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
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
19 Apr 2011, 15:21 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-247:
19 Apr 2011, 15:22 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-244:
these flanks average about 2 turnovers a game.
Of course it isn’t their most important contribution when they are putting in the most tackles on average in the team and contesting rucks the most.
If the blindside get a bunch of t/o, good for him, he is an assest for his carrying ability.
Yes the fetchers are supposed to be specialist on the, and there are only a few handful of SOuth Africans with good form in that department: Flo, Brussow, Stegmann are about it, despite all this talk of our loosie wealth.
Very clearly their breakdown support is more valuable, it’s what they do the most.
19 Apr 2011, 15:25 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-245:
Sorry, have to respond.
“In a worse-off team, Stegmann in his role will have even more work to do.”
It makes sense then that his stats will be superior to that of HB as he has less to do playing in the better team, not so?
Doesn’t necessarily mean he is better. He just looks better because he has less work to do.
19 Apr 2011, 15:25 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-245: Consider these scenarios:
1. Steg’s agent phones Dolf Straeuli and offers Steg to the Sharks. The conversation would be one way – It will be Agent asking Straeuli: “How much are you prepared to offer?”
2. Ratel’s agent phones Dolf Straeuli and offers Ratel to the Sharks. The conversation would again be one way – It will be Straeuli asking Agent: “How much do you want?”
I suggest its more than just subjective perception.
19 Apr 2011, 15:26 pm
The article Grant 10 is referring to !!
Crucial fortnight for Smit
Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:03
What does the future hold for John Smit? (c) Gallo
rugby365.com columnist Grant Ball believes Bok captain John Smit has only a fortnight to find his form and fight off his rival for the captaincy armband, Victor Matfield.
With Peter de Villiers’s ultimatum that John Smit will only play at hooker, the Bok captain has to hit form before May 2.
Smit has just two matches before the Springbok captain is announced in early May. De Villiers has said he won’t be considered at prop, listing Gurthro Steenkamp, Tendai Mtawarira (looseheads), Jannie du Plessis and CJ Van der Linde (tightheads) as better options. He said Smit will only be considered if he plays hooker. That’s reliant on Sharks coach John Plumtree’s team announcement on Thursday, and although the pair met on Monday, Plumtree’s very seldom bowed to De Villiers’s requests.
If Smit doesn’t play hooker, then what? If he does play No.2 and doesn’t perform, then there’s no justification in selecting him as Bok captain on May 2.
The big problem for De Villiers is that the next in line, Victor Matfield, has also been well below average in recent weeks, and is producing his worst form since becoming a Bok in 2001. If De Villiers axes Smit and replaces him with Matfield, that would be a case of double standards, as Matfield also doesn’t warrant a starting spot in the Bok team on current form.
De Villiers also blamed some of the senior players’ performances on ‘personal problems’. Who ever the player is, that shouldn’t be a valid excuse. What happens when he has personal problems during the World Cup? The players aren’t merely robots and deserve a degree of compassion, but at the same time, they’re also very well-paid professionals, and their performances should reflect that.
Maybe the only personal problems affecting the senior players are that they’re fatigued, not good enough any more and/or they’re too old?
De Villiers mentioned that there is a ‘cut-off date’ when time is up for under-performing players, and that seems to be over the next two weeks with Smit. Plumtree will announce his Sharks side to face the Hurricanes on Thursday, and that will say a lot what he thinks of De Villiers’s request.
Bismarck du Plessis has been the best hooker in Super Rugby this year, and it will be a massive call if Plumtree decides to start with Smit. Much of the Sharks’ problems early in last year’s campaign stemmed from the Du Plessis/Smit feud (which even led to a fight on the training pitch overseas), and Du Plessis having to step aside won’t sit well with him. Understandably so – Du Plessis is delivering and Smit isn’t.
Another problem with making Matfield captain is that the Bulls’ axis will hold even more power within the Bok camp. That wouldn’t be such a big problem if the Bulls were on form and their game-plan wasn’t outdated, but that’s clearly not the case.
Matfield wielded too much power on last year’s Grand Slam tour, where it was his call to start Zane Kirchner at outside centre against Ireland, and not to hand Pat Lambie a first Test start at fullback, simply because he didn’t want Morne Steyn’s berth to be placed in jeopardy. If Matfield takes charge, expect many similar pro-Bulls decisions to the detriment of the Boks.
If Smit stays, expect Matfield to cut a dismissive figure.
Either way, it’s a big problem for the Boks with less than five months to go until the World Cup
19 Apr 2011, 15:27 pm
One more thing. If guys start finding form in the latter stages of the Super rugby tournament again and if we get some synergy going in the backlines those boys down under may just be in for a nasty surprise cos we certainly have the personnel to beat them (when playing in form).
It will be intersting to see how the next 4 months pan out. All that hurt in the Bulls team and Stormers lacking potency. The hurt of Lions and Cheetahs not winning. Theres a lot pushing us at the moment… there certainly isnt complaceny at present and that is a positive. If PDV keeps to his word that no-one is assured a spot then we may just seem some serious resurgence amongst the Boks.
19 Apr 2011, 15:28 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-248:
“marginally better” than Louw? Please take another look man.
Not sure what you mean by nitty gritty, there is no other damn conclusion other than concluding that Stegmann is setting his face as flint.
And secondly, yes I greatly admire Brussow in this yaer’s comeback, he DID stifle their ball, they DID get their first-ever win in down there, but take a look at his workrate, it was poor. Brussow needs to recover, and shortly after that he is out again. Brussow is tops, we know this, but he will need to demonstrate that he can recover and deliver a high workrate before the RWC.
19 Apr 2011, 15:28 pm
a team without a fetcher ….against a team with a fetcher….is in the kak …
49 nil ring a bell….
got to fight fire with fire….as long as the pococks and mc caws are around we will need the steggmanns, flos and brussows…..
for years I saw the aussies and kiwis have free lunches….we were so farken dumb in our selections….thanks to jake the snake
19 Apr 2011, 15:32 pm
@grant10(grant10)-258: and where is the world cup under that snake????????????????????????????????
19 Apr 2011, 15:32 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-254: well with F Louw off to Bath I hope the Stormers are making a few calls to Brussow as well…
19 Apr 2011, 15:33 pm
@nama1(nama1)-253:
Ag heerlikheid ou man, you will be doing more in 80 minutes than 60 minutes, regardless of how you pace yourself.
19 Apr 2011, 15:33 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-252:
No need to preach to me pal, I have been saying for some time the whole ‘fetcher’ theory (pilfering, steals etc) is flawed.
19 Apr 2011, 15:33 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-257: sure youre right.
19 Apr 2011, 15:33 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-259: we didnt have to play aussies or kiwis in that wc….thankfully.
19 Apr 2011, 15:34 pm
Jake got the job at the Brumbies btw. News should hit anytime soon.
19 Apr 2011, 15:36 pm
fetching is not about the steals only.
its about getting across to make the tackles and make the oppo ball slow.
without a ‘prize ‘ fetcher boks may as well stay at home.
19 Apr 2011, 15:36 pm
@grant10(grant10)-250: Its not so much a fight between Bissy and Barney that concerns me. In some ways that actually is a positive – two rivals fighting it out because they care and they are competitive. Also puts paid to the silly suggestion that Barney’s heart isn’t in it, hey??
Whats more concerning is this:
“Matfield wielded too much power on last year’s Grand Slam tour, where it was his call to start Zane Kirchner at outside centre against Ireland, and not to hand Pat Lambie a first Test start at fullback, simply because he didn’t want Morne Steyn’s berth to be placed in jeopardy. If Matfield takes charge, expect many similar pro-Bulls decisions to the detriment of the Boks.”.
This reminds me of the old days of Natal where many a good bananaboy player was denied opportunity by another player playing for the “correct” side… Or the Natal player was seen as too much of a “soutie” loose cannon.
Fark this, if its true.
19 Apr 2011, 15:36 pm
Brussouw needs to start against NZ and Aus. Schalk can handle the other Nations.
19 Apr 2011, 15:37 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-262:
So we agree, more or less, what your view?
(Not trying to preach BTW, just responding normal-wise, call me Dominee then)
19 Apr 2011, 15:38 pm
@grant10(grant10)-260: I am sure he will prefer the Sharks… Better coaching
19 Apr 2011, 15:38 pm
bokke will be in dire straights if fatboy turbo-reverse specialist smit plays at the wc.if fatboy plays then the debate of fetcher or no fetcher becomes irrelevant.removing of the cancerous fatboy is of paramount importance for the boks in terms of wc success.
19 Apr 2011, 15:38 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-265: Very interesting. Starting next season right?
19 Apr 2011, 15:39 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-267: I knew about that ‘ fight’…heard it from a very good mate who is a big wheel in durban…..
But 1 st time i have seen it mentioned in print.
when i ‘hinted ‘ at the problems that Smit was causing in the team , I was told I am talking kak , etc.
now its coming out.
always said the real cancer in sharks and boks was Smit….
Just because he wants the 2 shirt dont a fark mean he deserves it.
19 Apr 2011, 15:39 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-269:
Tongue in cheek mate.
I think we pretty much agree, work rate and contributions around the park is first prize. This guy should be wherever the ball is, anticipation, conditioning and execution is key.
19 Apr 2011, 15:40 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-272:
No details yet, they keeping it very hush but someone did let it slip that he got a ‘job’.
19 Apr 2011, 15:41 pm
@Tecumseh(Tecumseh)-271: 100 % CORRECT
19 Apr 2011, 15:41 pm
@grant10(grant10)-266: So a quick player will make a good fetcher? He needs to arrive first at the breakdown to either steal the ball or slow down the ball. On attack he needs to arrive first at the breakdown to protect the ball and provide quick ball.
19 Apr 2011, 15:42 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-265: so we shall see just what he is capable of now that he´s got a poorly performing outfit. Will be interesting to see.
19 Apr 2011, 15:42 pm
Jake: “Haven’t got the job yet, just finished the interview and will hopefully know by Monday/Tuesday”
19 Apr 2011, 15:42 pm
Going going gooner for now
19 Apr 2011, 15:43 pm
matfield should use his power in a positive way and get pdv to get rid of john smit as soon as humanely possible.
19 Apr 2011, 15:43 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-254:
Does that apply to any team- or commercial manager from any team?
Bulls wont take Brussow above Stegmann, even from the confessional.
That doesn’t take anything away from Brussow.
19 Apr 2011, 15:44 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-274: Ok so were all agreed then Stegman for the World Cup? Jeesus please.
19 Apr 2011, 15:45 pm
@Tecumseh(Tecumseh)-271: If Smit starts we need Brussouw at 6. If Bissie starts the Burger can play 6. Simple.
19 Apr 2011, 15:46 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-274:
Good. Agreed. Pretty simple though.
Well then, the stats so far claim that Stegmann is leading the way amongst South African opensiders, cant argue there (Flou an obvious inclusion in comparison here).
19 Apr 2011, 15:46 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-283:
IMO individuals are not important so much, it is the combination which is vital.
We have a lot of guys capable of playing openside, but how the combination goes as a whole will be far more important than one individual.
19 Apr 2011, 15:47 pm
if we are honest with ourselves even chillyboy is playing better rugby at the moment than turbo-reverse smit.i just don’t buy this ‘taking fatboy along for his leadership abilities’ when he will in fact cost us the games.
19 Apr 2011, 15:48 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-277:
A quick player doesnt make a good openside. But it sure does give you an advantage though.
19 Apr 2011, 15:49 pm
Also if your defence is not solid and you are on the back foot thats when you need a fetcher. If the Boks defence is tight and we are knocking teams behind the advantage line then Schalk will be ok.
19 Apr 2011, 15:50 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-284: EVEN BETTER IF BRUSSOW AND BISSY START….
WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO WEAKEN THE TEAM BY PLAYING A NON FETCHER AT OPENSIDE?
yOU REALTED TO jAKE?
19 Apr 2011, 15:50 pm
@grant10(grant10)-290: Sorry caps
19 Apr 2011, 15:52 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-288: Yes it does. I think anticipation is the defining attribute for an opensider.
19 Apr 2011, 15:52 pm
Keo tweets.
“Ryk neethling congrats jake on his new job in tweet so someone has finally employed him. Jake and brumbies. Should b interesting match up”
19 Apr 2011, 15:52 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-280:
“Gooner”…..gonna break some knuckles in some good old fashioned extortion?
Can I hire you? Nedbank owes me sum
19 Apr 2011, 15:53 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-289: you not thinking straight….really you arent mate
19 Apr 2011, 15:54 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-286: Well then surely a combo of Brussouw Smith and Spies would be the most insync? Is it the best at the moment? Is a combo of Brussouw, Alberts, Spies any different from Stegmann, Alberts, Spies? Not much I would say.
I agree its the way they work together – but Stegmann and Brussouw are similar players in the way they play. Just tha Brussouw is more effective.
19 Apr 2011, 15:54 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-289: ‘then schalk will be ok’….that says it all….
play a proper opensider man, why the fark risk a team without one?
Just stupid if you ask me!!
19 Apr 2011, 15:56 pm
Again for Mshiniwami who was having me on fro Sarel Pretorius yesterday – from Jake Whites blog – the master of pick them big…
A: There is no such thing as a player not being big enough. Look at Ricky Januarie and George Gregan’s size and how they performed when they were at their best. The question is whether the player is good enough. Sarel Pretorius is probably even smaller than Dewaldt, but Sarel is the form South African player in Super Rugby. Dewaldt has a very difficult task in the current South African scrumhalf context, with Fourie du Preez by far the best. Ruan Pienaar is playing well overseas, Sarel has been so good, while Charl McLeod was picked for the November tour last year.
Shall I repeat that?
but Sarel is the form South African player in Super Rugby
The stats back it up. Doesnt have much of a kicking game and his defence needs to sort itself out but the rest is magic.
19 Apr 2011, 15:56 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-292:
Yeah, the anticipation is not just predicting where the breakdowns are likely to occur, but also what to do at the breakdown you arrive at, whether to commit or not, this is key, and ALWAYS goes unseen by the casual spectators who only ever scream for the bystanders to “get stuck in”.
Picking your battles is vital for opensiders, even small things in decision-making boiling down to crocodile rolling your opponent off a ruck, or smothering or binding onto him, the openside needs to make many more split-second decisions than is apparent from the stands.
19 Apr 2011, 15:57 pm
@grant10(grant10)-297: I say Schalk at 6 Danie Rossouw at 7 and someone big and slow at 8 – maybe Lawrence Sephaka. Killerrrrr.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.