The squad you won’t see
23 Aug 2011
We’ve told you who is likely to make the Springboks World Cup squad, now keo.co.za’s writers pick their preferred 30 as well as their match 22 for the opener against Wales.
KEO’S WORLD CUP SQUAD - Keo believes his squad is so good it needs no elaboration. He picks Johann Sadie and Schalk Brits, while forgotten man Joe van Niekerk makes a shock return from Toulon. Bryan Habana makes his squad, but only as the world’s most decorated tackle bag holder.
Backs (14): Frans Steyn, Pat Lambie, Gio Aplon, Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen, Johann Sadie, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Hougaard, Fourie du Preez.
Forwards: (16): Pierre Spies, Joe van Niekerk, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow, Willem Alberts, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller, Jannie du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira, Gürthro Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, John Smit (c), Bismarck du Plessis, Schalk Brits.
Keo’s 22 to face Wales - 15 Frans Steyn, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Schalk Brits, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Pat Lambie.
JC’S WORLD CUP SQUAD JC cuts John Smit and picks Schalk Brits. Lwazi Mvovo gets handed a ticket to New Zealand and Bryan Habana has to watch from the stands.
Backs (14): Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Pat Lambie, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Frans Steyn, Gio Aplon.
Forwards (16): Beast Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp, Jannie du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Schalk Brits, Victor Matfield (c), Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Johann Muller, Heinrich Brussow, Willem Alberts, Schalk Burger, Pierre Spies, Francois Louw.
JC’s 22 to face Wales: 15 Frans Steyn, 15 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Pierre Spies, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Gio Aplon.
VREDE’S WORLD CUP SQUAD Simple for Vrede really, no place for Smit in the squad (Victor Matfield gets the captaincy) and Bryan Habana is relegated to the bench for the Test against Wales. Schalk Brits cracks the nod, as does Johann Sadie. Francois Louw is in as cover for Heinrich Brüssow.
Backs (14): Frans Steyn, Patrick Lambie, Gio Aplon, Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen, Johann Sadie, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Hougaard, Fourie du Preez.
Forwards (16): Pierre Spies, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow, Willem Alberts, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield (c), Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller, Jannie du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira, Gürthro Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Bismarck du Plessis, Schalk Brits.
Vrede’s 22 to face Wales - 15 Frans Steyn, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jacque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Bryan Habana.
956 Comments
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23 Aug 2011, 15:26 pm
No one saw My Name is Earl Rose hanging around the Bok squad recently, by any chance? I just need to be prepared, is all.
23 Aug 2011, 15:26 pm
@Helen(Helen)-545:
Ja and he missed all those tackles. And he is big and unskilled. And he said something about someone once that offended someone and now I think that maybe he is a bully and I don’t like bullies.
23 Aug 2011, 15:27 pm
@BullDog15(BullDog15)-549: You grab him at his ankles… you cannot those puppies in the gym.
23 Aug 2011, 15:27 pm
Mvovo and Deysel at Sharks training today and made available for them this weekend vs the Lions.
So they’re def out of the mix.
23 Aug 2011, 15:27 pm
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-553: ^ train
23 Aug 2011, 15:28 pm
@Mike H(Mike H)-546:
Ag no you think he’ll make it? I really hope not. He’s so useless. I clearly saw him miss a few tackles on the weekend. I’d rather have Deon Fourie. Deon Fourie throws better into the line-outs as well.
23 Aug 2011, 15:28 pm
@seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-543:
You didn’t believe me????
I am devastated!
23 Aug 2011, 15:28 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-548: Agreed. He has potential for sure and will no doubt play a role in internationals going forward.
As you say, a little work here and there.
Bjorn too can improve, but will he? I’m not sure in his case.
23 Aug 2011, 15:30 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-551:
No he is not.
23 Aug 2011, 15:30 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-558:
we’ll see.
now get up off your knees before snowball gets here.
23 Aug 2011, 15:31 pm
Just seen Johnson at the hotel… he’s definately in
23 Aug 2011, 15:31 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-560:
Someone else is on her knees as you speak.
23 Aug 2011, 15:31 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-508:
Ah, I see you are way ahead of me there.
23 Aug 2011, 15:32 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-557:
hahaha, well ive got my case of hansa ready nw,
frikken hell all i need is hargreeves and kirchnier to be included and ill need rehab
23 Aug 2011, 15:32 pm
@Helen(Helen)-561:
Ag pleeeees. Stop faking it. Typical female.
23 Aug 2011, 15:32 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-556:
I do agree that his behaviour was unacceptable.
You know as well as I he will be there
1st or 2nd choice to start is the question though.
23 Aug 2011, 15:32 pm
Jean de Vill, Burger and Brussouw are also in…. just saw them too
23 Aug 2011, 15:34 pm
@seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-564:
Kirchner won’t be included – Hargs… well.
23 Aug 2011, 15:34 pm
@Helen(Helen)-567:
You renting a room by the hour perhaps?
23 Aug 2011, 15:34 pm
@Mike H(Mike H)-566:
I think Divvy is smart enough to know that Bismarcks performance really wasn’t up to scratch.
So he’ll start him in the important games, and put Smit on the bench. I HOPE.
23 Aug 2011, 15:34 pm
Kolisi, This must be a joke?
23 Aug 2011, 15:34 pm
@Helen(Helen)-567:
Im pretty sure we expected them to be in lol, thanks none the less
23 Aug 2011, 15:35 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-560:
Perish the thought.
@Helen(Helen)-561: You’re really close to the action hey? Anyone else that may be a marginal/surprise? Kanko?
@Ethel(Ethel)-562: Gentle banter only. Mrs Stormersboy has given me a hall pass on Keo, but that doesn’t extend into real life. Fortunately. I’m a creature of habit in certain areas.
23 Aug 2011, 15:35 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-571:
poppa tells us Kolisi makes the squad? Where would he possibly have gotten that sort of information?
He’s pulling your chain.
23 Aug 2011, 15:36 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-571:
hopefully one big joke man
23 Aug 2011, 15:36 pm
nope.
had appointment at sandton towers, saw Muir and Gold, so having a cuppa in the lobby.
23 Aug 2011, 15:37 pm
It seems the penny is dropping all around SA
Just one role for John Smit
Archie Henderson | 22 August, 2011 00:06
Who would have thought PE could be such
a beautiful place? But was that rugby
result in the Friendly City on Saturday
night a promising portent for the Boks in
next month’s World Cup, or a flash in the
pan?
Whether it turns out to be the former
depends on how much Peter de Villiers has
learned over the previous few gloomy
weeks of the Tri-Nations.
For all the coach’s romantic ideals, he must
by now realise that the Springboks thrive
on Old Testament rugby – even when the All
Blacks throw an Israel and Isaiah against
them.
The Bok plan – and also the winning formula
at any World Cup – is domination up front, a
rugby version of catenaccio in defence and
a Dead-Eye D*ck goal-kicker. On Saturday,
the Boks had all three in the Mandela Bay
stadium as they wore down the All Blacks
18-5 for a psychologically important victory
so close to the World Cup kick-off.
From a narrow, one-eyed, jingoistic, Green
and Gold perspective (is there any other in a
World Cup year?), the win not only lifted
South African spirits, it also sowed doubt in
the mind of Graham Henry.
The All Blacks coach will now know that his
second-stringers (for that was mostly what
the Boks were up against on Saturday) are
vulnerable. If this feeds the Kiwi paranoia,
then good and well. We’ll take any
advantage going to the Land of the Long
White Cloud, which has so often been a
graveyard for our teams.
New Zealanders are a pessimistic lot when it
comes to the Rugby World Cup, a prize they
have won only once despite being
favourites for every one of the six
tournaments played so far. Perhaps a slight
lack of self-belief will help level the playing
fields in a game in which the All Blacks are
the best team in the world when on song.
The Springbok victory at the weekend
might just have done the rest of the rugby
world a favour.
Where the All Blacks did the Boks a favour
on Saturday was in, hopefully, helping De
Villiers make up his mind about the squad
he will name tomorrow that will defend in
the Webb Ellis trophy from September 11,
when the Boks open their campaign against
Wales.
It’s clear that De Villiers has not been able to
sink the Bismarck. Attempting to convince
us that John Smit is a better hooker than his
Sharks team-mate is like saying a fishing
boat can outgun a battleship.
But De Villiers will not let go of Smit as his
Bok captain and we have to accept that.
First, the Bok coach does not have the
courage of Robbie Deans, who stripped
Rocky Elsom of the Wallaby captaincy last
week, and, second, he does not have the
perfect replacement that Deans had in
James Horwill.
Victor Matfield might be a great player but
he does not have the natural leadership
qualities of Smit.
This is De Villiers’s dilemma: a skipper who
has respect, can motivate men in a crisis,
but can no longer hold his own in the team.
Perhaps the answer is to have Smit as a
dressing-room captain who gets to play the
last five minutes or so of a test match, when
this can be risked.
Taking Bismarck du Plessis off when he did
on Saturday night provoked an
astonishingly vehement reaction from the
hooker to the coach’s decision. De Villiers
cannot alienate one of his best players.
The coach also needs to understand that the
Rugby World Cup is not a place for
sentiment. If Morne Steyn is kicking his
goals, as he did on Saturday night, he must
be the flyhalf ahead of Butch James; if
Heinrich Brussouw, Willem Alberts and
Pierre Spies are the best loose trio, then
Schalk Burger must wait for his chance; and
if Bismarck remains in such sublime form,
there is only one role for John Smit: non-
playing captain.
23 Aug 2011, 15:37 pm
@seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-543: Noooo!!! He was the Lone warrior on the overseas leg of the Tri-Nations! Ashley Johnson’s selection is window dressing.
23 Aug 2011, 15:38 pm
@Helen(Helen)-576:
shout fire and see who runs outta their room haha
23 Aug 2011, 15:38 pm
@ hendrikp(hendrikp), that guy is even more delusional than I thought. I support WP and can see the massive potential of kolisi (great offloads for loose forward) but to select him at WC (the showpiece of rugby) is ridiculous. No man, if that’s true then is a farce
23 Aug 2011, 15:38 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-573:
I saw PDivvy sitting with a lady in the carpark. I wonder who that is? Maybe the informant.
23 Aug 2011, 15:39 pm
@Helen(Helen)-576:
No taste! You could do better than that.
23 Aug 2011, 15:40 pm
@Ethel(Ethel)-581: LOL that’s funny. But I think the mystery woman turned out to be Percy
23 Aug 2011, 15:41 pm
@Ethel(Ethel)-581:
could u spot a video camera haha? just joking helen
23 Aug 2011, 15:41 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-580:
He’s just messing around. No harm done
23 Aug 2011, 15:41 pm
@ Ethel(Ethel), he’s giving her a signature with his pen
23 Aug 2011, 15:41 pm
Kolisi is going … you’ll see! 99% sure! Its a good investment for the future, he probably won’t even play 1 game … its for the experience! good move!
23 Aug 2011, 15:42 pm
@seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-584:
STRUEASBOB
23 Aug 2011, 15:42 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-573:
apparently kanko has just phoned room service for a hyper allerginic pillow and some shea butter soap.
so he’s in.
23 Aug 2011, 15:43 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-583:
You say Helen is Percy?
23 Aug 2011, 15:43 pm
stil cant believe it that kolisis is der, hope its incorrect thought, maybe beast caught a bug n hasnt eaten lol
23 Aug 2011, 15:43 pm
@Helen(Helen)-561: No that lazy oke!
23 Aug 2011, 15:43 pm
@ Mills_is_kak(p0ppa69) hopefully your inside info is fake, just like your nickname
23 Aug 2011, 15:43 pm
also Flo practising with Province … no Kolisi … Kolisi spotted with the Boks! unless he is just travelling with the Boks for some other reason …
23 Aug 2011, 15:44 pm
@Mills_is_kak(p0ppa69)-587:
Ja rather give him experience sitting on his *** in New Zealand then playing CC rugby, potentially in a final.
Makes perfect sense
23 Aug 2011, 15:45 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-589:
allergenic.
before corpus reads me the riot act.
23 Aug 2011, 15:46 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-593: @seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-591: @Mills_is_kak(p0ppa69)-594:
Flo is contracted to Bath, only reason he could ever be released if for Bok duty, not WP duty – relax.
23 Aug 2011, 15:46 pm
@Mills_is_kak(p0ppa69)-594:
flo with province?? how if he has signed with bath? maybe flo and kolisi swapped ID’s haha
23 Aug 2011, 15:47 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-596: You mean Corpus Testes? Is he around?
23 Aug 2011, 15:48 pm
seabiscuit …. Flo is in the country …. WP had agreement with Flo .. if they need him, he must come back and help out ….
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