Comments on: The squad you won’t see

By: philoffun(philoffun)

philoffun(philoffun) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:27:35 +0000

Say what you like, but at this stage of the game, the best and most settled first XV combination the Boks can field looks something like this – I expect that this will be the team that fronts up RWC2011 crunch time and does the business for South Africa

15. Frans Steyn
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jacques Fourie
12. Jean de Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morne Steyn
9. Fourie du Preez (General)
8. Pierre Spies
7. Schalk Burger
6. Heinrich Brüssow
5. Victor Matfield (VC)
4. Bakkies Botha
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Jon Smit (C)
1. Beast Mtawariwa

Bench will be fiddled with on a game-by-game basis, but if everyone is fit, this is the runout team for the crunch games IMO – rightly or wrongly.

Get behind them South Africa, I for one have a good feeling! BOKKE BO

By: David(David)

David(David) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:52:56 +0000

@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-954:
I don’t think the WC is the place to start coaching a scrum half. I agree about Ruan, although I’m still trying to work out which position he is primarily covering. I assume it’s 9.

By: BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)

BreakdownBoy(goodstuff) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:58:35 +0000

Pienaar would never make my squad, the man is a merc and should never have worn the bok jersey! Would take McCloud, the man has passion, the most important characteristic in rugby, the rest will follow with good coaching.

By: Jinx2(Jinx2)

Jinx2(Jinx2) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:25:28 +0000

The Missing Links: Mostert (absurd omission since we are playing two Island Nations). Schalk Brits (the man who epitomizes “impact”). Coenie (The Terminator). However, I do see the logic of Ndugane. Safe, reliable defender, suits the PofKop game plan. No matter what: Go Bokke Go! Jou Lekka Ding!

By: daydreamer(daydreamer)

daydreamer(daydreamer) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:51:52 +0000

I like the backline of:
15 F.Steyn
14 Aplon
13 Fourie
12 de Villiers
11 Hougaard
10James
9 du Preez.

As for the forwards, Spies has got to go to the bench as a super-sub (Burger will be much more effective from 8th man than Spies has done in the last 3 years)and Smit while I don’t believe that he should be there, will be there, though he should also sit on the bench and act as squad captain, while Matfield captains on the field with FdP as vice-captain. My forwards would be:

8 Burger
7 Alberts
6 Brussouw
5 Matfield
4 Botha
3 J du Plessis
2 B du Plessis
1 Mtawariwa

Reserves:
16 Smit (only because he is guaranteed a place, otherwise he’d only be good for an amateur club 2nd team)
17 Steenkamp
18 BJ Botha
19 Rossouw (lock reserve)
20 Spies
21 Lambie
22 de Jongh

No place for hasbeen Habana or Cj vd Linde, who has been so bad since coming back from Ireland that even Western province no longer want him and he has moved to the Lions. I’d also have Sarel Pretorius instead of Pienaar as a backup scrumhalf. I’d have the Lions lock vd Merwe in place of Muller. Not sure about the shock decision to recall Louw at flank, he is decent, but makes a lot of silly mistakes at the rucks, rather have had Johnson in there, he has been brilliant this year.

Thank goodness Kirchner is not in the squad.

By: Harder-Faster(Harder-Faster)

Harder-Faster(Harder-Faster) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:59:19 +0000

@Great White Shark(Predawn)-941: you mean Pietersen and Habana will take care of business?

By: Great White Shark(Predawn)

Great White Shark(Predawn) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:40:49 +0000

Deysel was unlucky bru. Looks like the HH is going for big solid defenders up front so chances are he is predictably following in Jake White’s path for this RWC. Maybe he was convinced Deysel gets injured too often.

By: whatever(whatever)

whatever(whatever) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:31:26 +0000

@Helen(Helen)-395: Muir, no way......... he's worse than Hellium FFS

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:24:44 +0000

Okay see we on the wrong thread here. Just stayed logged on this thread when I watched the announcement and answered here.

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:23:02 +0000

@Great White Shark(Predawn)-941: Think Aplon and Odwa will play the pool games and probably not against the top sides. Probably against Nambia. Aplon is a gutsy player. Have plenty respect for him but can't see him replace JPP on the wing or Fransie or Lambie at fb. Odwa was solid in SuperRugby. But thought Mvovo might have got the nod. Anyhow feel very disappointed for Deysel.

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:19:20 +0000

@David(David)-943: Deysel can cover 7 and 6 as well David. Where was Flo on the away tour? Coaches just bluffed the players that they could still get selected. They knew which players they were gonna select. So the rest only went down under to put their bodies on the line against a powerful AB side and Aussie side, so the top boks could train in Rustenburg. They were never ever going to be selected. They were used and that was it. Deysel sure as heck fell for it cause he played brilliant rugby. Just to get snubbed. He was our best Bok on tour. Now how much time has Flo trained with these Boks? He has plenty catch up to do I think. Just hate it when players get told nonsense.

By: Great White Shark(Predawn)

Great White Shark(Predawn) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:18:17 +0000

Need a few more Sharks in there to prop up the Bulls. The centres can stay and Brussouw of course….until he is bought by The Sharks….then it’s all evened out again.

By: zambok(zambok)

zambok(zambok) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:17:38 +0000

Let games begin I predict france will live up to their best when they meet new Zealand I c drama unfolding in that pool match

By: David(David)

David(David) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:07:37 +0000

@Puma(Puma)-939: Come on, Flo wasn't selected for the 3N and most of us reckoned that he'd been hard done by after being unceremoniously dropped long before that. How can you call it a back stabbing for Deysel. Flo offers options at 6 and 7 as well as forming a great partnership with Schalk.

By: David(David)

David(David) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:01:32 +0000

@Harder-Faster(Harder-Faster)-936: Could, is the operative word. Personally, I don't feel that 3 points out of 3 or 4 attempts can qualify him as a game breaker.

By: Great White Shark(Predawn)

Great White Shark(Predawn) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:57:28 +0000

@Puma(Puma)-940: Have you seen the bruisers in the England side? Lets hope we don't meet them. Aplon and Ndungane are going to get their skinny arses handed to them.

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:54:55 +0000

In future NO players playing overseas should get selected NONE. They come back home only to be out of shape and totally behind our standards.

Anyhow that is our team we now must get behind them.

Pleased to see the new comers getting their wc cap. Lambie, JdJ, Brussow, Aplon and Beast. What a pleasure to see them there.

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:52:08 +0000

Flo played no part at all in the Tri-Nations but gets selected. Damn feel for Deysel. Was out top Player on the away tour.

By: Puma(Puma)

Puma(Puma) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:49:53 +0000

No real surprises there except Flouw. Really that was a bloody stab in the back to Deysel. Sorry but it is. How some players could put their bodies on the line down under for the top Boks training in Rustenburg and Flo is overseas getting paid by his club and gets selected is beyond me. If Deysel never made it then it SHOULD have been Johnson, but NOT Flo. Jeepers that a sure bloody slap in the face from the coaches to those players.

Odwa was a bit of a surprise too. Though Mvovo would have made it also not to be. But Odwa has experience and is a solid player.

By: Slappes(Slappes)

Slappes(Slappes) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:45:34 +0000

Evening all, and Lol @ Robzim! I’m happy for Flo but Odwa???