are in that team. Plenty ABs in the Saders side and they beat the Bulls easy with not much sweat. That is a big worry.
Look at Sharks against Saders. We could have had a draw with them. We missed all our kicks at goal. 9 points went begging and they had a huge forward pass that went Walsh just never saw, that got them a try. Could have had 37 a piece. NOW that was a ripper of a game. One of the best I have watched in a long, long time. We need to be playing like that. Unless we do play to our strengths and hope like mad it works. It could. But can’t see it working with the players the ABs have. They gonna run around us at ease. We just kick everything back to them and won’t see any ball after that.
We have fallen behind. Need to adapt. This year is too late. Have to think of 2015.
14 Apr 2011, 12:44 pm
@Puma(Puma)-155: typo – board
14 Apr 2011, 12:51 pm
@cane(cane)-153: Huh? Silly Sharkies???? Think SBW that got away with a terrible tackle on Kano. No buddy. SBW came at Kanko with a shoulder. Go check it out on youtube and you will see it slow mo.
But they were never going to give yellow cards in that game. The game was for a good cause and anything like a yellow would have ruined the occasion. So it was left. I think.
14 Apr 2011, 12:53 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-144: Hope you right mate.
14 Apr 2011, 12:54 pm
@Puma(Puma)-155: a good post imo
14 Apr 2011, 12:55 pm
@nama1(nama1)-152:
that sounds like a job for extraball.
14 Apr 2011, 12:58 pm
Puma – I was there at twickers that day, great great game and yes the sharkies could have pulled off a draw with Lambie at pivot. Also my wife enjoyed ogling D Carter!!
For once we have to accept that alot of the top bully boys have been over played especially Matfield and M Steyn. M Steyn has played non stop rugby since B&I lions, that is alot of rugby for anybody. Du Preez looks a bit jaded and stale infact they all do . D Rousouw is the only Bulls player playing his worth, great player!
The England game last year went well and that style suits the Boks, but is a very high risk game plan meaning we beat up our opponents to win by tackling them to death which must exhaust our players!!
I have to concede PDV hasn’t brought anything new to the table, he took what J White built and made some tweeks but has now ran out of ideas which means a semi exit for the Boks this year.
14 Apr 2011, 13:00 pm
There are enough quality props in South African rugby for the Springboks to be competitive at scrum-time during the Rugby World Cup in September, says former Bok prop and current national Under-20 coach, Dawie Theron.
Although it appears at present that Bok skipper John Smit is being nurtured as a loosehead prop as he wouldn’t make the squad on current form as a hooker, according to Theron, Smit showed in the Sharks game against the Lions in Durban last Saturday, that he simply has to make the trip to New Zealand later this year.
“John has shown how valuable he is at loosehead. He’s scrummaging was very good against the Lions and it looks as though he is getting comfortable in the position. And, he has World Cup experience, something you can’t easily replace.”
(News24)
Well, well, well……………..
14 Apr 2011, 13:01 pm
My concern abouit Butch has always been yellow cards and not his kicking!
@Panache ( òó /) Aplomb(Panache and Aplomb)-103: I like your team (especially Juan as captain, if fit), but would also like to have JdV in there. It could still be a very wet World Cup and players with some Northern hemisphere experience might be vital. Ruan would therefore also be in my larger party.
14 Apr 2011, 13:04 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-161: Or rather, what Eddie Jones build. I think Jake White’s input was also limitted, apart from allowing other expertice to come in
14 Apr 2011, 13:06 pm
@nama1(nama1)-162:
Grantie is going to bring up a lung when he reads that
14 Apr 2011, 13:08 pm
The Sharkie boys forgetting that the Saders al left behind points on the park.
No possibility of a draw in that match. Had the Saders scored all the tries on offer in the 1st 20 minutes, it would’ve been 40-something by half time. Game over.
14 Apr 2011, 13:08 pm
al=also
14 Apr 2011, 13:09 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-161: Yeah, had we had Lambie we could have had a draw. A really great game from both sides.
You very correct. Bulls players have been playing a lot of rugby. Some should get rested. FdP has been out with a op and still finding his way. He will get better can’t judge him yet. Takes time to get it back after being out for a long time. But yes, it worried that they lost to Saders so easy, with so many Boks in their side. Victor of all players needs a rest, he has played soooooooooo much rugby last year also Morne. Have to see how Bulls goes against Reds this week. I reckon they will be a lot better. But not sure if they will win. But expect a better game from them.
14 Apr 2011, 13:10 pm
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-165:
Yes.
This thread is going to get a turbo injection (not the reverse kind) if the okes see that.
14 Apr 2011, 13:14 pm
@nama1(nama1)-166: There was more than one forward pass in that game Nama that should have been picked up. So doubt Saders would have had 40 or more on us. We too had some chances that we never took. A fair result should have been a draw. But well done to both teams on playing damn good rugby. It was a ripper, one of the best games I have seen in a very long time.
14 Apr 2011, 13:18 pm
@cane(cane)-153: Didn’t see it Cane but believe you and its bound to happen when we celebrate thuggery instead of skillful rugby (including decent tackling).
14 Apr 2011, 13:18 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-159: Thanks mate.
14 Apr 2011, 13:25 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-151: Agreed but if you need a coach to coach it into them then by definition they don’t currently have the skillset.
How do you change to a new playing style and claw back on years of playing rugby with a different culture,mindset and skills – our Kiwi and Oz friends are way ahead of us in the skills area as they have the need to rely on it more. We’ve had a number of years of super rugby to use to adjust our playing style and still it hasn’t happened – why? We are built differently and our society breeds a different approach to winning in our culture – its kill or be killed literally, no holds barred approach instead of outplaying or outhinking the opposition
It starts at the junior levels which is why Is why I say its too late to change now. Anycase l love my culture and celebrate its differences.
14 Apr 2011, 13:31 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-173: Hellsteeth, that’s a concise, insightful, good post. Right on the button.
14 Apr 2011, 13:47 pm
@Panache ( òó /) Aplomb(Panache and Aplomb)-103: Flipsake, now thats good thinking. The only quibble really would be at 4 and 5.
I still do not doubt Matfield is the best no 5, not only in SA but on the planet too. I also think Bekker is a good player and would not leave him out of the Boks.
However I do think Bakkies is turning into the penalty/discipline liability, many have always stereotyped him in being. I also think Danie Rossouw is an often unsung hero and will be a great option at 4 as a mobile enforcer.
So I wouldn’t mind a reshuffle of Matfield at 5, Rossouw at 4 and Bekker on the bench as an ideal impact lock.
Nice team though.
14 Apr 2011, 13:55 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-173: i understand what you are saying but i respectfully disagree. if it’s ingrained into our society and our players, then how can a player who grew up with this different mindset and skills like Clyde Rathbone move over to Aus and slot in so well? what i am saying is that our players have the skills already, they just aren’t being utilised by the coaches. and this is the same reason why we still haven’t adjusted in the years of super rugby, our coaches just rely on the same old tactics, nothing to do with our players skills or our culture. look at some of the Bok games of old, they used to swing that ball all over the park…
14 Apr 2011, 14:11 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-176:
Clyde did not slot in well when he arrived there. The Aus set ONE WHOLE YEAR aside to teach him these skills before he even started to play in the S14.
Bananaboy is right in this instance wrt different skill levels.
I don’t agree with him when it comes to keeping a playing style that obviously isn’t working any more.
14 Apr 2011, 14:17 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-176: Rathbone had to be given special “skills training” when he arrived at the Brumbies. Apparently they remarked how far behind he was to their local players’ skill sets.
And Rathbone was rated as quite an outstanding back in a South African context…
14 Apr 2011, 14:20 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-176: Well you think Clyde slotted in well, I don’t. To me all that happened to him was that he became a faster version of himself and learned to run supporting lines , but becoming a playmaker (ala the midfield of AB’s and Ozzies) didn’t feature in his skillset, in fact thats why he stayed on the wing. We can teach players to run different lines, build through the phases etc but teaching them to play the situation and use their attacking or defensive skills to make the best of the situation thats before them is not something we do.
When I speak of skills I don’t mean running,kicking or passing skills only (although these leave much to be desired as well) , but thinking skills on the field, interpreting the game situation, adjusting the game plan etc. I honestly believe that we use size and brute strength as THE measure of skill to play rugby in SA. I agree that the potential is there in enormous amounts but the culture of rugby prevents it from developing and will continue to do so until we place the emphasis elsewhere at junior levels.
14 Apr 2011, 14:23 pm
Bakkies Botha bit the Apple logo.
Bakkies Botha has already been to Mars; that’s why there are no signs of life.
Bakkies Botha doesn’t flush the toilet, he scares the sh*t out of it
Bakkies Botha can strangle you with a cordless phone.
Death once had a near-Bakkies Botha experience
Bakkies Botha can slam a revolving door.
Bakkies Botha doesn’t need a GPS. Bakkies Botha decides where he is.
Bakkies Botha was in all 6 Star Wars movies… As The Force.
The sheep on Bakkies Botha’ farm are the ones that give us steel wool.
Bakkies Botha can light a fire by rubbing two ice-cubes together.
Bakkies Botha will never have a heart attack. His heart isn’t nearly foolish enough to attack him.
Bakkies Botha can speak Braille.
When Bakkies Botha throws a boomerang it doesn’t dare come back
Bakkies Botha does not ****, nothing escapes Bakkies Botha
Some kids pee their name in snow. Bakkies Botha pees his name in concrete.
Bakkies Botha can leave a message before the beep.
Bakkies Botha can use Mxit on a pay phone.
Bakkies Botha can divide by zero
14 Apr 2011, 14:24 pm
@nama1(nama1)-177: Nama I only mean that to change it at this late stage would be more detrimental to our WC bid than if you don’t. You cannot change the mindset and game plan in a matter of months , its takes a hell of a lot longer ,experimenting in game situations and with patience from supporters to get there.
14 Apr 2011, 14:26 pm
the only team plod should make is the skysports commentary team.
Useless quota of the highest order.
Hate to admit it, but for once i tend to agree with Puma…..think of 2015….
2011 is a farken disaster waiting to happen.
How the hell we think we going to win with the Fat Boys Old Mans Club only the angels know….we will be chewed up and spat out come quarters…..that is if we navigate the pool stage.
Get a new forward thinking coach and support staff and get rid of these ou ballies , start afresh and never ever never farken ever again allow anything less than good form dictate the team…..fark all these insiduous promises and deals made…..
turns my stomach i tell you!
outta here
ps…dawie theron …….on the gravy train as well…
see what willie meyer [ not on the gravy train ] said this morning in Die Beeld?
No place for the fat boy in his mind….
14 Apr 2011, 14:28 pm
@cane(cane)-153: he said you guys are learning, Schalk is already a pro at it.
14 Apr 2011, 14:33 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-180: LOL
14 Apr 2011, 14:37 pm
Seems HM Keo has the same Sonny bug that I have …
“SBW cover om BD sport. Available in fri BD newspaper http://yfrog.com/h4kv6xsjfollow Keo on Twitter”
Woohoo! Gotta get my Business Day tomorrow and forfeit Die SON.
14 Apr 2011, 14:39 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-178, @nama1(nama1)-177, @bananaboy(bananaboy)-179: okay fair enough, i stand corrected
14 Apr 2011, 14:44 pm
Flipsake Hellsteeth
14 Apr 2011, 14:49 pm
@grant10(grant10)-182: Not sure what made Willie Meyer the guru on who should or shouldn’t be in the Bok side but then neither am I and he knows a lot more than I do. So if Willie says it, it must be true. Interesting that he doesn’t say much about the rest of the “fat boys” club as you call them. All that he punts is Coenie as a Bok
.
14 Apr 2011, 14:50 pm
@nama1(nama1)-177:
Nama,
You sound concerned about the spot for Steenkamp and the Beast ?
Your concerns are unfounded, Januarie’s and Jacob’s tickets are safe too,,,
14 Apr 2011, 14:56 pm
Butch is a wreck now, he can’t bend his knees in the game, like he plays on crutches lately
Forget about his serviceability, it’s either Styen or Lambie or Pienaar the only viable options.
I would go with Grant but his kicking means giving up points from the medium distance and further.
14 Apr 2011, 14:59 pm
Actually much of the delay around rathbone’s introduction to superrugby in ozzie was to do with his lack of conditioning.
there was a skills element too but their biggest concern was his conditioning.
14 Apr 2011, 15:07 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-181:
I agree with you re the changing of the mindset. It takes time and a lot of buy in is needed from the players which I don’t think we’ll be getting from the current crop. Their perceived resistance to PdV’s “play the situation” policy is well documented.
But surely we have to somehow tweak our game plan to stand a chance the WC.
So the question is, what do we do? Just go there to fulfil our obligations without giving ourselves a chance by playing a style and game plan that most certainly won’t win us the cup or do we make the necessary changes to our game plan to stand a chance to win the cup.
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-191:
His lack of passing skills was specifically mentioned when they withdrew him from all rugby in his first year at the Brumbies. They also said that he was the strongest in his upper body of all the back line players.
14 Apr 2011, 15:11 pm
@nama1(nama1)-192:
ok whatever you say
14 Apr 2011, 15:28 pm
@nama1(nama1)-192: Nama my concern is that changing the game plan means changes to the balance in the side. You cannot expect a Bakkies/Victor/Bizzie etc to start to play 15 man rugby and once you start to employ personnel in other positions who do just that you create an imbalance. I think its a very delicate situation and as much as I would like to change it I don’t know if it would be wise.
Perhaps the Sharks way of playing maybe the right way to go as we have the personnel to execute that style effectively. Even a Morne Steyn would benefit from playing that way, but then you have to use ball carriers ala Alberts, Beast and Bizzie.
14 Apr 2011, 15:28 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-180: Bakkies once sent ***** a birthday greeting card in 25th December. It wasn’t ***** birthday but he was too scared to correct Bakkies and henceforth it has become his birthday we celebrate.
14 Apr 2011, 15:30 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-180: Bakkies once sent [censored Je-s-u*s, wtf?] a birthday greeting card in 25th December. It wasn’t [J*e- s-u*s] birthday but he was too scared to correct Bakkies and henceforth it has become his birthday we celebrate.
14 Apr 2011, 16:03 pm
More like brutal Butch needs Boks
14 Apr 2011, 16:03 pm
Bakkies is a d00sie. He wouldnt last 2 minutes in a street fight.
14 Apr 2011, 16:04 pm
@nama1(nama1)-162: dawie must concern himself with the baby boks! smit was scrumming against PAT CILLIERS and not the franks boys or afoa or brok werner kruger or wp nel or brian mujati…
every week these plod cheerleaders jump around for nothing/
14 Apr 2011, 16:08 pm
these are confirmed WC players:
1 Chilliboy Ralepelle
2 John Smit
3 Victor Matfield
4 Andries Becker
5 Bakkies Botha
6 Danie Rossouw
7 Schalk Burger
8 Juan Smith if fit
9 Pierre Spies
10 Beast
11 Gurthro
12 Jannie Dup
13 Cj van der Linde
14 Fourie du Preez
15 Ricky Januarie
16 Morne Steyn
17 Patrick Lambie
18 Jean div
19 Adi Jacobs
20 Jacques Fourie
21 Juan de Jongh
22 Bryan Hasnohandsa
23 Jp Pietersen
24 Bjorn Basson
25 Gio Aplon
26 Willem Alberts
Only leaves 3 spots open of which Frans Steyn, Kankowski and Houghaard probably have the inside track. Sad but true.
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