Pietersen still in doubt
5 Oct 2011
JP Pietersen did not train with the Springboks on Wednesday and will face a final fitness test on Thursday.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers had been forced to postpone the first training session of this quarter-final week to Wednesday, and the bad news for the Boks is that Pietersen is still not up an running. The winger injured his quad in last Friday’s clash against Samoa, and is doubtful for Sunday’s play-off at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
The Boks will announce their 22 to tackle the Aussies on Thursday at 07:00 New Zealand time (Wednesday at 20:00 SA time), and Pietersen should be listed in the starting line-up. However, that team announcement will not mean much in terms of his progress, and he will only undergo the final fitness test later in the day.
‘I feel confident that I will be ready,’ Pietersen said on Wednesday. ‘I haven’t run yet and there is still a lot of pain, but we will have to see how it goes tomorrow.
‘If there is still a lot of discomfort, I may have to do what’s best for the team and drop out. You don’t want to be at only 80% of your ability in a game like this.’
If Pietersen is unavailable, Francois Hougaard should take his place on the right wing.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Wellington
74 Comments
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5 Oct 2011, 15:27 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-50: Added to this, “two step” De Villiers will probably be hitting the floor with aplomb at the first sign of any contact – a nice big bullseye for Pocock…
I reckon the Aussies will target JdV as a weakness. He is going to have to play the game of his life and prove doubters like myself totally wrong if we are to stop the Wobbly attack with any success.
5 Oct 2011, 15:36 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-50: jdv is NOT our best option, south africans are just lulled by the rubbish of “settled combination”!
“settled” to do what, break the line, cut defences to shreds?
what are they settled in?
jdv + mossie vs barnes + ashley-cooper
the last time jdv was an “attacking threat” he was playing with adi in 2008!
5 Oct 2011, 15:49 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-49: Feel the same. People just don’t understand how huge the loss of Frans Steyn is. JdV is just not in the same class. Without Frans there we going to struggle. 9/10/12 will be a worry. As soon as I read Frans was out my confidence just dipped for our Boks to win this one.
We can’t and really should not start with JdV at 12 nor JdJ. For this game I would start Butch at 12. None are in the class of Frans but think Butch is our best bet.
Only read on rugby375 that Brussow was with the injured in rehab. So have not a clue if he is injured or just nursing some bumps and bruises.
Also think we should start with Danie and not Bakkies. As Mitchell pointed out last night after the appalling reffing from Owens in the Samoa game refs will be told to be stricter. Can’t have a red card coming our way. Bakkies is and always will be a marked man by the refs. Go with Danie he is top form. After all the rain there this week we should start with Alberts at 8 as well.
Now with our wings not sure if they gonna start them with injuries or what. If we lose JPP that will be a massive loss. Can’t play a player that is carrying a injury he won’t give his best. If both Habs and JPP are over their injuries which will seem like a miracle. Then we will have Digby covered. JPP’s defence is top class.
For once am not worried too about our front row or our scrums. We will be fine there. If Victor and hit top form our lineouts will do well too.
Discipline and defence will be absolute key.
Anyhow if JdV does start at 12 and proves me wrong I will only be too happy that he did.
Good luck to our Boks. They will need it. We still can and hoping like crazy we can.
5 Oct 2011, 15:50 pm
@Puma(Puma)-53: meant – rugby365
5 Oct 2011, 15:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-52: DONT SHOUT at me while saying the same thing and agreeing with me essentially!!!
5 Oct 2011, 16:01 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-51: That is the problem with JdV. He never passes and just bashes into the apposition and goes to ground. Pocock will be there waiting. That is if we don’t get there in numbers ourselves.
Frans was off loading in the tackle. Something JdV won’t or can’t do. Another thing to tackle Fransie, it took a few players to do that so taking them out of position. Making gaps for us.
Think our best bet with the players there is to start with Butch.
5 Oct 2011, 16:04 pm
@Puma(Puma)-53: You may have a point with Butch at 12… Butch brings a boot and but can be indisciplined in D at 12. Butch can distribute but can be a fancy Dan with his passes.
Not sure whether Butch will be better than JdV at 12. I reckon him and Morne Steyn are even more on a different page than JdV and Steyn.
I believe that if JdJ had more opportunities at 12 then he would undoubtedly be our best option after Frans Steyn. He is too much of an unknown because he hasn’t been tested enough at the highest level. An indictment on the bad planning pointed out in the articles on Keo.
Although these Keo fools are right about bad planning they look in the wrong places. Morne Steyn is our best option at FH – he is the best points machine on the planet at the moment and he is comfortable with FdP at 9. Morne Steyn is more valuable to the Boks than Butch is at 10.
It is obvious that these guys keep promoting Butch because we are all stared at by the man every day we log on. I wouldnt be surprised if Butch is represented by this HSM publishing setup in the same way Puke is. It does not look good and is a clear conflict of interest.
I like Butch, but he is no better option than Morne.
5 Oct 2011, 16:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-57: And am not sure whether he is a better option than JdV. I would tend to go with JdV more as “better the devil you know” more than anything else.
The only time to my mind that Butch has played 12 recently has been a few times with the Lions… But playing for the Lions, not known for D, is a far cry from facing Aus in a WC QF
5 Oct 2011, 16:11 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-55: am not shouting… mhlathi wakho!
5 Oct 2011, 16:12 pm
@Puma(Puma)-56: frans played against fiji and namibia, really now STOP the hype…
5 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
Jaysus … just reading the above has me worried, how the hell Frans and Brussow were not benched for the Samoa game is beyond me but its always easier with hindsight. Should have put fat sh*t Smit on as well….
Please can we have a decent coach next year for Boks ???
5 Oct 2011, 16:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-60: And Samoa?
And 2007 WC…?
And Racing Metro…?
No hype, but it doesnt matter now, Frans is gone.
5 Oct 2011, 16:22 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-60: Transie what about Wales?
For that matter wdc 2007
BIL 2009
Tri-Nations Chams 2009
Transie don’t get me started on this man, you talking rubbish if you think Frans Steyn was not up to it. Only in your dreams. He was brilliant. If you could not see that you have not a clue.
5 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@Puma(Puma)-63: sorry typos. Can’t really do this blogging while on the phone and working..lol.
Chams = Champs
wdc = wc
5 Oct 2011, 16:27 pm
@bananas(bananas)-61: He should have pulled both of them off straight away when he saw they were targeted. PdV said the Samoans had targeted: Fransie/Burger and Brussow the whole game long. Why then did he not pull them off? Should of in the first half already.
Or better not start with our key players. Samoans were only there to injure us nothing more. Thugs.
5 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-60: That try Fransie got against Wales. He just smashed right over them. Yeah right hype hey? You really don’t have a clue how big a loss Frans is.
Who would you have played there then? Jeez you talk rubbish.
5 Oct 2011, 16:37 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-57: No would start Butch at 12 not 10. Think he is our best bet at 12 now that Frans is gone.
JdJ and JdV never pass. Though JdJ can find a gap. We need a BIG strong 12 that can cover for Morne. So JdJ is out the picture I think.
PdV will go with JdV. Just hope he has a better game this Sunday. No more chances after this.
They will target our 10/12 channel all game long now that Frans is gone.
5 Oct 2011, 16:55 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-57:
Not really backed by the last 2 years’ statistics:
Morne Styen played 5 times against the wallabies, lost 4
The single win was by 2 points at HOME!
If Bryce Lawrence will award the Boks 12 penalties within 40m distance then Styen is the winner.
If playing rugby would be the only option to win then just forget about poor Morne
5 Oct 2011, 17:32 pm
@Puma(Puma)-53:
Couldn’t agree with you more Puma – the whole Bok infrastructure is predictable – powerful platform, but predictable – Frans danced on that stage and nobody knew what he would do next: he is the X-factor that takes the entire collective of the team to the next level …
But included in that – probably most importantly for this sort of rugby, i.e. World Cup knockout – place kicking and drop goals are critical, if not the way of winning the major games – which are all predicated on defence. With Morne so accurate – with the so-called “bad rugby ball” they are using – and Frans lethal – we had an advantage over all the other teams and it was the basis of our game plan.
Heck – so important is that role – I would actually, crazy as it sounds, have him on the bench with his bad shoulder, to bring on if it was a 2-point game and 5 minutes to go. He doesn’t kick with his shoulder …
That’s how good that guy is and how big the loss. |’ve always said that … play him at centre, fullback or wing – he will deliver (but oddly, not fly-half; keep him away from that – though, given his form, maybe risk another try at that).
The guy is that good – he’s got everything: boot, boot and more boot of every type, can tackle – can run – has uncanny anticpation and postional play – sheer rugby once-in-a-lifetime genius …. and glamour, throw that in as well. .
5 Oct 2011, 19:21 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-62: @Puma(Puma)-63: who did he”shine” against in 2007? fiji, tonga, a kak england, argentina….WOW fransie is a world beater, not!
5 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-70: Transie you have no credibility in any argument against Fransie with your inherent anti Shark bias. Now STFU and behave yourself.
5 Oct 2011, 19:44 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-69: Top class post. Well said. Agree 100%.
5 Oct 2011, 19:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-70: Transie,
Fransie was also part of the team that beat ABs in New Zealand in 2009. He got the last long range kick in that sealed it. Did you not remember or have you conveniently forgotten?
In this world cup if you could not see how superb he played at inside centre then you are on your own. Cause you won’t find any blogger on any rugby site in the whole of the www that will agree with you. You have no clue what we lost with Frans playing 12. Just can’t or rather won’t discuss this with you any further. You making a complete fool of yourself if you dissing Fransie and you can’t see what Fransie brought to the team at inside centre. That is his best position and he should never have lost it to JdV after wc 2007.
Our whole backline will suffer if Butch or JdV don’t step up. With Frans there I can tell you Oz would be worried so would Nz. So they should be. Most teams would. The reason those Samoans thugs targeted him.
5 Oct 2011, 20:02 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-71: oh really?
and you’re the arbiterof objectivity on things Guppy? bwahahahaha
the same man who told everyone meyer bosman is he new “lem” pffft
hamba uyodontsa ucingo lukaPuma tl tl tl
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