Bismarck’s back
16 Aug 2011
Bismarck du Plessis will start ahead of John Smit in Saturday’s Test against the All Blacks while Morne Steyn has been preferred at flyhalf.
This will mark Du Plessis’ first Test since he played against England in November 2010. Smit injured his elbow in last week’s game, but Peter de Villiers says it was always the plan to hand Du Plessis an extended run in the final game of the Tri-Nations.
‘You want to give the 30 players [who will go to the World Cup] hope of playing in a World Cup final,’ he said. ‘John is ready to go to the World Cup, he’s come a long way since [the first Test of the season in] Sydney. It’s good to have that competition within the side, it’s important that he keeps Bissie on his toes and vice versa.
‘I also have to give Bissie a fair chance to show what he can do, and so I am looking forward to [his performance] this weekend.’
De Villiers has also selected Morne Steyn at flyhalf and dispatched Butch James to the bench. The Bok coach said he needs to give Steyn one final opportunity before the World Cup, and that Steyn’s goal-kicking will be a big asset.
‘The World Cup is so often decided on kicking, and we have a 90% kicker [in Steyn]. It’s important that we give Morne some time to play in this [first-choice] team. I want to assess him playing alongside guys like Fourie du Preez and the other [first-choice] players who he hasn’t played with for six months.’
Frans Steyn has been ruled out of this Test with a hamstring injury, and De Villiers has decided to select Pat Lambie at fullback ahead of Gio Aplon. Lambie was initially omitted from the squad for the two home Tests, but the injury to Steyn has seen him recalled, and now fast-tracked, into the starting side.
The other change to the run-on XV sees Willem Alberts slotting in at blindside flank. De Villiers said it’s an important game for Alberts as he will be a key figure at the World Cup in New Zealand.
‘He showed what he could do on the tour [to the home nations] last year. If he can bring what he has to what we’ve already got then it will be very good for the World Cup. We need him to come good.’
Victor Matfield will lead the team in the absence of Smit, although Smit has been included on a bench that sees a 5-2 split. The Boks are likely to deploy an entirely new front row during the second half of Saturday’s match.
‘Gurthro has just come back from a long injury lay-off, so he may not last the 80 minutes. Jannie is No 1 in his position and he showed that last week, so we just have to be sensible about the way we manage him.’
Springboks – 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 John Smit, 17 Beast Mtawarira, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Ashley Johnson, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Butch James.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Port Elizabeth
476 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10] Show All
16 Aug 2011, 17:22 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-445:
That was then Gunther.
I said in my post WP/Stormers have won niks.
16 Aug 2011, 17:37 pm
Alberts is back!! What a loose trio! Now if we can just get Spies to crack on some explosive pace then we might make some headway. Brussouw and Alberts will be a handful for the ABs. Why isn’t Beast starting? Jeez PdV really doesn’t give a rats ar$e about transformation. Beast is way better than Steenkamp. No JdJ? JdV again? Ah god they really don’t have a clue do they and Morne at 10? ABs are going to wipe the floor with us!
16 Aug 2011, 17:57 pm
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-452: JdJ should have been given a chance to start. Agree about Morne, just not sure why he is starting.
I think they giving Steenkamp game time. I would have brought him on later though and start with Beast.
Anyhow hope we can. We don’t beat this ABs 2nd side we in huge trouble for the wc.
16 Aug 2011, 17:59 pm
it’s almost as if PdV as co want to ALMOST get it right but they just can’t. Something just seems to divert them from making more sensible selections every time.
Yes, give Steenkamp a run. No, don’t have Smit on the bench get Ralapelle into the mix. Yes, Alberts back is good call. No, Johnson before Deysel wrong. Morne Steyn – BAD CALL, wake up and accept he is a passenger. James should be getting game time or Lambie should be playing into the 10 jersey. Steyn is taking up valuable space and time. 15 – yes, Lambie good call but where’s Gio??
16 Aug 2011, 18:53 pm
Mmmmm.
Must be Helen Zille
16 Aug 2011, 21:09 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-455: I guess that makes you Patricia de LLLLLLL…
16 Aug 2011, 23:16 pm
“It’s important that we give Morne some time to play in this [first-choice] team.”
HUH ?!
Morne the Metronomic has been a/the pillar of this very same team since 2009, no ? So Butch – who, in fact, IS the player that needs longer time in working in those combinations – gets ditched after the 1 Test…..
Gee, if only someone had thought to give them 2 games each. A moot point, I supposed, when they were both
‘injured’
Pray for the Miracle 21 !
16 Aug 2011, 23:21 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-77:
as opposed, say, to the 2nd/3rd/4th/4th……last ?!
16 Aug 2011, 23:29 pm
@cane(cane)-83:
yep, loosies will be interesting – a Test within a Test.
Alberts replaces Roussow. I cant think of 2 slower loosies since Moses laced a boot. Alberts is best used as a no8, where his power is best used.
It will be interesting to see how Shaggy – high speed/reactions + low power goes against Alberts – low speed + high power. My guess is Shaggy lasts the game and Alberts blows off after 55mins, like he did vs Crusaders @ HQ.
Im not a fan of Shaggy at Test level, too lightweight but if ABs play a high-speed wide game then he could come in to his own.
Look for a few moves by ABs to play off Spies’ left shoulder, an obvious weakness.
16 Aug 2011, 23:33 pm
@Helen(Helen)-127:
delusional
16 Aug 2011, 23:39 pm
@YoMama(YoMama)-201:
what sort of ‘humble pie’ are you eating when you call Chilliboy
“is probably the second best hooker in the TriNations.” ?!
on the basis of….? presumably based on a 5-min cameo noone else can remember ?
Mealamu/Hore/Moore/Polota-Nau ?
oh dear, Krusty is not alone.
16 Aug 2011, 23:45 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-237:
I suspect our loosies – all speed, no grit – may well scupper that plan. Given that, Im prepared for Slade having a torrid time and SBW-Kahui feeding off scraps on the back foot. Unless they can produce miracles……
alas
we all KNOW that only Springbok medical staff can perform real
‘miracles’ !
17 Aug 2011, 00:40 am
@462 Black Panther: Agree 100% – it will be a tough game for Slade.
17 Aug 2011, 01:45 am
This is a good environment for Lambie to come in against NZ. He has a ton of experience around him and JPP together with Habs will help reduce the pressure on him too.
17 Aug 2011, 01:49 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-462:
Typical one-eyed racist logic by a doos!
Only keeewee media can ignor the hypocracy of GH sending his B Team
Mediacal shmedical, who gives a toss, the keewees have thumbed their nose at the 3 Nations as they did not even offer up an excuse
17 Aug 2011, 02:54 am
@whatever(whatever)-465:
all this wet & cold weather has seen the racist sexist bottomfeeding pondlife SCUM rising up with the rest of the sewerage and the stench is palpable.
I can smell you from here, you rancid turrd.
This isnt the AB ‘B Team’. This is the All Blacks. Kiwis dont turn their backs on their team, or their players, just for the convenience of explaining away a result. The same squad selected before Fiji, now travels to SA. The crowd at the airport in PE seemed to recognise them as All Blacks. WTF recognised the B-Bok roadkill as they stepped off the plane in Auckland ?
Youre a poor ‘excuse’ for sexist racist bottomfeeding pondlife SCUM, anyway – who let you out of your petri dish ?
17 Aug 2011, 03:02 am
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-463:
The environment will be perfect for Slade. We need him to be feeding off scraps with no time on the ball. There would be no purpose served with him getting the armchair ride of quality ball and ‘looking good’ and coming off to plaudits. There is something of the Simon Culhane about Slade – not flashy, does the basics well, big ticker – and those attributes served the ABs well in the heat of the coalface (1st & 2nd Tests, 1996) when it was needed, despite the alternative (in that case, Mehrtens) being the far classier option.
Lets see how Slade responds to that pressure, under the cosh, and whether he changes his gameplan or tactics. That will provide many of the answers the ABs seek.
kia kaha
17 Aug 2011, 03:13 am
@Black Panther-463: Agree we need to see what Slade is made of. Nerve wracking though, cos if he cracks up, who else have we got? Hopefully he is more Merhts than Culhane, as the latter was a pretty limited player. Culhane only got his chance because Mains had tried everyone else and found them wanting (Stephen Bachop was one of the low points of All Black selection IMO).
17 Aug 2011, 03:14 am
Not to forget Simon Mannix…
17 Aug 2011, 03:17 am
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-468:
The latter was, most certainly, a very “limited” player. But also one that ran the cutter and Made History. They dont need to be a Mehrts or a DC to achieve History, remember that.
Dougie Rollerson was a fairly limited no10 too. Made History.
Mannix ? well his 2nd-Coming was certainly better than his 1st.
17 Aug 2011, 03:19 am
Joel Stransky and Butch James, the list goes on
17 Aug 2011, 03:23 am
Rob Andrew
17 Aug 2011, 03:29 am
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-472:
Andrew – most definitely
But I wouldnt put either Stransky or Butcher in that category – had/have a skillset better than ‘limited’ albeit neither the complete player.
17 Aug 2011, 08:10 am
Poor bench selection yet again, Brussouw will be subbed or what and if so than we have plodders at the back for the rest of the game.
Can’t wait for Schalk to come back, the perfect sub for either 6,7 or 8. (Brussouw is better so Schalk must be an impact option)
Same team but my subs: Chillyboy, Beast, CJ, D Rassouw, Stegman (Flow if he wasn’t injured), Hougard, James (SH replacement more important than FB, Pieterson can play FB)
17 Aug 2011, 08:46 am
am less concerned about the actual team picked and more concerned that it shows a clear plan and understanding of our best team. i think PDV thought he had a plan and loss to the Wallas and subseuent criticism has made them second guess themselves. the first team needed to play both games with changes only for injury and players returning from injury.
that said the starting team makes sense, but really question the subs. not sure how that bench is expected to make an impact. it looks to me like PDV suddenly realises he;s run out of time to get players match fit and so is trying desperately to give them a run. he’d have been better off rotating players a bit more rather than having the A and B squad approach.
it will take until the wales game now to understand who our best team is in the coaches eyes.
17 Aug 2011, 08:49 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-457:
morne played both away games. this is his 3rd start. agree butch has been dicked for missing a kick
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.