Aplon in, Bismarck out
20 Sep 2011
The Springboks have made five changes to their starting line-up to face Namibia at the North Habour Stadium in Auckland on Thursday.
In the back division Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon replace JP Pietersen and Odwa Ndungane on the wings. The latter duo are dropped from the squad completely. Francois Hougaard gets a start at his preferred position of scrumhalf, with Fourie du Preez playing off the wood.
Among the heavies, Willem Alberts starts at openside flank in place of Heinrich Brussow, whose is named among the reserves alongside another specialist fetcher, Francois Louw. CJ van der Linde earns his first start at the tournament at tighthead prop in place of Jannie du Plessis, who’ll watch from the stands.
Chiliboy Ralepelle, omitted from the 22 for the first two Tests, will get game time off the bench, while Ruan Pienaar and Juan de Jongh’s versatility means the back division are well covered.
After the victory over Fiji in Wellington coach Peter de Villiers said that he valued continuity in selection, but on Tuesday explained that he needed to rotate with a view of having a full fit squad.
‘The biggest challenge for us it to manage the players. We’ve had two bruising encounters and we have to be sensible if we want to have 30 players fit throughout the tournament. We’re getting thin in some areas, injuries are our biggest concern at this point,’ he said.
Captain John Smit acknowledged the difficulty of preparing for a match just five days after their victory in Wellington, but stressed complacency wouldn’t be a factor.
‘There are challenges every weekend, but motivation isn’t one of those. It is important for us to be ruthless. There are still a lot of areas we want to improve and if we don’t have the proper focus we won’t get what we want out of this match,’ he said. ‘This is an opportunity to carry on the journey to where we want to be and improve our standards. Having played two games here and a couple before some guys have had enough game to move towards their best form. That needs to continue.
‘In a week like this with as short a turnaround you don’t get that much field time to prepare. So the challenge is achieving perfection in the base areas of our game, the set piece and so on.’
The Springboks are expected to beat Namibia comfortably and should negotiate Samoa’s challenge without too much problems, setting up a quarter-final against Australia. Asked whether he had cast his mind ahead to that epic tussle Smit said: ‘One thing about the World Cup is that at this stage there are so many permutations floating about. If you get wrapped up in what lies ahead you may lose sight of what you want to achieve at present. We have to think a week at a time and not worry about what lies ahead.’
De Villiers was bullish when probed on the issue of Habana’s form, arguing that the former IRB Player of the Year wouldn’t have breaking the South African try-scoring record (he is the joint-highest scorer) as a central focus.
‘I don’t think people understand the ethos of this team. If you can point out one player that puts his personal interests above those of the team’s I’ll send them home immediately. There are personal goals we achieve in life and if Bryan breaks the record it will be a wonderful achievement. But what if he scores and we lose? That ultimately is no good.’
Springboks – 15 Pat Lambie, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Willem Alberts, 5 Danie Rossouw, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (c), Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Francois Louw, 19 Heinrich Brüssow, 20 Fourie du Preez, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Juan de Jongh.
608 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 [11] 12 13 » Show All
20 Sep 2011, 21:56 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-492:
According to statistics, afrikaans is far more widely spoken than english. It has been for years, not that it implies popularity.
20 Sep 2011, 21:57 pm
@David(David)-498: Yeah, exclusion by Leeds United
20 Sep 2011, 21:57 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-495: to a moemish like you yes i speak that backwater language cos you’re limited
20 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
Hey there Mister Madman, wat’cha know that I don’t know
Tell me some crazy stories, let me know who runs this show
Glassy-eyed and laughing, he turns and walks away
Tell me what made you that way
20 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
Wazzup HG with the poetry
20 Sep 2011, 21:59 pm
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-487:
I thought you claimed “most exciting”, not most effectively boring.
20 Sep 2011, 22:00 pm
I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away
20 Sep 2011, 22:01 pm
No poetry. Not mine. BOC, Kansas, Boston…
20 Sep 2011, 22:01 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-497: why bother he thinks the KZN is the whole of SA
nothing u can do about his indoctrination…
20 Sep 2011, 22:01 pm
“According to statistics, afrikaans is far more widely spoken than english. It has been for years, not that it implies popularity”
English will be me popular and spoken if you taken the following sentence out of that statistic. “Nee baas, moenie my slaan nie”
20 Sep 2011, 22:01 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-500: ah the Africanist agenda.
West is best my friend, take a look at every other neighbour on the continent if you are still unsure.
PS Whites in SA are just as “South African” as you my central African friend.
20 Sep 2011, 22:02 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-507:
DP does that.
20 Sep 2011, 22:03 pm
@David(David)-501: every Afrikaner I know speaks English conversationally.
@Transformation(Transformation)-503: lol is that a chip on your shoulder I sense? No-one taking your language seriously enough?
20 Sep 2011, 22:04 pm
The North is to South what the clock is to time
There’s east and there’s west and there’s everywhere life
I know I was born and I know that I’ll die
The in between is mine
I am mine
20 Sep 2011, 22:04 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-510:
Was that english?
20 Sep 2011, 22:04 pm
@David(David)-512: DP does
20 Sep 2011, 22:05 pm
Well this makes a change from that disgusting brawling yesterday
20 Sep 2011, 22:06 pm
Psssht I misread, its getting late. I’m outa here
20 Sep 2011, 22:08 pm
Most of the bokke speaks Afrikaans kay, so shut up or else i’ll get ashampoopaloo onto the blog right now to flush you all out!
20 Sep 2011, 22:10 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-513:
I agree, and afrikaners are far more bilingual than english speakers, but more black people speak afrikaans than english for obvious historical reasons.
20 Sep 2011, 22:10 pm
@bokke bo(bokke bo)-519: what a threat…. please do but let me get my popcorn first.
20 Sep 2011, 22:11 pm
@David(David)-520: I agree.
20 Sep 2011, 22:11 pm
A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw
Delivered him wings, “Hey, look at me now”
Arms wide open with the sea as his floor
Oh, power, oh
20 Sep 2011, 22:13 pm
I just watched an interview with Andrew Mehrtens and he says as a kicker, the James Hook kick was miss
20 Sep 2011, 22:15 pm
Like a thief on a Sunday morning
It all falls apart with no warning
Satin sky’s gone candy-apple green
The crushed metal of your little fine machine
20 Sep 2011, 22:16 pm
@JL1(JL1)-524:
Is that the singular of Mrs?
20 Sep 2011, 22:18 pm
Night all, and Wooden Spoon, don’t take yourself too seriously.
20 Sep 2011, 22:19 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-525:
You listening to Brucie baby?
20 Sep 2011, 22:20 pm
@David(David)-528: The Boss. Well done
20 Sep 2011, 22:20 pm
@bokke bo(bokke bo)-527: Sies I never do such a thing, quite the opposite really, pulling peoples’ chains.
20 Sep 2011, 22:21 pm
Mmm. Shame. HG missing ET.
20 Sep 2011, 22:22 pm
Sister Mary sits with your colors, but Johnny’s drunk and gone
This old town’s been rousted, which side you on?
They would march up over the hill, this old fools parade
Shouting victory for the righteous for you must hear the grace
Ain’t nobody talkin’, but just waiting on the phone
Gypsy biker coming home
20 Sep 2011, 22:22 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-531: joumase ET
20 Sep 2011, 22:24 pm
Isn’t The Boss from Philly?
20 Sep 2011, 22:26 pm
Or is it just the song.
20 Sep 2011, 22:27 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-534: Jersey Boy. New Jersey…
Like Four Seasons
Bon Jovi
20 Sep 2011, 22:29 pm
Night guys. ET and Soda are busy watching the exit of Leeds from the inconsequential Carling Cup. As I pointed out to ET, they just have to accept where they sit in the food chain.
20 Sep 2011, 22:30 pm
@David(David)-537: Cheers. Im out soon too
20 Sep 2011, 22:32 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-516: not. Was Boston
20 Sep 2011, 22:32 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-511: a minority in SA…
@Dawn(Dawn)-534: he wouldn’t see our ET even of he was the last dr in philly, see pur philly buster only knows the theory and has never practised…his MB CHb is for bragging not actually healing people. SA has to import drs from cuba while our non-racial friend is penning pretentious notes in philly acting cerebral.
20 Sep 2011, 22:33 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-536:
A Tri State New Yorker.
20 Sep 2011, 22:34 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-513: ah the tried & worn out “chip on the shoulder” routine tl tl tl…
the only person who seemed to be having a fit about speaking vernac was YOU
20 Sep 2011, 22:35 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-540: Here’s some classic “Africanist agenda” for you. You know, what Malema wants those pesky neighbouring Tswanas to pursue:
According to News24: “If aspects of the Green Paper on land reform are unconstitutional, then change the Constitution, says Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti.”
Hawu! As simple as that! Why not just burn the Constitution and do away with it completely!
20 Sep 2011, 22:37 pm
That’s even if he has an MB CHB
20 Sep 2011, 22:38 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-543: “Gugile Nkwinti”…
Love that name… Sounds like an evil dop:
As in “Transie… eish… you get hammered on Gugile Nkwinti”…
20 Sep 2011, 22:44 pm
@David(David)-541: I reckon they proud of coming from New Jersey more.
20 Sep 2011, 22:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-545: lol you crazy…
20 Sep 2011, 22:59 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-344:
so you believe that quoting ONE disgruntled Maori is also representative of the entire Nation ? And which, you might note, is ONE journalist cherrypicking that person, known to be an outspoken activist – as sports journalist are want to do prior to certain matches (Bob Dwyer, Andrew Slack, Ollie le Roux etc) – for easy soundbites ?
and now ‘flash hakas’ in wellknown Kiwi towns of, ahem, ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Sydney’ are given as egs to support a theory about overuse in NZ ?
There has been ONE ‘flash haka’ in NZ. Caught on YouTube because it was clearly organised.
Nothing changes the fact that, theoretically, the Head Coach of visiting teams are, traditionally, also acting as Ambassadors for their country to promote the same goodwill for their country that they are receiving from the Host.
Unless youre a Sth African. Then, it seems, they go out of their way to insult the Hosts.
As it ever was.
20 Sep 2011, 23:01 pm
KIWI TROLL AND LIAR ALERT!
20 Sep 2011, 23:01 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-543: pick & choose any article you want any fool can do that like Capo did earlier
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