Muller concern for Boks
8 Jul 2011
Lock Johann Muller didn’t participate at the Springboks’ training session in Ravensmead on Friday.
Muller was seen stretching his leg before practice commenced on Friday morning, but didn’t take part in the defensive drills or in the part of the session where the Boks ran as a team.
He later ran on his own in the in-goal area after massaging what appeared to be a hamstring problem. When the forwards packed down for their scrumming sessions, Muller cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines.
The Boks lined up much as they had in Thursday’s session, with the exception of Alistair Hargreaves standing in for Muller. Ashley Johnson ran at No 8 ahead of Ryan Kankowski, although Pierre Spies may reclaim his starting position when returning from a holiday in Italy. In that event, the Boks will boast an all-Bulls back row with Deon Stegmann and Danie Rossouw on the flanks.
Coenie Oosthuizen was at the session at Florida Park but didn’t train at all. While he didn’t wear any protective gear on the problem ankle, he did show some discomfort when walking across the pitch to watch his team-mates scrum.
Fullback Zane Kirchner was absent from the practice, and is supposedly struggling with injury. Coach Peter de Villiers will name his Tri-Nations squad for the two away matches on Friday afternoon, and confirm the severity of these injuries.
The Boks have three flyhalf options in Morne Steyn, Pat Lambie and Elton Jantjies, and all three had an opportunity to run at No 10 on Friday. Steyn looks to be the favourite to start, and given that Lambie also ran at fullback, he could be considered as an alternative to Gio Aplon on the Boks’ tour.
By Jon Cardinelli, at Tygerberg Rugby Club
52 Comments
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8 Jul 2011, 12:18 pm
window-dressing at it’s best!
8 Jul 2011, 12:25 pm
Anton van Zyl or Juandre Kruger will serve us better.
8 Jul 2011, 12:33 pm
Anton van Zyl or Elstadt or Danie at lock
8 Jul 2011, 12:39 pm
more “injuries” amd let the aussies & some kiwis squeal.
8 Jul 2011, 12:42 pm
the degradation around that stadium in ravensmead will probably leave all of those nazi-loving afrikaner boks cold …just like like the killing of biko.
8 Jul 2011, 12:52 pm
@gecko(gecko)-2: I don’t think it is serious though. I asked Muller while some of the Boks were signing autographs about his leg. He said it was a little stiff – nothing bad. I’m not a big Muller fan but I haven’t seen Kruger performing that well either.
8 Jul 2011, 12:53 pm
@gunther is nazi-loving german rent-boy(Valkyrie)-5: Thats a stupid post
8 Jul 2011, 13:01 pm
‘ haven’t seen Kruger performing that well either’ – Kruger played exceptional rugby for Northampton, twice outplayed Paul O’Connell and Donagh O’Callaghan in the European Cup, till, in the 3rd meeting in the knock-out stages Munster put two players on him in every line-out = just shows you how highly they rated him. The same Ireland lock combo that worked out Matfield.
Bulls should have loaned him out to any other Superrugby team rather than hold him to themselves. No doubt next year this time he will be in Bok squad.
8 Jul 2011, 13:02 pm
@gunther is nazi-loving german rent-boy(Valkyrie)-5: Wow! You’re obsessed with Nazi’s! Did anyone in SA, besides you, even ever cared about German Nazi’s?
8 Jul 2011, 13:09 pm
@gecko(gecko)-8: Couldn’t watch that unfortunately.
8 Jul 2011, 13:23 pm
@Bouts(Bouts)-9 your nazi-loving afrikaner nationalist party cared enough!i hate nazi-loving afrikaner nationalist p ussies.
8 Jul 2011, 13:54 pm
A backrow of Spies, Rossouw and Steggies would be ideal. They are a good unit as we saw in the latter half of the Super15.
I’m a bit worried about Ashley at 7 with Danie at 8. Ashley’s contribution to the rucks was meagre this season. You have to support the fetcher where you can.
Ashley is a marvellous carrier, but is either unfit, unsure, or lazy. But doesn’t lack heart.
Hope Muller is OK, otherwise we’ll just have to use Hargreaves.
8 Jul 2011, 13:56 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-12: Hargreaves is as useless as Meisiekind
8 Jul 2011, 13:59 pm
@gunther is nazi-loving german rent-boy(Valkyrie)-11:
Calm down boet. The nightmare is over.
Are you physically/financially affected by the legacy of Apartheid in any way?
-If you are, then maybe you should get some counselling. Nobody here will help you.
-If you aren’t, then be a happy man/woman. Nobody here will care about your view on history/morals.
8 Jul 2011, 14:02 pm
Agile T Tyrant
Dpont understand where that assertion comes from regarding Johnson but I will tell u one thing-he has a higher workrate in this phases of play than Pierre Spies.he has been more effective as a carrier all season than Spies-which is supposed to be his forte.And tackling/rucking,its night and day as Spies is mediocre.Play Ashley at 8 with Rossouw at 7 and Stegman at 6
Johnson does more work than Spies and Kankowski.
He deserves his shot.
8 Jul 2011, 14:03 pm
@gecko(gecko)-13:
Well, what can we do? Of course I would rather have Van Zyl or Juandre Kruger, but there you have it.
Wynand Olivier is a good inside centre. Great defense, a perfect pass to either side, and he does have good peripheral vision even if he likes to “straighten the line” by himself at times taking a risk.
This is coachable. But WO has the most speed and power of any of our centres. We should be thankful for that.
I don’t really see what there is to complain about. Saying stuff like “WO only scored 1 try in 36 tests” etc. is unfair IMO.
8 Jul 2011, 14:06 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-15:
I don’t care what you feel about the situation. I’m telling you now Johnson’s contribution at the rucks was average-subpar. I have doubts about his conditioning and fitness. Just like some here have doubts about JS fitness.
Like I said, Johnson has guts, and can run a ball no doubt. I’m still worried that his anitcipation and fitness won’t be ideal with a good fetcher like Brussow or Steggies (to cover them where he can reach them), especially at test level and in a team he is unused to.
8 Jul 2011, 14:15 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-16: I look at Meisiekind’s Bok career differently. What I see, is all the big games he starts, we loose. Goes back to Oz in ’06, 3rd BIL test, 09 in Dublin and pretty much every TN game he has started.
8 Jul 2011, 14:27 pm
@gecko(gecko)-18:
Too bad.
WO is not a one-man team.
BTW, these guys that think Johnson is some kind of monster tackler. I would honestly want Johnson in front of me rather than Spies. (eventhough Johnson is most likely the player to try and saw me in half).
Go look at the (relatively) small amount of tackles Johnson made. Look how few assists he has and look how many he missed. He slipped the most tackles of a SA forward that I’ve seen. He doesn’t even have a 80% success rate. And the rest of what I said too.
I honestly do not have confidence in Johnson at 7 yet. Not with a specialist openside and Pierre at 8. Rather have Danie at 7. We’ll need to introduce Ashley some other way and see what he’s got.
We saw him in the 2009 debacle. Some would say he was average. Though that was 2 years ago and we didn’t see enough perhaps.
8 Jul 2011, 14:36 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-19: You’ll probably think I’m anti Bulls (I’m not), but Spies is woeful defender, even more so given his size. But Kanko too disappears in the tight games. So at 8 we are quite stuffed. In fact, when the full strength side is announced (injuries permitting), I’d have Brussouw, Smith and Burger at 8.
8 Jul 2011, 14:42 pm
Agile T Tyrant
With all due respect I couldn’t care what u think/feel neither. This is a public forum,you have stated your viewpoint and weighed in with mine.And your assertion regarding Johnson I in turn am telling you is flawed especially looking at who u are stating must play 8-Spies who hardly is the quintessential example of anticipation,ruck support nor collsion efficiency which you are using as detriment to Johnson supposed lower workrate.And I ask again in comparison to who? Definitely not Spies.
And that’s what is issue here whether you care or not.Thus that’s what I’m telling you
8 Jul 2011, 14:44 pm
@gecko(gecko)-20:
Don’t worry, we aren’t stuffed. And we certainly aren’t stuffed just because of Pierre (or Pierre’s weaknesses as you think).
Pierre is an excellent defender. He can be a pathetic tackler when he thinks he can afford it, but that doesn’t make him a bad defender overall. Let’s just wait and see what happens now.
8 Jul 2011, 14:49 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-21:
Yeah, it’s just the way we talk.
Well firstly, I said that if I was on the attack I would prefer Johnson in front of me rather than Spies. Spies is a better defender, whether people criticize him of tackling like a kitten now and then or not.
Secondly, Spies had a higher work rate than Johsnon throughout the entire season. Nobody would even disagree with that. Yes, I was disappointed with Spies on a bunch of occasions, but he was much more present than Johnson.
What does it help if Johnson has all the intent but cannot/does not get to the points where he is needed?
8 Jul 2011, 14:49 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-16:
i think your spinning the WO fairytale story a little too tightly there. i think your going in the ‘iraq is a country with wmd’s and the world (america) is in imminent danger’ direction.
he’s really just like ma’a nonu, solid aaaand….did i mention solid? aaaand….
8 Jul 2011, 14:54 pm
Keegan Daniel deserved to be in this side – he would balance that loose trio.
Have to say, Cooper is playing awesome rugby, but Johnson running at him for 80 minutes could show a few chinks in his defence.
Outside of Pocock, which Aussie loosies have stood out this year? They don’t have the George Smiths and Phil Waughs anymore.
8 Jul 2011, 14:56 pm
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-24:
8 Jul 2011, 14:58 pm
@kevin w(kevin w)-25:
Can you tell us exactly how Daniel will “balance that losse trio”, perhaps?
8 Jul 2011, 15:00 pm
Pierre has been back from holiday a couple of days now, why does the article and few other websites say that Pierre is still in Italy?
8 Jul 2011, 15:00 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-26:
come on, be fair. your talking him up way more than his form has shown for a while now, in that previous post.
8 Jul 2011, 15:00 pm
‘Can you tell us exactly how Daniel will “balance that losse trio”, perhaps?’
For 1, he might keep Steggmann out the team
8 Jul 2011, 15:02 pm
Agile T
Spies is a better defender? Whether u care or not but that’s downright subjectice to be kind.Spies is possibly the worst tackling loosie in SA,his technique is non existent and his workrate at ruck time is a fable.he may be present but does little to nothing there.Johnson is better than Spies in those facets especially as a defender.Spies tackling anyone especially behind advantage is a luxury that never occurs on the paddock.Johnson is better at reading game whether covering at the back defensively or on attack as a support runner/linkman.
Spies tackling isn’t sporadicly bad,its chronic period.
Johnson is good enough and workrate is adequate to be where he has to be.
8 Jul 2011, 15:06 pm
I think it has become quite clear that the team playing in the Tri-Nations is PdV’s third team. I’m even starting to have faith in PdV that Smit will only play the role of motivator and that Spies, Stain and the rest of guys are third choices in their individual positions.
8 Jul 2011, 15:08 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-27:
daniel is like a guy i knew when i was a kid, he was a midgety type who people said had domkrag because he won a few fights. but in truth he just got an overblown reputation because he was a ‘midget’ who won a few fights. if he had to go up against a real hitter he would’ve probably got his p0&s kicked in. but the hype stuck.
8 Jul 2011, 15:09 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-31:
OK well, then we aren’t getting anywhere.
Johnson’s work rate is not up to standard. I didn’t need any stats to confirm this, and I said it earlier in the season here.
Johnson is not good enough YET. Especially since we have Alberts, Francois Louw and Deysel.
8 Jul 2011, 15:10 pm
@gecko(gecko)-30:
Oh yes, very technical.
Of course I never considered that. That explains it.
8 Jul 2011, 15:11 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-32:
Pierre and Steyn aren’t injured you see, and that’s why they will (probably) make this squad anyway. Not that they’re 3rd choice.
8 Jul 2011, 15:13 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-36:
No they are third choice mate. He is protecting his best squad and letting the third raters run on. It is as clear as daylight.
8 Jul 2011, 15:15 pm
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-33:
What?
Jeez, who are you? Your posts don’t make alot of sense.
I said earlier tha I have a young friend who plays scrummie and Keegan Daniel broke his nose in a CC warmup game 2 years ago, where the ref couldn’t see.
Just went in to “compete” (illegally) and puched him right in face.
I said wheh Daniel was banned earlier that it was a very good thing that Daniel is banned, because I believed that a fight would have broken out involving Daniel in the Bulls-Sharks game.
Then the last one at Loftus? What do you know? Keegan involved in a fight.
8 Jul 2011, 15:15 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-36:
He is going to play Burger at 8. Ratel and Smith at 6 and 7. Spies is way behind the three ball mate…
8 Jul 2011, 15:15 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-37:
I don’t think so, but ok.
8 Jul 2011, 15:17 pm
It is also clear that Butch will play 10…
8 Jul 2011, 15:19 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-39:
How good is Brussow these days in tests? Under the post-’09 interps? There isn’t a lot of time left, but if there was, and if we were being fair, he would have to demonstrate that he is better than Stegmann. Or Stegmann would have to underperform.
8 Jul 2011, 15:23 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-42:
Mr Stegmann you really make me laugh. Your son is good, but not international standards yet mate…
8 Jul 2011, 15:23 pm
@gecko(gecko)-8: Agree with you there. He arrived in SA from Europe on a wave of good form and he’s pretty much gotta start from scratch again now. Bulls need to start using him before he misses his prime sitting on the bench.
8 Jul 2011, 15:26 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-38:
ok, fair enough but can he win the fight when he goes up against a big hitter. a small guy taking out a few biggish guys is great but how will he go when a big enforcer decides to take him out. i’m just saying there’s bulkier flanks (who also like to fight) who wont have that problem.
8 Jul 2011, 15:30 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-43:
I am not that old FHS.
I live in Gauteng.
And we have our different views.
We have only a handful of loosies in the position that are tops at their unions.
Then you hypocrites have the nerve to say that SA is the nation most blessed in the loosie department.
What the hell does mean?
Clearly you’re talking through your hat, because you turn around and say that we don’t have any depth another way: By pointing out who you don’t like as a rugby player for whatever reason.
8 Jul 2011, 15:31 pm
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-45:
heh?
ok.
Not sure still what you mean. They don’t have to fight on the field, you know?
8 Jul 2011, 15:36 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-47:
hahahaha…
oh silly me…and there i was, thinking they have to fight…
8 Jul 2011, 15:42 pm
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-48:
8 Jul 2011, 16:31 pm
Peter Grant, Anton Van Zyl, Gerrard Mostert, Waylon Murray, Sarel Pretorius & Riaan Viljoen should have been given a shot in the tri nations instead of players like Flip VD Merwe, Olivier, Elton Jantjes, Charl Mcloed etc…cant wait until PDV isnt the coach of the Springboks
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