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, 09:57 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-94: Well all I can say is we had better hope that Brussow is ready for the wc. They must not play him if he is not ready. Not even on the home leg of this tour. He should have been back here just getting over that injury.
Keegan should have been on tour. That was a no brainer, but how they just snubbed him is a total farce.
19 Jul 2011, 09:58 am
From what I can see, J Muller is only there to take over the captaincy when John Smit gets subbed around the 55th-65th minute mark.
All in all the pack is reasonable. The backline with the exception of the skop n jag artist will fare well as a result.
19 Jul 2011, 10:00 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-100: boet , daniel is a 6/8 he competes with both
he does however mostly play 6
19 Jul 2011, 10:00 am
without a Steggmann or Brussow we will be giving Pocock / MC Caw a free lunch…..back to the dark ages….even the 3 stooges know this is a fatal mistake.
19 Jul 2011, 10:00 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-99: Pity. But he was superb in the 7′s so have to see how he does in the CC. Rate him plenty. Thought he might be able to play centre. Then again for next year if we have bigger squads for S15 we will need him for wing. JPP and Mvovo need to rotate. Every player needs to rotate in that tourney to keep fresh.
19 Jul 2011, 10:01 am
With all the ‘dis-respect this and dis-respect that’ comments from some of the above posters in the last days with regards to the Aussie’s experimenting with their greater squad… I’m surprised with some of the above same posters wanting to throw caution to the wind with selections and not show the same respect to the Mandela Cup that the All Blacks and Aus no doubt yet again will be showing for the iconic Bledisloe Cup!
Does the Mandela Cup not have the same value?
I’ve said it before… if you wanted you ‘gut-feeling’ selections and experimentation… there should have been another test before the 3N… a-la Aus/Samoa and NZ/Fiji…
So many emotive muppets on here… so little time to set them straight… Gold is a running… ADIOS!
19 Jul 2011, 10:01 am
The convicts won’t believe their luck when they see this team.
Still after more than 250 years of rough justice and poor life choices, it’;s about time something went their way.
19 Jul 2011, 10:01 am
@Puma(Puma)-101: lets be glad they snubbed him? lol , eish see how he tore the Bulls apart?
19 Jul 2011, 10:02 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-103:
He does not play the role of an open-sider no matter the number on his back… he and AJ play the same game… AJ got the nod… and in most cases other than defence I agree…
19 Jul 2011, 10:08 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-106: We never selected the team Bryce. All we bloggers here and do is give our opinion.
I would always want to see a full strength Bok side play a test. Though in a world cup year there should be no Tri-Nations. Think player need rest after such a long S15. We could have warmed up playing Nambia…….hahahaha. Well at least we won’t have injuries….
Don’t write off this team yet, we just may do it…lol. Now that would get PdV brain in a twist. Imagine if this young team wins both games on tour. Or just one? Then we lose both our home games with our top players? Now there would be a thing. These youngsters play the right game plan we could win. It seems unlikely though but we should just get behind them and see what they can do. Some exciting players in that team.
19 Jul 2011, 10:09 am
@Puma(Puma)-110: typo – Namibia
19 Jul 2011, 10:10 am
@JL1(JL1)-24:
and what the Boks, and their supporters, said in 2010
19 Jul 2011, 10:10 am
It is a quirky part of SA rugby that the ONLY team to ever achieve Super rugby success – and not once but 3 times, compared to ZERO times by any other SA team – is also the one subject to the most criticism, ridicule, and lack of recognition by the broader rugby supporting population.
You will find by a casual read through of the comments on this thread – that most of the criticism is directed at:
Dean Greyling
Werner Kruger
Deon Stegmann
Morne Steyn
Wynand Olivier
Bjorn Basson.
Yes. All Bulls players. What a coincidence.
The Reds win one measly Super 15, and their players are suddenly the sh*t. The Bulls win 3 titles, but STILL their flyhalf is not of international standard – despite winning us a British Lions series, a Tri Nations virtually singlehandedly and 3 Super rugby trophies.
All the bitter supporters of the zero Super ruby trophy teams display their jealousy so blatantly. You are pathetic.
19 Jul 2011, 10:11 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-108: Yes he was everywhere on Saturday. Watched with a friend that knows squat about rugby and he picked up that Keegan was the best player on the field. Just goes to show how good a player he is.
19 Jul 2011, 10:12 am
So it is basically the Bulls. How is this rewarding form as they have been kak all season? It should read, PDV rewards Victor’s friends. In a few weeks time it should read, PDV rewards all John’s friends. What a load of bullshit!
19 Jul 2011, 10:15 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113:
how do you manage to walk around with that great big chip on your shoulder?
19 Jul 2011, 10:24 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113:
Nice of you to join the rest of us
half way through the season.
19 Jul 2011, 10:24 am
Tri-nations schedule this year is the fairest i can recall.
both NZ and Aus have 2 game tours like SA with no weeks with zero rugby being played. so it is nice and condensed.
given aus travel to NZ, and then play in SA. and then NZ fly to SA and play Aus on the way back, it will be interesting to see if both teams pick their strongest team for all 4 matches.
19 Jul 2011, 10:25 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-117:
No Panty it’s not nice.
Half of you are half-wits. And that’s the better half.
19 Jul 2011, 10:27 am
Tacitus – Interesting point. I for one am very interested in seeing how this Bok team fairs this weekend. I like the look of the backline, some real flyers there.
Everyone asks for new blood, but when PDV puts a new team out there everyone poos themselves!!
19 Jul 2011, 10:27 am
@Puma(Puma)-110:
Oh I agree on all accounts…
Give or take one or two positional changes, injury questions and balance… this is full-strength (without the 26)… but the call (by some) to forgo some tried and tested positions (on a whim) in a squad with 3 new caps and a few greenhorns where they provide much-needed balance… is to suggest the Mandela Cup is of lesser importance than the Bledisloe Cup… particularly of the same punters calling the Aussies a disgrace for ‘disrespecting’ the Samoans (I still shake my head at that)…
But I’m outa here… laters fellow mug-punters!
19 Jul 2011, 10:29 am
“All the bitter supporters of the zero Super ruby trophy teams display their jealousy so blatantly. You are pathetic.”
So “pathetic” that the Katmans and RedLions turn up here year after year, throughout the season, supporting the Lions despite the results. Same with Cheetah4Eva etc.
No sign of you when the Bulls were being OWNED, at Home, by the Mighty Highlanders. In fact, no sign of you before the Bulls started winning again.
19 Jul 2011, 10:30 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113:
quite right tactful.
they are a bunch of pignorant basterauds.
19 Jul 2011, 10:33 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113: you forgot to mention Chili?? any genuine reason for that??
19 Jul 2011, 10:34 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-122:
the cheating highlanders didn’t own anybody.
the ref phucked us.
19 Jul 2011, 10:35 am
This would have been my team selection if taking only the 22 chosen for this test.
15 Lambie
14 Aplon
13 JDJ
12 WO
11 Mvovo
10 Steyn
09 Ruan
08 Johnson
07 Deysel
06 Stegmann
05 Muller
04 Flip
03 Kruger
02 Smit (Capt)
01 Greyling
16 Chili
17 CJ
18 Hargreaves
19 Rossouw
20 Mcleod
21 Jacobs
22 Basson, Here i would have thought maybe another forward in Kanko but as he is not in the match
I also would have liked Russouw to rather start at 8 , but worried about lack of pace for the loose trio
19 Jul 2011, 10:36 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-126: also had flip and russouw started as lock combo grunt would have been better but i reckon line outs would be a shambles
19 Jul 2011, 10:39 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113: i have not seen anyone moan about the bulls front row????
mostly just MOrne and WO
19 Jul 2011, 10:41 am
tacitus – Typcial SA supporters. They all whinge and moan bout WO now they’re rather happy he is at 12, hailing him as the linch pin of the backline!!!
19 Jul 2011, 10:42 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-126: With Basson it is his defence that lets him down. If Lambie could not have started at fh then fb he should have. Then play Aplon on the wing. Agree there.
19 Jul 2011, 10:45 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-128:
All you friggin hear is Coenie this and Coenie that.
Coenie has a babyface and got his head shoved through his arse against the Bulls this year.
19 Jul 2011, 10:51 am
With the exception of Morne Steyn all the players tac listed are unproven at test level and Steyn is predominantly a kicking 10 when it’s pretty clear the kicking game isn’t going to work behind such a weakened pack.
You’ll note Rossouw hasn’t received much criticism and I’d expect that Steenkamp, Matfield, Botha, Du Preez and Hougaard wouldn’t receive much either.
19 Jul 2011, 10:52 am
with guthro & beast “injured” greyling is the lesser liability than coenie who leaks a lot of penalties. that said, greyling was hondkak in last year’s currie cup.
19 Jul 2011, 11:00 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-132:
Well I can only assume that you aren’t familiar enough with SA rugby to understand that Greyling and Kruger are better scrumming props than any outside of the Bok A team at the moment, and they actually outscrummed even the Sharks front row (current Bok front row) this year.
19 Jul 2011, 11:00 am
The guys in this team didn’t pick themselves. So what were people expecting from a makeshift side? With 21 left behind. These guys have everything to play for. But best they play for each other and not as individuals. And that’s the job of this esteemed coaching trio of ours. They’ve had more time with this team than Mallett did with the Baabaas at the end of last year.
And if the Boks do miraculously achieve a result, it’ll once again be down guts and glory. And not finesse.
19 Jul 2011, 11:07 am
the following players should consider themselves lucky,yet again, that they are adding another bok cap to their already worthless total:
meisiekind olivier
stegmann
basson
judgement will be reserved for the following:
greyling
kruger
van der merwe.
19 Jul 2011, 11:08 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113:
Even before the Bulls won any Super Rugby titles they were the most criticized/hated team by supporters of other SA teams. Some things will never change. But I don’t mind that; provincial blinkers are huge in this country. What irritates me most though is when supporters of other teams celebrate a Bulls loss to any team as if their own team had beaten them. Case in point was when they lost to the Sharks in the last S15 league game…I had to read page after page on facebook…mostly Stormers supporters celebrating this Bulls loss. Heh? What did that really have to do with the Stormers or their supporters? Would understand if Sharks supporters had a go…
Sky is blue, water is wet…and most people hate the Bulls…
@garth(garth)-115: But in the last 6 weeks they were the form SA team. I admit they had a kak start to the season though.
19 Jul 2011, 11:13 am
I’m so happy that Smit is starting at hooker, he needs the game in this position, I have a feeling that Smit will prove a lot of us wrong, or it just the eternal patriot in me wishing for a swansong of note. Go Smit!!!!, Go Bokke!!!
19 Jul 2011, 11:15 am
aplon is the better fb than lambie and i am glad that pdv also realises that fact.
19 Jul 2011, 11:18 am
Lets hope Ted picks O Franks and Crockett for the Bokke test, double turbo reverse in a Bokke jersey ain’t going to look too flash.
19 Jul 2011, 11:19 am
PdV’s alleged ‘Reward Form’ must be a merit score sheet of bottle stores around Cape Plains and District 6
I wonder if Keo can produce a valid proof that PdV is a literate person, all indications are he isn’t, many noticed already that he never seen taking notes or typing on a lap top during matches, seriously
19 Jul 2011, 11:19 am
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-138:
I’m actually glad Smit is in this rookie team. For once, his experience will be of value. When he inevitably starts puffing in the 50th minute, though, that is when we desperately needed Adriaan Strauss coming off the bench.
Unfortunately, that is not possible in the South African rugby context. More’s the pity.
19 Jul 2011, 11:19 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-113: I really hate people like you, always bringing provincialism to a national team. Do you have a Northern Transvaal passport or a South African passport. Who gives a sh it about the Bulls now?, we have a team representing South Africa this coming weekend, we should all be behind the team, not by choice but by right and duty.
19 Jul 2011, 11:20 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-141:
No man. That is uncalled for.
19 Jul 2011, 11:21 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-140:
Dont think Crockett will start,he is on injured reserve list and AB’s desperate for Woody to get gametime.Plus with Ben Franks able to play both 1/3…Crockett wont make it unfortunately.Plus Mealamu isnt as good a scrummager as Flynn and as mentioned earlier Woody hardly had gametime.
19 Jul 2011, 11:22 am
@Gunther is looking to the future with hope in his heart.(gunther)-125:
cr@p, Highlanders had the majority of possession and won all the fine margins. We were deserved winners that day, schooling the Bulls at the breakdown (80% to H’landers at 1 stage).
Bulls scored 2 late tries to make the margin look acceptable but were still outscored 4 tries to 3.
19 Jul 2011, 11:23 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-144:
why?
H Meyer himself indicated it some 3.5 years ago
19 Jul 2011, 11:26 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-141: I hope you own a farm and they shoot you on it or Julius and his boys take your farm without compensation, then you will have a real gripe to support your racist attitude.
19 Jul 2011, 11:27 am
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-148:
Sicko.
19 Jul 2011, 11:28 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-145:
Yip looks like Ted will go with Woody unfortunately, the scrum could be a massive weapon for the Ab’s this year if they make the right selections.
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