Belligerent bolter will lend Boks bite
19 Apr 2011
JON CARDINELLI expects Duane Vermeulen to be named in the World Cup planning group on Wednesday and believes it could be a telling selection in a World Cup year.
The official World Cup group of 50 will only be named in June, but don’t expect it to differ from the ‘planning squad’ named this Wednesday. Coach Peter de Villiers has made it clear that he wants to get the right group of players together as early as possible, and has even scheduled meetings and planning camps for the select few while Super Rugby is still on the go.
This Wednesday’s announcement is thus significant. We already know of 23 players who have made the cut, as De Villiers announced his contracted group of Springboks in late March.
Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield, JP Pietersen, John Smit, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies were in the original group, while Andries Bekker, Heinrich Brüssow, Bismarck du Plessis, Adrian Jacobs, Tendai Mtawarira, Wynand Olivier, Danie Rossouw, Morné Steyn, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Jannie du Plessis, CJ van der Linde and Gurthrö Steenkamp were only recently handed one-year contracts.
The Bok coach will name between 45 and 50 players on Wednesday, and what this means is that as many as 27 places are up for grabs. De Villiers will make a statement with the players he includes, but he will also make a statement with the players he leaves out.
The contracted group itself deserves closer scrutiny. One can only believe that De Villiers made a promise to Adi Jacobs when they were at the Valke all those years ago, because his apparent guaranteed selection has very little to do with recent rugby exploits. At least Wynand Olivier has played for the Boks in the last year, but his performances have been so poor, you would have expected him to drop out of the World Cup reckoning. Unbelievably, he’s been awarded a Bok contract in a defining year. Go figure.
De Villiers is likely to call on many players that have been in the Bok mix over the past three years. Locks like Alistair Hargreaves and Flip van der Merwe will make the cut, and loose forwards like Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel surely deserve to be part of the larger squad. What’s less clear is whether the Bulls’ loosies deserve spots ahead of their Stormers counterparts.
It’s not a provincial argument but a national one. Dewald Potgieter and Deon Stegmann featured for the Boks in 2010 without making any great impact. Francois Louw was a key figure in the Boks’ Tests against Wales, Italy and France, and then was unceremoniously dumped after one sub-standard showing in the Tri-Nations. Louw has shown good form in the 2011 Super Rugby competition, and is certainly among the elite players in the country.
One man has been among the elite for the past three seasons, although the absence of a national call-up would suggest otherwise. Picking Duane Vermeulen for the World Cup planning group is a no-brainer, and he could play a big role at the World Cup. He provides the abrasive alternative to Spies the Boks have been searching for, that is a No 8 that drives opposition players back on defence and makes good ground with ball in hand. If the Boks include men like Vermeulen and Alberts in their final World Cup squad, they will improve their chances of winning the tournament.
Some will suggest that Ashley Johnson deserves a place, but this season has shown him to be a liability. He contributes with some powerful runs and gets through a lot of work, but his high error rate has cost the Cheetahs matches. There is no reason why he should be included ahead of the Bulls’ loose forwards, let alone the form men at the Sharks and Stormers.
I fear that politicians will demand that Ricky Januarie get a look-in, even though he’s unlikely to travel to New Zealand in September. The overweight scrumhalf hasn’t been contracted to the Boks, a sure sign he is not in the World Cup plans. He’s not the first-choice No 9 at the Stormers, and to pick him for the Boks would smack of window dressing.
Sarel Pretorius is a player who’s impressed in a struggling Cheetahs side, and Charl McLeod was a late call-up for the Springboks’ 2010 end-of-year tour. If it’s a toss up between the two, De Villiers needs to show some consistency in picking the latter, who has to date enjoyed a solid Super Rugby competition.
McLeod’s halfback partner Pat Lambie will also make the squad, but there is another player who comes into the flyhalf equation. Butch James has confirmed his move back to South Africa in May, a fact that confirms he is in the World Cup mix. James is the Boks’ best bet at flyhalf, as he not only has the experience but the ability to switch between a conservative and attacking game plan.
De Villiers has a fourth flyhalf option in Ruan Pienaar, who excelled at No 10 for the Boks in late 2008 and in the 2009 British & Irish Lions series. Pienaar has been alternating between 9 and 10 at Irish club Ulster, and has to date produced some match-winning performances with the boot.
Frans Steyn is the other overseas-based player guaranteed of selection, and his return could solve the Boks’ problems at fullback. Zane Kirchner will be picked for the planning group, but doesn’t deserve to go to the World Cup.
As South Africa’s best attacking player, Gio Aplon should travel to New Zealand. If Aplon pays more attention to his kicking game, he can provide a good alternative to Steyn. He has a big boot and it’s a shame that the development of this area of his game has been neglected in the last few seasons.
It’s great to see JP Pietersen finding some form, and right now he’d be my favourite to start at No 14 for the Boks. Bjorn Basson is prime candidate to replace Bryan Habana, although it is a foregone conclusion that the veteran will be taken to the World Cup.
631 Comments
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19 Apr 2011, 21:55 pm
@grant10(grant10)-494: Grant10, sometimes you make a lot of sense. Other times, you just seem too fond of yourself. That seems to be a Cape thing. You Stormers fans were all over the SA latest thread being grootbek about a game that doesn’t happen until the end of next week. What’s that all about?
19 Apr 2011, 21:57 pm
ja…we lose …we say congrats and move on….the reds farked us up 6 love…..no excuses…we were done on the day fair and square….
fark me….the sharks lose we have endless stream of excuses….
its like congrats BUT THIS AND BUT THAT!
Farken stick the excuses where the sun dont shine man…..choir girls the lot of them sharks fans
19 Apr 2011, 21:59 pm
@sohojo(sohojo)-493: Horan couldn’t understand what Fourie was doing on the bench and felt he made a huge difference when he came on.
Paul Cully, writing for SMH, agreed:
There was some solace (for the Bulls and their fans), however, in the excellent 20-minute cameo of Fourie Du Preez at Suncorp Stadium. In that spell the Bulls scored almost half of their 30 points as the brilliant No.9 got them moving forward. If certain Bulls are to be cut from the Cup squad, he will not be one of them.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-evolution-and-boks-revolution-20110419-1dmxd.html#ixzz1K07XhQGl
19 Apr 2011, 22:00 pm
@grant10(grant10)-502: BS and you know it
daily posts still come in here about the ref cheated you guys in the final and blah blah blah , thus the joubert ref hate post last week and on most days
come now dude, and if you want to be insulting grant , i told you before you know where i am
19 Apr 2011, 22:01 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-501: not sure what happened on that thread, but in the main i find stormer bloggers, or a lot of them, pretty humble and knowledgeable bloggers.
as for being fond of myself, i dont really know what that means, but i have firm opinions…..
19 Apr 2011, 22:01 pm
thats the best , stormers supporters saying congrats and moving on
**** what a load of dwang, a few do yes but the majority do not
19 Apr 2011, 22:03 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-498: Look had it been the other way I would have had the decency and the sporstmanship to say. Well done my Sharks but hard luck Stormers your travel was unbelievable hectic, let us have a fair go the next time. I READ nothing of the sort. Just arrogant posts everywhere from Stormers. Except from Stormerboy and I am A Stormer and PissAnt, Ashley from rt and the Stormer okes on sw. They were great. They ALL acknowledged our travel and said let us meet on a equal basis. NOT anyone here, except the ones I mentioned. So yeah, I am having my say to the ones that can’t see that our travel was to the extreme. Cause I know I would have been the first one to acknowledge it had it been the Stormers. So yeah, kind of disappointed in some of you.
But next time who ever wins it will be fair. I will always come and say congrats. Always.
19 Apr 2011, 22:03 pm
@grant10(grant10)-505: come now skoppie walks in as usual with his daily insults and shark player insults , i am yet to see once where you tell him its wrong etc etc etc
19 Apr 2011, 22:05 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-506: Could say the same for Sharks supporters, Bulls supporters etcetera. Conclusion? The vast majority of people on earth are arseholes.
19 Apr 2011, 22:06 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-508: Could say exactly the same for Heaven’s Game. Conclusion?
19 Apr 2011, 22:07 pm
@grant10(grant10)-505: That’s odd because the first two comments in that thread were yours:
1.grant10: Reply to this comment
19 Apr 2011, 08:28 am
go stormers
2.grant10: Reply to this comment
19 Apr 2011, 08:30 am
this game going to be a war of note.
the blog going to be on fire….
Then later on we had:
12.Tecumseh: Reply to this comment
19 Apr 2011, 09:51 am
stormers will easily defeat those last outpost poefta boys.
19 Apr 2011, 22:07 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-504: show me a post where JR….Robzim….skop or g10 have ever cried like choirboys after a loss….
we are men….not mice….
losses happen and will continue to happen.
i have never experiencedmore squeaing and wailing than the puma mouse has displayed on a blog ever before…..maybe the kiwis after the 2–7 forward pass….
the crying is unbecoming of grown men……as is your challenge to me to come and say things to your face…..do you really think i give a flying fa rk about you? so much so that i would climb in my car to travel to canal walk to call you a choir girl?
grow up !
19 Apr 2011, 22:07 pm
@grant10(grant10)-440:
Yeah, I heard that same tune sung since 2006 – that was 5 years ago.
19 Apr 2011, 22:07 pm
@grant10(grant10)-502: Sure you say so to a overseas side, but let the Sharks beat you then it is the REF this the ref that the ref….. When Bulls beat Stormers in the S14 final it was the REF the whole time long. No never heard congrats to a saffa side. Only to a overseas side. Cause so few overseas supporters of Reds here to even answer too. Probably.
19 Apr 2011, 22:09 pm
where was the great messianic FdP when Bully Brekers were fckd up 27 -0 by Crusaders week before? He must have been hiding behind his cameo pantyhose, because the little cameo he played vs Reds didn’t look any different to me to the other cameo that Hougaard produced the 60 mins before. Genia, Cooper, Horwill, Higginbottom, Harris, Ioane, all had a field day, less so than Crusaders had the week before, but even though Reds are simply not in Crusaders class wrt forward dominance they still ripped Bully Brekers a new set of bum cheeks through the better part of the encounter in spite of Bully Brekers lifting their game by around 50% from the week prior..
19 Apr 2011, 22:10 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-511: Exactly. And I can go get more copy and paste stuff to show em up. They just have no clue what they said to get some of us disappointed. I hardly do mate, but that time was really.
19 Apr 2011, 22:10 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-508: skoppie is 100 % correct about HG….the shark gatgabba who hates CT and gets off being hostile and arrogant here…..and you l;ap him up like a lapdog….shame on you for not putting him in his place?
19 Apr 2011, 22:11 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-511: is that a sin?
seems I was right anyway!
19 Apr 2011, 22:12 pm
@sohojo(sohojo)-515: Ag Skoppie, I knew that would get you going. Too easy.
19 Apr 2011, 22:13 pm
so what are the facts:
1. Stormers are playing tremendous, i call it passive attacking rugby scoring little tries
2. Stormers beat the Sharks at the Tank albeit at the backend of the Sharks travel itinerary which may or may not have impacted the Sharks performance
3. Elstadt having played 3 or 4 games at super level outplayed Alberts in his 8th straight game of the campaign coming off an incredible performance against the Saders
4. Stormers are the favourites based on recent performances against SA sides
5. Sharks will be better rested and will have 1 game played before they take on the Stormers, Stormers coming off a bye
6. Newlands a difficult place to play the Stormers
7.The Sharks have scored the most tries i think of the SA franchises (not sure of Cheetahs try count)
8. Stormers have the better talent – according to most
So all these things point to a Stormers win
nevertheless I am strongly confident simply because of the way in which the Sharks are playing. So to all you Stormers feeling under attack from Sharks fans I will say it first You are the favourites to win in 2 weeks time (just as we were supposedly 3 weeks ago)
19 Apr 2011, 22:13 pm
@grant10(grant10)-518: Yeah, I don’t really care. Just think taking it down a notch or two wouldn’t hurt. Less preaching would be good too.
19 Apr 2011, 22:14 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-513: PA…go suck up to te sharkies…
you lost me a long time ago with your schalk is indispensable at 6 and fark the fetcher rants….
followwed up by your kanko and spies for blindsiders.
speak to the choir boy brigades…..not the okes who have there own opinions….
19 Apr 2011, 22:15 pm
@Puma(Puma)-514: farkoff man….i have never blamed a ref …ever…show me 1 p;ost where i blame a ref for a loss….b s hit puma mouse!
19 Apr 2011, 22:16 pm
Fact is Skoppie, Fourie has been pretty below par – like most of the Boks. I’d take Sarel over him right now, that’s for sure.
19 Apr 2011, 22:17 pm
@grant10(grant10)-522: I thought that was pretty kak too. Sorry PA.
19 Apr 2011, 22:18 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-520: Last paragraph….
19 Apr 2011, 22:18 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-521: well fark me i aint no preacher man!
19 Apr 2011, 22:18 pm
@grant10(grant10)-517: firstly i dont throw insults at you online so whos the girl and who needs to grow up?? i would prefer to face you and tell you to your face ur a prick
as for HG i have NP thats between him and skoppie , but all sharks supporters and players go through the same insults etc
read what kaksioek showed you about your own and capos posts earlier in the day
double standards??
19 Apr 2011, 22:19 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-525: who gave you the right to apologise on my behalf?
seems you pretty fond of yourself as well?
19 Apr 2011, 22:20 pm
@grant10(grant10)-523: Sheesh? Which nerve have I hit this time?
19 Apr 2011, 22:20 pm
Skoppie, while you’re here: Did you notice that Keo is of the opinion that Jake White has got the Brumbies job? He’s been tweeting about it. Don’t know if his intel is any better than his match picks though.
19 Apr 2011, 22:20 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-528: me saying the blog is going to be a war zone is insulting to you sharks?
shamepies….
19 Apr 2011, 22:21 pm
@grant10(grant10)-522: see their you throw the little girly insults , and you say i must grow up??
holy **** that is funny
19 Apr 2011, 22:22 pm
@Puma(Puma)-530: just dont make out I am a ref blaming whinger like you man…..
Look at your posts…if JLP kicked better….if Mc Cleod had only passed, etc….
Farkit choir boy….grow a pair
19 Apr 2011, 22:22 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-520: classified ad: i have a manchester united radio, good working condition, the volume & bass work superbly but the treble is f*cked.
19 Apr 2011, 22:23 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-533:
19 Apr 2011, 22:23 pm
@grant10(grant10)-529: Good grief, you really are fond of yourself. I agreed that his views on fetching and blindside flanks were – in my opinion – kak, but apologised – on my behalf – to PA for stating that fact rather bluntly. It’s not all about you, you know.
19 Apr 2011, 22:24 pm
@grant10(grant10)-532: nope , and i never said you insulted the sharks
but you quickly over look those that do,
i also never said all stormer supporters, i said the majority however , go read the posts
if you want to put yourself in that majorioty go for it , i have said here ogten that you and JR give the sharks a lot of credit , so wtf you on about anyhows???
19 Apr 2011, 22:24 pm
HG has got one mammoth problem, the idiot is riddled with self aggrandized idiotic stupor. The schmuck thinks he’s the walking authority on rugby and has Sharks infantile infatuation f’ing up his brain like none other. The imbecile is simply an onnosel bar none and the schmuckface idiot cannot handle the fact that he’s simply a stupid idiotic ignoramus dunce. He got these pathetic guppieyuppie groupies schmoozing up his nancy nincompoopanus like he’s their idiot schmuck faced champion or something so far fetched ridiculous. So he tries going out his way to prove how pathetically ignorant he actually is, and successfully does so.
19 Apr 2011, 22:24 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-528: fine….i am a p rick….but a p rick who calls it like it is….and does not hide behind sentiment and taks losses like a man…not like a choir girl with her 1 st period pain
19 Apr 2011, 22:25 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-537: ok …sorry…wires crossed
19 Apr 2011, 22:26 pm
@Puma(Puma)-516: hey Puma no need to get disappointed mate. I’ve realized that when folks start to attack on a blog like this its because they feel that their opinions or support base or arguments are threatened by good reason and their fear that their opinions or arguments wont be accepted drives them to justify themselves. Justification always has to do with the righting of a “wrong” albeit perceived.
There are Sharks, Bulls and Stormers fans who do this, all you have to do is have a quiet confidence in your side and their ability. There is no need to prove before the event that your side should win, its a futile excercise as is the exercise of justifying why you lost.
19 Apr 2011, 22:28 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-535: hahhahhaha
great one Transie
19 Apr 2011, 22:28 pm
farkit man….i see more criticism of the stormers by stormers bloggers than anyone else.
Personally i am moer of a tough on my team….and vocal in my criticism.
most sharks completely OTT….
and HG fuels the kak and the ladies sharks choir follow suit like dumb sheep….
Not an original farken thought between them
19 Apr 2011, 22:29 pm
guys grow up, if any if you can’t take the banter go to RT get Rudi to pat your backs. the stormers lose and some here cheer the Reds on – that’s cool – return the serve but don’t whinge later on ffs.
19 Apr 2011, 22:29 pm
@grant10(grant10)-540: Crikey!!!!!!!! So you think you are too..hehe… straight from your mouth…hehehe, thank we all think you are as well………. a big mighty one. Thanks for clarifiying that up.
19 Apr 2011, 22:30 pm
@grant10(grant10)-522:
I lost you long ago?
Never realised you were someone to keep. My mistake.
Anycase, my online duties are completed for the night, catch up on some rugby talk tomorrow.
19 Apr 2011, 22:30 pm
why is gwantie so hostile?
a few too many dops there in his clifton palace contemplating the riches he reaped under apartheid?
whaddapoes!
19 Apr 2011, 22:30 pm
@grant10(grant10)-541: OK cool.
19 Apr 2011, 22:32 pm
Bottom line is Sharks are a reasonably well assembled team of bought in mercenaries who are reasonably well coached by a reasonably astute coach from New Zealand. So what everybody getting their fancy panty pooper black and white striped knickerbockers in a stupefied pisswilly guppieyuppie knot for heaven only f’ng knows.
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