457 Comments

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• 101.rossoneri:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:17 pm

  @charo(charo)-96: So what. I’m not crazy about him either.

• 102.Gunther is looking to the future with hope in his heart.:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:20 pm

  @charo(charo)-96:

  transie would never lie.

  he is a senior blogger.

  he has a reputation to protect.

  

• 103.rossoneri:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:20 pm

  Johnson defends his foreign legion
  Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:45

  Martin Johnson: Check the worry in my eye. (c) Getty

  Martin Johnson has shrugged off questions about the cosmopolitan make-up of England’s World Cup training squad after including several foreign-born players in his 45-strong preliminary group.

  While New Zealanders Dylan Hartley, Riki Flutey and Shontayne Hape have long been fixtures in the England set-up, Johnson raised a few eyebrows after naming Kiwi Thomas Waldrom and South African Mouritz Botha in his squad on Monday.

  Waldrom and Botha were also joined in the squad by Leicester’s Samoan-born centre Manu Tuilagi, as well as Matt Stevens, the South African-born prop who qualifies for England through his English father, while South African Hendre Fourie qualifies through residency.

  Several commentators have questioned whether a union with the resources of England – which with 166,672 registered senior players far exceeds their nearest rival, France with 110,270 – really needs to cast its net so wide.

  After all, New Zealand has a mere 27,374 players to choose from according to International Rugby Board figures, and the All Blacks have consistently been the benchmark for Test-playing nations for years.

  Johnson however made it clear he has no qualms about selecting players who meet the eligibility regulations laid down by the IRB.

  Asked if he could see why the sizeable foreign contingent within English ranks may jar with some observers, Johnson was nonplussed.

  “No one has said anything to me so I’ll report back if they do,” he replied. “I’ve not had that feedback from anyone.”

  Johnson – who himself once represented New Zealand’s Under-21 side before later leading England to World Cup glory in 2003 – instead encouraged English players to raise their standards.

  Asked what sort of message the selection of Botha, who qualifies through residency, and Waldrom, who has an English grandparent, would send to young English players, Johnson was emphatic: “Be good.”

  “Play well in the Premiership. If you want to play for England play well in the Premiership and be good enough to get in.

  “Those two guys have come in for the first time and they’ve got to come in and establish themselves in the group.

  “I’ve seen guys born abroad who’ve done that, and guys born in England who’ve done that. And guys who haven’t done it. You show your commitment to the cause every day. The way you train, the way you play.

  “It happened through my career. Every team I played in probably had somebody who was born outside of England or the UK. It was how they played that was the important thing. They (Waldrom and Botha) are in with a shot, they deserve their chance and we’re looking forward to seeing them have a crack.”

  In all probability, Botha and Waldrom remain outside bets to feature in England’s final 30-man World Cup squad, which will be named on August 22.

  Tuilagi, the powerful centre whose five elder brothers have all played international rugby for Samoa, looks a likelier prospect.

  The 20-year-old has risen through England’s age groups since moving to Britain as a schoolboy. He narrowly avoided deportation last year after it emerged he had first arrived in Britain on a tourist visa.

  Tuilagi was recently banned for five weeks after unleashing a flurry of punches on England wing Chris Ashton in a club match. Johnson stressed that the need for discipline in New Zealand would be emphasised.

  “Manu’s had a fantastic year for a guy in his first season so we thought he deserved a chance,” Johnson said.

  “We can’t have guys getting suspended down there on or off the field. We’re in New Zealand, we all know what that’s like, it’s a goldfish bowl, and we’re in a World Cup which is another goldfish bowl.

  “We don’t need silly bans or suspensions when we’re over there because it puts the whole group under pressure.”

• 104.TheAgent:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:21 pm

  F. Steyn
  Lambie
  Aplon
  JP
  Habana
  Mvovo
  Fourie
  de Villiers
  de Jongh
  M. Steyn
  Butch
  du Preez
  Pienaar
  Hougaard
  Spies
  Johnson
  Smith
  Burger
  Brussouw
  Rossouw
  Matfield
  Botha
  Bekker
  Jannie
  Kruger/Mujati
  Smit
  Bismark
  Chiliboy
  Beast
  Guthro

  Knock-out Stage Team

  Aplon
  JP
  Fourie
  de Villiers
  Habana
  Steyn
  du Preez
  Spies
  Smith
  Matfield
  Botha
  Brussouw
  Jannie
  Smit
  Beast

  Bismark
  Guthro
  Rossouw
  Burger
  Pienaar
  Butch
  Lambie/Steyn

• 105.youknowwho:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:23 pm

  @PissAnt(PissAnt)-58: Did you write a letter of protest to WP about his inclusion in the past two games..

• 106.mshiniwami:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:26 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-97:

  Fair enough

  But in my opinion Smit’s leadership being imperative for boks has less if anything to do with counter-acting any such imbalance as its not some mystical power(which I have never professed it out to be) but more to do with the age old problem in SA rugby that continues to exist: provincialism/factionalism. Within the Bok environment its been the undoing of many a Bok teams-to a certain extent the 99′ team and most notably 03′ team in RWC.

  Smit is the nucleus of the team in the sense that he is the only leader in team which players across provincial,racial,souties/d*tchman etc lines who seems to be held in the highest regard and players listen to and thus limiting such detraction’s that exist in SA rugby landscape/dynamic that dont exist elsewhere. Add that the ability to influence refs much like other great captains like McCaw.

• 107.cab:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:28 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106:
  thats a great post, maybe you right, but its a huge call to not start bismarck or play him for most of the game.

• 108.Jer1cho:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:28 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106:

  Best post I have read on here in a very long time. Well said. I share the same view.

• 109.stormersboy:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:29 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106: I couldn’t agree more.

• 110.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:31 pm

  @Gunther is looking to the future with hope in his heart.(gunther)-102: bullshit, i’m no senior blogger, i base my comments on evidence, you might want charo to prove his theory

• 111.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:36 pm

  what a load of sentimental old codswallop.

  Plod plays in quarters we come home.

  mark the post transie.

• 112.stormersboy:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:40 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-111: I don’t think they’ll start with him.

  bench for him for the big games.

  Or so I’ve been told.

• 113.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:40 pm

  lets see what happens if plum plays smit at 1 this weekend. A precursor of things to come….

  or will the auras hammie be a bit sore?

• 114.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:42 pm

  plum nobodies fool…

  he knows what he has in bissy and beast….

  when push comes to shove plum says up yours pdv, they are pdvs promises, not Plums….

  good for you plum….

  Smit has 45 minutes against L

• 115.cab:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:43 pm

  wtf?! u out the tub already?
  damn that was a quick dip.
  splish splash, parp parp and out again.

• 116.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:43 pm

  against lions and it is 30….9….to bloody lions!

  Come on you sentimental old f arts….

  its over man

• 117.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:44 pm

  @cab(cab)-115: lost my damn duck

• 118.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:45 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106: AHA!!!!!!! surely if it provincialism and all that age old saffa rubbish, he can do it OFF the field, i don’t think habana will start minding that bakkies is a d*tchman or mvovo is xhosa in the middle of a game. if he is the glue outside the confines of the field, let him be the team manager then!

• 119.cab:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:46 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-117:
  thats what happens when you taking a running goof and bomb into the tub, ducky might be lodged between your speedo cheeks…but i wont be checking that.

• 120.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:48 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-98:

  what propaganda?

  have i been sprouting the benefits of smit?

  no…..

  you have been the goebels here – pointing out all the misconceptions of the value of smit.

  

• 121.mshiniwami:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:53 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-111:

  Hehehe

  Yeah bud,you’re continued whaling about Smit every second post is bordering on infantile.

  If we go out in quarter finals it will be sad but be sure it will be way more than about Smit being in starting lineup. Because that will be like attributing entire AB loss in 07′ to Luke McCallister at 12 instead of Mauger even though Barnes missed a blatant forward pass, dropping Jack for Robinson, Carter missing points and drop goals, Evans & Carter injured within minutes of each other etc etc

• 122.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:53 pm

  @charo(charo)-120: read & weep 8)

  342. grant10 :
  July 5th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

  1st thing i would do is get on the line to CJ VD LINDE….

  if he says no….call bj….

  If he says no…blood werner Kruger

  Move J smit back to 2….

  Brussow must start

  Steggmann into squad of 30…..

  Serious chats to Matfield, bakkies ,J Smith and J Smit…..they either commit to 2011 or start the search for successors now….

  DONT play j smith at 4 or 5….never ever play okes out of position at the highest level…it is a disease in our rugby and a cheap way of avoiding the tough calls!

  Bissy off the bench last 30….J Smit can move to loosehead but never play him at 3 again….he doesent deserve to be treated in this way….even Os said he would never contemplate trying to play 3 !!!

  Dewalt Potgieter, Steggmann must be knocking at the door….and i am getting to the conclusion that a Duanne Vermeulen at 8 may be the answer with the speed of Spies used of the bench in last 30 min.

  Our huge pressing issue is to 100% back a 10….3….6…and 15….

  I am sure Pdv learnt a lot from yesterdays fiasco…never again should we have to see a bok front row so humiliated and our pack bullied like a girlie team….

• 123.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 16:58 pm

  @charo(charo)-120: you know what you have been talking about, why act dumb now? hehehe

• 124.mshiniwami:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:00 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-118:

  fair enough but what about his ability to liase with refs and influence decisions/momentum which is an important part of today’s international game? And that can only be done on the pitch.How many times have we seen McCaw be able to worm himself out of repeated infringements?? When teams are evenly matched and in crucial games that sometimes is difference to winning or losings games.

  Im not one who wants to see Matfield frowning and shouting at ref while he moves us metres back for dissent & decisions after that are jaundiced in one direction.

• 125.mshiniwami:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:04 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-122:

  Call to CJ……How did that work out?

  BJ whathas he done in Europe?? nothing,even Mujati has surpass him there yet all we were told by Grant is how much of a juggernaut bj was.

• 126.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:07 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-123:

  ok, what have i been talking about?

  i’ll tell you…..

  the constant ranting about smit and whether he should retire or not.

  in my view, the coach and the selectors are a lot closer to the action than us mere bloggers…

  and if pdv wants smit, who am i to argue the merits or not thereof?

  

• 127.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:11 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-125: mate…

  CJ

  BJ

  Mujati

  Brock

  Werner

  R Geldenhuys

  K Buys

  F Malherbe

  WP Nel

  all better 3 s than the hooker that feared for his safety….

  And dont get me started on looseheads….

  as for hooker, well Plod is just soo past it he cannot keep up.

  So we rather accomodate this plod because we scared victor may pi ss a ref off?

  You sounding more stupid and sentimental by the minute

• 128.Big Hit:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:15 pm

  Well said Keo, let’s hope a few on here will take it to heart. Not holding my breath mind…

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-103: it’s a training squad, I expect about 3 or 4 to make the plane, 1 or 2 to make the 22.

• 129.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:19 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-124: that ability seemed to escape him last year when we were getting yellow-carded willy nilly in the tri-nations and mcCaw was STILL getting away with “last official warnings”.

  bakkies got yellowed for the team’s first or second infringement in the red zone…what did danie get ejected for, brushing mcCaw’s back?

  we lost the tri-nations 5-1 with smit leading the charge, ok i understand some say he was overweight but none of what you have said requires him to be FULLY FIT for him to do, if alain rolland is going to give a yellow it’s coming boy regardless of how fit our cappie is

• 130.kevin w:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:19 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106: Good post.

  John Smit is so useless – yet he is influential enough to be responsible for a team to be 21 points down all by himself against the Lions????? Seems contradictory to the max.

• 131.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:20 pm

  @charo(charo)-126: no, you’ve been speculating and making false statements about why grant10 hates jonh smit and doesn’t want him in the team.

• 132.Transformation:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:22 pm

  @charo(charo)-126: that’s never stopped you or many here questioning why he has been picking an overweight januarie, has it?

• 133.kevin w:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:22 pm

  @charo(charo)-126: exactly

• 134.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:25 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-132:

  show me one post of mine questioning ricky januarie’s selection or the size of his buttocks……..

  talk about generalising?

  hahaha

  

• 135.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:26 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-131:

  g10 admitted that he hated smit over the luke issue.

  no speculation at all.

• 136.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:27 pm

  @charo(charo)-134:

  actually if i had the time i could pull out a few of my posts praising ricky.

• 137.charo:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:29 pm

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-103:

  love it.

  gives me more ammo next time my pommie mates are disparaging towards saffas.

  have then on the back foot with the cricket already.

  

• 138.Big Hit:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:32 pm

  @Jer1cho(Jer1cho)-81: I think you’re spot on. Whether he starts or not, it’s crucial for the Boks that Smit is there in the squad. He is the leader, but not only that, he is a unifying force between players of various backgrounds, a diplomat. He is the bridge between the players and the coaches, the coaches and the media. Drop him at your peril (and they won’t because they know better, it’s a shame some bloggers don’t!).

• 139.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:39 pm

  @Big Hit(Big Hit)-138: bull s hit 008

  he is a non merit fravy training quota.

• 140.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:40 pm

  gravy

• 141.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:41 pm

  if big hit had his way we would be playing his poms with no opensider….the 1 dimensional M Steyn…..Smit at tighthead and bissy on the bench…[ he will sommer try and bull s hit a reason for that ].

  Loathe to take the advice of a pom….sorry

• 142.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:44 pm

  @charo(charo)-135: charo…..Plod has a long time revealed his lack of character….the Luke rant was a blot on his scorecard…..hanging in at the expense of far better players because of stupid promises made by pdv just reflects so badly on him…..

  Dont hate anyone……

  but I certainly dont like him.

• 143.President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:49 pm

  @Big Hit(Big Hit)-138: 100% BH

  i just watched a program on telly re the “road to New Zealand” , and Jake White spoke of problems they had and how many times it was JOhn SMit that even had to calm him (JW ) down

  decision making etc , JS played a major role in winning that WC

  I for one would not start with JS , but with BIssy and bring on Smitty at 1 or 2 depending on the match situation, and have him there to close off the game

• 144.XhosaKid:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:52 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-106: Why do people keep believing that the “Teichmann/Skinstad” issue was the reason we didnt win the WC in ’99??, we lost in the Semi’s, in extra time to Larkham’s one and only drop goal, taken almost 50meters out, playing against a very talented, well coached Aussie team.

  We lost against Burke, Tune, Herbert, Horan, Roff, Larkham and Gregan, we had, Montgomery, Slapchips, Muller, Fleck, Deon Kayser , De Beer and Joost.

  How does Teichmann’s absence/presence come into it??????

• 145.PissAnt:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:53 pm

  @youknowwho(youknowwho)-105:

  No, I don’t waste my time writing to unions about players, this is a SANZAR ruling.

• 146.PissAnt:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:53 pm

  In fact, I don’t waste my time writing to unions in general.

• 147.XhosaKid:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:54 pm

  @Jer1cho(Jer1cho)-108: I don’t, I think its a classic case of b ulls hit baffling brains…

• 148.kevin w:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:55 pm

  10 minutes to go, 3 points up against the AB’s in the semis, Bismarck goes down with an injury … who you gonna call … Strauss, Chilliboy? Or an experienced old head like Smit.

  You know what they say about common sense … it’s not that common!

• 149.kevin w:
  21 Jun 2011, 17:57 pm

  @XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-144: Did neither side have forwards, because you failed to mention them – Teichman played in the forwards.

• 150.grant10:
  21 Jun 2011, 18:00 pm

  @kevin w(kevin w)-149: ag you an old sentimental chop mate…

  outta here

  ps

  please play smit sat so he can once again be shown up as the has been he actually is…

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