Comments on: Barritt’s smelling like Roses

By: HulkSmash

HulkSmash — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:05 +0000

You can bulk up but still be poor at tackling, look at JDV – bigger but still lets players slip through by not putting the shoulder in.

Mvovo doesn’t have that much time, isn’t he already 27/28. I reckon that Sithole will eventually overtake him in the pecking order, he is young but seems to have a better understanding, not as powerful but more guile

By: mshiniwami

mshiniwami — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:28:05 +0000

@HulkSmash-31: Fair enough.Yeah odwa is very good defensively,had a decent boot on him & good under high ball and offloads well never dies with ball.Solid player. About Mvovo you're right he needs to correct his positioning on defense and up his workrate allround.But remember it look Odwa a few years to get to this point,Mvovo has what you cant teach or coach-genuine linebreaking ability and power in contact & speed.The other things will come with time.Its a bit like Rene Ranger for blues & Ab's,great natural talent and power but still deficient parts of his game such as discipline,decision making,defensive organisation etc Mjekevu is 20 yrs old,he has also bulked up since Lions Superrugby debut. He stands @ 1.91m 91kgs now he was around 78kgs then.

By: HulkSmash

HulkSmash — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:00:48 +0000

@mshiniwami-30: The facet of play that I like best about Odwa is that he always makes the right call in defence. He makes decisive tackles. This is Mvovo's biggest weakness. He is often stranded and indecisive. I feel more assured of our defence when JPP and Odwa are our wings. I hope Mjekevu has improved his tackling, he just ushered the opposition through when he first appeared for the Lions (but I guess the whole team did then as well)

By: mshiniwami

mshiniwami — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:28:19 +0000

@John Galt-26: @John Galt-26: Yeah definitely would kill to have Waylon & Barritt in midfield now,had they been retained it would have bore fruit aplenty by now instead of the Riaan Swanepoel's,JLP,Bosman,Terblanche etc Even Adi was let go and he was better than all the current bunch in Sharks midfield stock. Mjekevu has been signed as predominantly a midfielder if Im not mistaken. With JP Pietersen,Lwazi Mvovo,Sbura Sithole & Odwa Ndungane I dont see him featuring as a winger. I hope they play Jordaan & Mjekevu as a combo at some point during the season.That has potential to be a special combination as well. @HulkSmash-27: Bravo mate,Bravo! I concur with everything you say about Odwa.Its amazing how much he has developed into a allround footballer over the years.Great rugby brain now @>^..^< katman-28: mjekevu been signs as midfield cover.Odwa not going anywhere

By: pompies2

pompies2 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:22:44 +0000

a synopsis of Barrit’s ablities according to the English scribes.

BRAD BARRITT, 25, CENTRE

A strong tackling and straight running centre whose style is a key feature of Saracens’ success over the past two seasons. He arrived from South Africa little known and has worked his way up, culminating in a headline-grabbing performance against Harlequins at Twickenham in front of 82,000 people at Christmas. But his lack of finesse may find him out at this level and continue England’s lack of midfield dynamism in recent seasons.

If the English journo’s think you lack finesse………

By: >^..^< katman

>^..^< katman — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:04:53 +0000

With Mjekevu in, I guess Ndungane is the Odwa out.

By: HulkSmash

HulkSmash — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:00:49 +0000

@John Galt-26: Odwa still has a few seasons left in him. He may not have the pace but he still has the best rugby brain of all our outside backs. He brings experience that will help the youngsters. If only we could combine Odwa's positioning and defensive nous with Mvovo's pace and power.

By: John Galt

John Galt — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:08:57 +0000

@mshiniwami-25:
Yeah, agree with Waylons bad luck with regard to injuries. Seriously hampered his progress.
What I would give for that combo, fully fit, back at the Sharks again though.
Barrits obviously been rewarded for some big performances in the Premier League and Heiniken cup.

Sharks could actually have a half decent 12/13 combo if they had any balls.
Is Mbovane a midfielder? I thought he was an out and out winger.

Glad to see the Sharks have held on to Mjekevu. Think its time Odwa gave it up.
He’s in serious danger of being bracketed with Tereblanche and Joubert in the ‘should have given it up a season ago’ category.

By: mshiniwami

mshiniwami — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:53:13 +0000

@John Galt-22: Barritt also fell off when Waylon was injured,not playin etc. They played well off each other.Without each other they never reached the heights they had displayed early in their careers as a combo. Waylon has had shocking luck with injuries since 2008,has lost a few yards pace wise which made him so dangerous at 1.91m 105kgs. Plus he;s bang for contact.Average player now Barritt has been decent without being spectacular in an inferior league.And been playing behind likes Hape,Flutey,Tuilagi is well documented.

By: mshiniwami

mshiniwami — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:47:32 +0000

Barritt is a decent player at provincial and superrugby level. Would have in the long run due to injuries to other premier midfielders gotten a few caps here & there but no more than around 10 caps. He is very much like Benson Stanley,nice solid player but dispensable really at international level, He is the new Stuart Abbott. Average.

Frans Steyn,Juan de Jongh,Wynand Olivier,Doppies le Grange all better 12′s in my view

He has been in England 3 years and he only makes preliminary squad now with Flutey,Hape,Tindall,Flood etc all having played ahead of him in the 12 berth…vaunted company that….

Decent player but next generation of midfielders beckons in SA:

Johan Sadie
Frans Venter
Wandile Mjekevu
Paul Jordaan
Tshotsho Mbovane
Rob Eberson

Plus Steyn & de Jongh are better and YOUNGER than Barritt.

Good for him though,anything is an improvement for England right now

By: ali

ali — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:36:52 +0000

Anyone know what happened to Pat Barnard, the WP prop who left with english aspirations?

By: John Galt

John Galt — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:27:39 +0000

@HHS-21: I disagree, Waylon fell off the form wagon soon after Barritt left and is now only finding form again next to quality 12s like Doppies and Hollenbach. Waylon needs a quality 12 to bring out the best in him and Barrit was that 12 at the Sharks.

By: HHS

HHS — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:13:41 +0000

@John Galt-19: To be honest. Barrit only really featured for the Sharks when he and Waylon was a combo.

By: grant10

grant10 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:08:04 +0000

@John Galt-19: yip

By: John Galt

John Galt — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:05:11 +0000

Sharks centre cordon has never been the same since Barrit left.
Huge loss for the Sharks.

By: au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...

au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir... — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:27:06 +0000

@>^..^< katman-15:

By: bryce_in_oz

bryce_in_oz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:34:35 +0000

@>^..^< katman-15: I think you might be right... half that Saracens 'B' side comprised of ZAF names I've never heard of... they might not get return flights to the UK...

By: HHS

HHS — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:21:31 +0000

@David-14: I blame the marked-up english textbook that the last person wrote the answers in.

By: >^..^< katman

>^..^< katman — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:17:50 +0000

@David-14: No, I think they won them. Got to take them home. You'll probably find most of the team will end up on Gumtree within a week.

By: David

David — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:07:00 +0000

@HHS-12: Please take this in the spirit it's meant, but Maties BEAT Sarries, not WON them.