PdV: New boys can make a statement
20 Apr 2011
Duane Vermeulen, Lionel Mapoe and Sarel Pretorius have been selected for the Springboks’ 51-man World Cup planning squad.
Bok coach Peter de Villiers named an extended squad on Wednesday consisting of 51 South-Africa based players. Men like Butch James, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn and BJ Botha, who are currently based in the northern hemisphere, will come into consideration once their commitments to their clubs have been fulfilled.
In explaining his decision to pick Vermeulen, Mapoe and Pretorius, De Villiers said he wants to reward form and hopes this selection will send a message to the incumbents.
‘Duane is one of the unluckiest players in South African rugby,’ the Bok coach said. ‘He plays in a position where we are well covered at the Boks, but he never lets his team down. He has been playing great rugby for the past three seasons, and I see this selection as a just reward. He knows that he is not far away from a Test. If there are injuries to the other players, he will come into consideration.
‘Sarel has really set that Cheetahs team alight. There are a few shortcomings in his game that I will have to talk to him about, but I have been impressed with his work rate. Lionel isn’t half the player he was last year, but we know what he can do. I think his problems [at the Lions] may be down to the fact that he doesn’t have much space to run.
‘By picking these players, I am definitely sending a message to the other players. Form is going to be a criteria for selection.’
While Pretorius will find it difficult to leapfrog men like Du Preez, Hougaard and Pienaar in the scrumhalf position, Vermeulen has a strong case for the starting position at No 8. De Villiers was honest in his assessment of No 8 incumbent Pierre Spies, who has battled to impose himself over the past two seasons.
‘Spies wasn’t good last year. He missed some tackles. I think he picked himself up on the end-of-year tour, and he is a very strong guy. We know what he can do, but I’d like to see an improvement.
‘I also think his performance this year has something to do with the Bulls’ front row. They haven’t been strong, so there’s been no oomph. I think we’ll see a difference in Spies when a guy like Gurthro Steenkamp comes back [to the Bulls' front row].
De Villiers will confirm his management team on 2 May. While contracts are yet to be signed, he didn’t deny that Rassie Erasmus is set to take up the technical adviser post.
De Villiers will also announce his captain for the World Cup at the 2 May press conference.
Springboks World Cup planning group – Willem Alberts, Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Keegan Daniel, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Peter Grant, Bryan Habana, Alistair Hargreaves, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Ricky Januarie , Ryan Kankowski, Zane Kirchner, Werner Kruger, Pat Lambie, Francois Louw, Bandise Maku, Lionel Mapoe, Victor Matfield, Charl McLeod, Tendai Mtawarira, Waylon Murray, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Coenie Oosthuizen, JP Pietersen, Dewaldt Potgieter, Sarel Pretorius, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Deon Stegmann, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen.
320 Comments
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20 Apr 2011, 19:04 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-300: lol true , but thats for him as coach to have soughted out by now
its pretty clear transie , something aint right in bulls ville , but form is always temperory ,
20 Apr 2011, 19:06 pm
@cab(cab)-299: lol whos the maestro mate??
20 Apr 2011, 19:07 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-291: Good question.
For me this is how I see it:
Adi is a 13 not a 12 so that’s where I’d consider him
For me again, the pecking order looks like this
1. Fourie
2. De Jong
3. Olivier
4 Murray/Adi
Hence I say 3 or 4. That’s how I see it of I were to pick the Bok team. So Adi, who is a good attacking 13 and good finisher, would make way for firstly Jaque for the reason that he’s the best by far IMO, followed by Juan De jong as he is a great runner with very good defence, so he has all Adi’s positives with very little negatives (for me). After that I would pick WO as he is a solid player who can do most things well.
For me Adi’s weaknesses on defence put him behind WO for me, even though there are some things that he does better.
Waylon is an interresting proposition, He’s having a good season so he may shade it for me above Adi for 4th spot but I’m a bit ambivalent on that score, so it could go either way.
FYI at 12 my choices would be
1. JDV
2. JDJ
3. WO
4 Doppies
If you take my opinion on the above into account, I get very nervous when people start touting Adi for Bok 13. Not that he’s cr@p. Just that there are players better than him. At the end of year tour, for example, I think Adi should have gotten a run ahead of some as bot JDJ and JF were unavailable, along with WO.
It didn’t make sense to pick a fullback at 13, even though Zane actually did ok.
Now I know Adi had a great 2008, but in my opinion that was more a flash in the pan, much like Ricky who also had a great 2008. Both have lost their edge for me, hence my assessment of him.
Having said all this, players can work on their weaknesses and improve and if he’s good enough, he should be picked, if it’s best for SA.
It’s not like I have anything personal against the guy or anything.
20 Apr 2011, 19:09 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-302:
what is wrong with you sharkie, the mastermind coach who delivered that whitewash to the ABs in 2009 when all his players were fit. I cannot see how we can lose in 2011, all those players are now coming back to full fitness – and the best of the lot is everyone is righting us off, its almost exactly the same as last time – hip hip hurrah we should have another in our bra.
20 Apr 2011, 19:15 pm
@cab(cab)-304: lol ohhh ok with you now cabby , little slow today sorry man
20 Apr 2011, 22:25 pm
I cannot, for the love of god, understand people who start posts with “my team would be…” or “I would pick….” and then lists a bunch of players like a shopping list. What is wrong with you lot? Who gives a toss who you`d pick? Please get real and move your moustache out of your hairy behind. WE DON`T CARE, WE DON`T CARE, WE DON`T ****** CARE!!!! Deal with the reality, make comments on the practicalities of a dour squad & employ the first conditional tense. Please stop this fantasy nonsense.
20 Apr 2011, 22:37 pm
WTF has Lionel Mapoe done to deserve being in this group?????????????????
20 Apr 2011, 22:43 pm
PdV’s comments are laughable. He talks about Vermuelen and says some ****, even though Spies has been playing pathetically for the last 2 seasons. He claims he can teach Sarel Pretorius a couple of things LOL and the says Mapoe is not quite as good as last year, but it’s cause Lions don’t give him space…FYI Mapoe did not play rugby the whole of last year, you idiot.
21 Apr 2011, 00:13 am
1) beast
2) bismark
3)mujati
4)bakkies
5) vic
6) Schalk
7) Smith
8) Alberts
9) FDP
10) lambie
11) Basson
12) JDV
13) Fourie
14)Aplon
15)Frans Steyn
21 Apr 2011, 01:20 am
@sandeno(sandeno)-306: agreed wholeheartedly
21 Apr 2011, 05:27 am
can you imagine a Bok backline of Januarie, Jantjies, Meisiekind and Jacobs?? Throw in Kirshner at 15…………….
FFS, even the Kings would tear that apart!
If those blokes are meant to be part of a WC campaign then so help us…..
21 Apr 2011, 06:07 am
Sorry to say but if pdv do not pick this team we will not win this world cup!
1. beast
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. CJ van der Linde
4. Andries Bekker
5. Victor Matfield C
6. Schalk Burger
7. Juan Smith
8. Duane Vermeulen
9 Fourie du Preez
10 Peter Grant
11 Bryan Habana
12 Jean de Villiers
13 Jaque Fourie
14 JP Pietersen
15 Gio Aplon
21 Apr 2011, 07:27 am
The final RWC squad is trimmed to 26 players
JS is in as a captain, then add the following certainties:
Bakkie, Matfield, Burger, FdP, Styen, JSmith, Beast, Steenkamp,Januarie, JdV, JF, Habana and JP, that gives 14 Players
Add the highly probable in Aplon, Kirchner, De Jungh, Mujati, Chilibooi, Basson, Jacobs (all quotas), Brussow, the Dup Brothers, Spies, Lambies, Rossouw, WO, Albert, Vermulen, Butch James, Beckker, that makes it 19 of which no more than11 will be selected
The possibles from overseas are Pienaar, F Styen, BJ and JvN should have walked into the squad but they won’t, simply because it will come at the expenses of quatas such as Januarie, Kirchner or Steenkamp and that’s not gonna happened so only one wild card in F Styen but he won’t bother if Kirchner and Aplon are in the squad.
21 Apr 2011, 07:31 am
@Quentin Roberts(Quentin Roberts)-312: not bad.
21 Apr 2011, 07:33 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-313: nope 30 players.
21 Apr 2011, 07:52 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-23: You are SOOOOO wrong china….
21 Apr 2011, 09:50 am
@Pick the team in August not March(stormersboy)-303:
Ok fair enough
But I get to differ on Wynand Olivier .He is not ahead of neither Murray nor Adi as a 13.He hasnt played 13 since 2006 and even then he was average.Not to mention that with almost 30 test caps himself he has NEVER impressed in a Bok jumper-even what you have called quote: “FLASH IN THE PAN” period>Nothing,sweet buggerall has he shown in neither the 12 or 13 position at Test level.Yet you still put him ahead in your list…I really fail to understand that criteria.
But you have the right to your opinion.We’ll have to agree to disagree there.
21 Apr 2011, 10:34 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-317: Yes I know the WO question is contentious, and many will certainly fall in with your opinion too. I’m not a huge fan, but agree to some extent about him not getting too many starting games for the boks, so I’m not judging him as harshly as some.
He does perform year in and year out for the Bulls, so that shades it for me. But if the time comes to pick him at 13, for me it would be more of a “rescue job” than a preferred choice.
But I see your point, although I’m still not on the Adi train.
21 Apr 2011, 10:48 am
The first guy i would pick is W. Alberts , the must fall around him .
Could you imagine him feeding off Brussouw !
Awesome .
22 Apr 2011, 23:37 pm
They can make a statement down at the police station.
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