PdV ‘rewards form’
19 Jul 2011
The Springboks have named four uncapped players in their match 22 to face Australia in Sydney .
There are debuts for props Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling, as well as flank Ashley Johnson, who all start, while scrumhalf Charl McLeod could get his first cap off the bench.
Openside flank Heinrich Brüssow has failed to recover sufficiently from injury to be considered, but Johann Muller has, and starts in the second row. CJ van der Linde, who Springbok coach last week said was a serious injury concern, plays off the wood.
The versatile Danie Rossouw is deployed at blindside flank in a back row that features Johnson and Bulls fetcher Deon Stegmann. In the back division Ruan Pienaar and Morné Steyn run on as the halfback pair, with Wynand Olivier and Juan de Jongh in midfield.
The back three features players with pace to burn in the form of Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson and Lwazi Mvovo.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers said: ‘The new caps had outstanding Super Rugby seasons and this is an exciting opportunity for them. They have been rewarded for their form and now it’s up to them. We have got some new combinations, but there is a lot of potential in this side and the players are hungry for this chance.’
The inexperience of the pack is a concern, in particular the two rookie props. However, captain John Smit expressed his utmost confidence in them.
‘They’ll be nervous and I’m pretty sure Australia will want to have a crack at them as well up front,’ he said. “I’m sure they’ll understand that but the boys have stepped up every week in Super 15 so I can’t see it being any different in a Test match.’
The players in the squad to miss out on selections are: Brüssow, Elton Jantjies, Ryan Kankowski, Odwa Ndungane, Coenie Oosthuizen and Adriaan Strauss.
South Africa: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Pat Lambie.
540 Comments
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19 Jul 2011, 08:57 am
surely WO can dominate a nobody like Pat McCabe, come on Wynand!
19 Jul 2011, 08:57 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-46: problem is Steggies is also a penalty machine like Coenie
AJ however is a weak defender ,eish sacre bleu lol
19 Jul 2011, 08:58 am
As always, the real problem is that you have talented, quick and elusive outside backs who will never see the ball because of numbers 10 and 12. Mark my words, Genia and Cooper will target Steyn and Olivier – expect them to be cut to pieces by abt min 30..
They have never been good enough ball players at this level..they cannot convincingly commit defenders and get their outside backs away (both stand way too deep anyway) and defence is suspect.
10 and 12 have been the major problem with SA rugby since readmission in truth.
I would have tried Ruan at 10 and Lambie at 12…
19 Jul 2011, 08:58 am
Really worried about our locks and potential lineout issues. Not a fan of WO but I would have selected him too on the basis that him and M Steyn are the only established combos in that backline.
19 Jul 2011, 08:58 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-51: In the world of NOD anything is possible
19 Jul 2011, 09:00 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-50:
No, what cost the Bulls the match was that they couldn’t execute their gameplan properly, because they didn’t dominate the game physically. Without that platform, it is irrelevent which gameplan they used.
19 Jul 2011, 09:00 am
The front row is very green-looking with the two Bulls players. Second row is probably the best possible and the backrow looks decent. Overall not great but the Ozzie pack isn’t great either.
Where it all falls down for SA is in the backline.
If your pack isn’t stellar you need to be able to attack in the backline and Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier aren’t going provide that ability, they’re too limited. A Pienaar/Lambie 10/12 or even a Lambie/De Jongh 10/12 would’ve provided a greater attacking threat, although it’s positive De Jongh gets a run in his preferred position. Back three could struggle as a unit positionally, Patrick Lambie at 15 would likely have brought greater composure.
All in all not a bad selection but it is weighed down by the M.Steyn/Olivier combination which has never been up to it in the test arena.
19 Jul 2011, 09:01 am
Very immobile ‘fat’ pack of forwards that.
Expect the Ausies to take note of that and play accordingly.
Aussies by 10.
19 Jul 2011, 09:02 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-57: dammit BH stop talking so much sense my man…..I hate agreeing with you all the time…
19 Jul 2011, 09:02 am
@Ogre(Ogre)-38:
so basically what your saying is you would like to sell us on keegan daniel?
19 Jul 2011, 09:03 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-45: You saw him at 4:30 in the morning?
Tac.
Say it isnt so…
19 Jul 2011, 09:05 am
big weaknesses in this B team
Plod
M Steyn
W Olivier.
19 Jul 2011, 09:06 am
personally I cant understand the omission of Lambie.
Hope he gets a start against kiwis
19 Jul 2011, 09:06 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-56: it was not your forwards that kept kicking the ball at the sharks?? IT WAS MORNE STEYN
Even if your forwards did not dominate , the ball they got still got kicked away
Morne Steym hardly ever attacks the gain line
19 Jul 2011, 09:10 am
This team will do great…Having Adi Jacobs on the bench is a plus as he is one the best impact players in World Rugby, let’s support this team, they are representing our proud Rugby Nation…GO BOKKE !!!
19 Jul 2011, 09:10 am
The scary thing is that habana isn’t in the Bok B team .. which means he will be in the A team?? this oke has been the k@kkest backline player in SA for the last 2 years! what must he do more to be dropped??
19 Jul 2011, 09:11 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-64: tell him my man….
19 Jul 2011, 09:11 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-50:
no, that was fdp
19 Jul 2011, 09:12 am
and as soon as Bulls lose M Steyn they employ Brummer….
another skop en jag artist….
fark me!
19 Jul 2011, 09:13 am
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-68: to be exact it was both
look no problem if we had a big defensive backline , but we dont,
with the backline we have it is suicide to play Steyn, Ruan wont kick as much , but Steyn will
19 Jul 2011, 09:14 am
@grant10(grant10)-69:
19 Jul 2011, 09:17 am
@grant10(grant10)-67:
no, they lost the game in the last three minutes and it was fdp who kicked away then.
19 Jul 2011, 09:21 am
@grant10(grant10)-69: brummer was not a S&J artist, all his flair was coached out of him at the bulls…now he is an MSteyn clone, who was a Liefling clone.
19 Jul 2011, 09:23 am
Jeez some of you guys can talk absolute shite after watching a game only once and in real time!
If Morne Steyn is so incapable of getting his line away… why is that…
- Wynand Olivier and Bjorn Basson made more line-breaks than any RSA centre/winger in the S15
- Wynand Olivier and Bjorn Basson scored more tries than any other centre (bar JF@13) and winger…
- Morne and WO had more try assists than any other RSA back (other than FDP)…
Then you add the fact that Morne Steyn just pips Quade Cooper (the J’OC) to top the table in most points scored, kicking metres, drop-goals most importantly penalty goals and I can see exactly why Snor and co have chosen to keep this combination (Steyn/WO/BB) together in a depleted side for the Mandela Cup…
19 Jul 2011, 09:23 am
biggest achilles in this team…. digby ioane vs bjorn “i can’t tackle” basson
jpp made bjorn look kak, to a point where they switched hurdles to the one wing.
19 Jul 2011, 09:26 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-73:
19 Jul 2011, 09:29 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-73:
these guys have three super titles and you call that kuk coaching? welcome to sa rugby opinion.
go figure…
19 Jul 2011, 09:30 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-74: boet normally i agree with much of what you say , but you will have a hard time convincing me re Steyn, in wet conditions and with a good defensive backline?? no problem
he stands to far back and hardly ever attacks the gain line, and against the Aussies we cannot give them FREE BALL
Forget last weeks match , the Aussies gone come at us hard , and i got no doubt , they wont be kicking the ball away with *** abandon
19 Jul 2011, 09:30 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-74: if you are talking about tries scored by bjorn basson, you might want to mention that most of his tries where from kick & chase moves and NOT from any backline set plays where the ball is spread wide by the blue bulls backline.
19 Jul 2011, 09:31 am
This team is not blowing my hair back. New combos a worry. I’m sorry. With Cooper and Pocock back I just can’t see this B Bok side winning this one. Also the Aussies will have last weeks result fresh in their minds and use it as motivation. But hey? Samoa surprized us. Let’s see what happens.
19 Jul 2011, 09:32 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-74:
finally! some perspective, thanks.
19 Jul 2011, 09:34 am
Strange…..
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-74: Bryce, WO can make the odd line break, but he’s distribution is useless. Go and see how many times he got the ball from up and unders and how many times the balls was actually passed to him in space.
Olivier, chiliboy should most definitely not be there. Sarel Pretorius should have been there instead of Charl. The rest is a bit of a toss up between best there is and what else is there, given the injury situation.
19 Jul 2011, 09:35 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-75: I still believe Habana is a far better wing , yes he is going through some bad form , but his work rate etc and defense is far better then Basson
19 Jul 2011, 09:37 am
Come on chaps, we can do it.
We have experience in the spine of the team – Hooker, nr8, scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback (albeit not too much test experience for the latter).
Our untested combinations is as much a worry for them as it is for us, they don’t know what to expect.
And our preparation prior to this test has been smoother and less painful on the body and mind.
Give our guys a break, a wounded Springbok is a very dangerous specimen.
19 Jul 2011, 09:38 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-52: Agree and said so now on sw. Why the heck Stegmann is there I have no idea. Just don’t rate him at all. He was no good on the eoyt and was no better for the Bulls this year either. Would have had Deysel there.
Actually would have had Rossouw at 8 Johnson at 7 and Deysel at 6.
Damn man, wanted to see how Lambie would handle a start in a test. Would loved to have seen him at fh with JdJ at 12 and Adi at 13. Our backline would be cooking hot. That is if they play with more ball in hand and not just kick everything away. Afraid with Morne and Olivier there JdJ or our wings may just never see any ball.
Looking forward to seeing Ruan play. Cause M. Joubert was just okay for Sharks. So sometimes coming from the nh the players need time to gel back into the fast sh game.
19 Jul 2011, 09:39 am
@Puma(Puma)-85: very true bro very true
19 Jul 2011, 09:40 am
@Griqua_warrior(willievz)-84: Nice post Griqua.
19 Jul 2011, 09:42 am
Not Meisiekind, Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
But I suppose there isn’t anyone else to really fill the gap besides perhaps Lambie.
Come Wynand, I reckon this is your last chance to prove us, your doubters, wrong and show that your ceiling isn’t Super Rugby.
19 Jul 2011, 09:43 am
@he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-77: the sum of the bulls parts won the titles but not in a million years would you single out hougaard, morne & brummer to be better flyhalfs than say dan carter or quade cooper! get it?
19 Jul 2011, 09:43 am
@Puma(Puma)-87: i still think the sharks should try Ludick at 13
and play JLP at 12
19 Jul 2011, 09:46 am
I would have been more happy with Deysel in the 7 jumper and Danie on the bench covering loosie and lock.
19 Jul 2011, 09:46 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-86: You know these players are actually fine young players. If we selected right and played the right gameplan we could just beat the Aussies with this young side.
My backline would have been.
15 – Aplon
14 – Basson
13 – Adi
12 – JdJ
11 – Mvovo
10 – Lambie
9 – Ruan
Loose trio:
Danie – 8
Johnson – 7
Deysel – 6 (cause Deysel can fetch some too and probably not give away any penalties that Stegmann would) Where is KEEGAN?????????????????? Feel for him. Should have been on this tour.
The tight five as they have. Though as much as I have rated Muller think I would have liked to have seen Mostert there. But not to be. Think Muller is there as vice captain mostly.
19 Jul 2011, 09:49 am
@Puma(Puma)-92: i think pretty much along the same lines boet
19 Jul 2011, 09:50 am
@Puma(Puma)-85:
“Why the heck Stegmann is there I have no idea”
Easy answer… Snor like some dumb ***** on here think that a team has to have a ‘fetcher’ in the team at all costs!
Who cares about getting the loose-forward balance correct on top of pack dynamics… who cares that no ‘fetcher’ made the top 10 list for turnovers this year… who cares that the likes of the McCaws and Pococks have the skills of centres on top of everything else…
There’s you answer…
19 Jul 2011, 09:51 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-90: YES agree on JLP at 12. Bosman is just not up to it. He has had plenty game time there this year. Time to give JLP a try out there. Bosman was again guilty on defence.
Great idea that to play Ludick at 13. Would play well there I think.
This is the time for Plum to try out the youngsters as well. Bring in P. Jordaan and give him a game at inside centre this season.
Where does Sithole play? Only wing? Or can he play centre as well? Nice big player and damn fast.
19 Jul 2011, 09:51 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-94: exactly , and that is why Daniel would have been a better bet then Stegmann
19 Jul 2011, 09:53 am
@Puma(Puma)-92:
You’ll have to pack your backline with all the loose-forwards defensively and the rest of the pack will then get smashed in the tight-loose…
And some of you go on about WO not being able to get the ball to his wings… JDJ cannot pass in the set-plays at all (albeit his off-loading in broken play has improved under JF’s tutelage this season)…
19 Jul 2011, 09:54 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-93: Well all we can do is show our frustration here…..hahaha. This was a great opportunity to try out some of the other players.
19 Jul 2011, 09:55 am
@Puma(Puma)-95: only wing boet
19 Jul 2011, 09:55 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-96:
No incorrect… Daniels is competing with AJ for the utility/link/attack position not Stegman and Johnson has got the nod…
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