Sharks bruiser is Meyer’s man
28 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI says Willem Alberts’ strong performance against the Stormers bodes well for the three-Test series against England.
Alberts’ detractors will be snorting in disbelief. One dominant showing and he’s suddenly back, suddenly the answer to Heyneke Meyer’s blindside quandary? So much for a measured evaluation.
It’s an understandable reaction. Alberts has struggled with injuries over the past year, and when he has actually played he hasn’t been as effective at the gainline as before. He made a terrific impact in the first half of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament, but battled for form in the months that followed.
That was until last Saturday. Backed by John Plumtree in the most important match of the Sharks’ season, Alberts turned in a powerful performance. The Sharks forwards manhandled their Stormers counterparts, and Alberts was particularly effective in that ball-carrying role on attack, and that momentum-stalling role on defence.
It was an important performance in a Springbok context. When two of the strongest teams in a conference clash, the national coach is always going to be watching. If you can make an impact in this contest, you can stake your claim for national selection. If you can make inroads into the best defence in the Super Rugby competition, if you can outmuscle the most physical team in South Africa, you can make a massive statement.
What will help Alberts’ cause is that there aren’t many blindside flankers available at present, at least not the type of No 7s that Meyer is looking for. Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen are all sidelined with injuries while Danie Rossouw has also told Meyer he is not available.
Who else but Alberts fits the job description, at least in terms of what Meyer values in a blindside? He ticks the boxes of experience and size, as the latter lends itself to the dual role of ball-carrying and defending, not to mention providing an extra option in the lineout.
And as he showed this past Saturday, he is coming back into form. He will have one more opportunity to gather momentum before the England series as the Sharks play the Lions this Saturday. While this will be useful for a man coming back from injury, he’s already shown what he is capable of against the Stormers. That performance against the Stormers showed how he could be an important figure for the Boks in that England series.
The Boks are favourites to win that series and some South African pundits have been as bold as to predict a 3-0 result in favour of the hosts. To realise that goal, however, they will need to outplay England at the set pieces, breakdowns and collisions.
Some may be taking the English lightly, and for good reason. They are in a period of rebuilding and will be touring South Africa without several key forwards.
But Meyer has never been a coach to underestimate his opponents, and will pick his strongest available side for the coming series. He will select players that best fit his game plan, which is one of the primary reasons Fourie du Preez will start at scrumhalf and lead the team.
It is also for this reason that Alberts, in the absence of heavy hitters like Smith, Burger and Vermeulen, should be entrusted with the No 7 responsibilities.
Follow JC on Twitter
Follow SA Rugby magazine on Twitter
384 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 » Show All
28 May 2012, 11:23 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-183: Should play him 15. To slow with ball out of hand at 10. similar to Frans Steyn. Settle him in at the back and watch the kid shine even futher.
28 May 2012, 11:24 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-182: Alberts was good because the Sharks destroyed the Stormers at scrum time, so the team got great momentum and front foot ball. When England send the boks into turbo reverse, you’ll see how ineffectual he actually is. Players with brains as well as brawn will be required. Francoise Louw is the real answer for Meyer and the Boks, but he will be ignored.
28 May 2012, 11:24 am
Had a look at f
Frans Steyn at the weekend in the Top14 and was seriously not impressed with the dikgat.Rumour has it that he played a bit of rugby in France but practically lived in a boulangerie.Seriously,the oke can only kick a ball…far…..and nothing else.
28 May 2012, 11:25 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-196:
Good points. Can’t argue really.
On the white issue: My team has Beast, Aplon, JP, and JDJ. I hear that ’4′ is the magic number. And all 4 of those guys deserve their spot!
28 May 2012, 11:26 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-175:
Mmmm, they are above average, but nothing to write home about imo.
Remember that on Saturday they played as part of a team of which the tight forwards had the upper hand and against a team whose loose trio comprised of a hooker and 2 retreated locks.
I think even a loose trio of you and me on the flanks and Skopskiet as no 8 might nearly have looked like rugby players if we had to play for the sharks on Saturday under those circumstances.
28 May 2012, 11:26 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-199:
for sure… although it is still just a training squad…
would love him to make the actual test squad…
28 May 2012, 11:27 am
15. Kirchner 14.JP 13.Jean de V 12. Frans Steyn 11.Habana 10.Morne Steyn 9.Fourie duP (Capt) 8. Spies 7. Marcell Coetzee 6. Brussouw 5 Bekker 4. ALBERTS 3.Jannie Dup 2. Bissie 1. Beast 16. Hougaard 17.Lambie 18.Gio
19. Deysel 20. Etsebeth 21. Pat Cilliers 22. Chilliboy Thats it Sportsfans !!!
28 May 2012, 11:28 am
@willievz(willievz)-200: Yep, he would be my starting 11 for sure!
28 May 2012, 11:29 am
Great centres come in pairs and I reckon Whitehead and Jordaan as a pairing are rapidly establishing themselves as a whole greater than the sum of their parts… I reckon after the business end of Super rugby is concluded, Whitehead and Jordaan could very well have established themselves as one of the best combos in this competition… The only combo I can see being slightly superior the way the Dynamite Duo are playing are the Chiefs midfield marauders Sunni Bill and Kahui…. But only slightly… For now.
28 May 2012, 11:29 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)(londonshark)-188: If Lambie wants to play 10 for the Boks he will need to start ‘outbooting’ Morne in all facets of ‘kicking flyhalf’ play.(This is the way the Boks roll – sad but true. A kicking flyhalf is always going to be preferred – especially with Meyer at the helm) Lambie is far better than Morne in general play, distribution, defence, attacking and breaking the gain line, spatial awareness etc etc etc etc etc etc, but that will never get him a No 1 starting spot in this country. You see the way Goosen has already overtaken Lambie as the next Bok flyhalf in the eyes of many? Why? – mostly because of the BOOT….(although thankfully, Goosen has much more to him than just the boot)
28 May 2012, 11:30 am
WOW………the black South Easter must be blowing all kind of sour on the grapes in the western cape today
28 May 2012, 11:30 am
@Icebreaker(Icebreaker)-207:
Zane will never be a first choice Bok, he’s just not good enought.
Habana is miles behind Aplon on form (not to mention pace).
Alberts at 4 in place of Etsebeth??? Never.
Deysel??????????
28 May 2012, 11:31 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-209: Hell HG that is far fetched to say the least. Best in comp barring the Chiefs?……You shooting way to high my friend
28 May 2012, 11:32 am
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-201: Do you think he has the speed needed to be an international fullback? He is a young lad, and should be at his quickest now…he is only going to get slower. He would not let any Bok team down, but the LEGENDARY 15′s of the game all have one thing in common – blistering pace.
28 May 2012, 11:32 am
HG
did i not predict the chassisbender scrums?
28 May 2012, 11:33 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-210:
Lambie has a better kicking % than Morne, and still has many years to improve his general kicking game. Morne was a very average kicker when he was 20.
But yeah, I see your point about the Bok gameplan. Bottom line, if Goosen get’s and stays fit, we need not debate ever again
28 May 2012, 11:34 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-209: I will take my dose of STFU, if you take your dose of reality?
28 May 2012, 11:35 am
Goosen is the future of Bok rugby.He is way better than Lambie in all facets of flyhalf play.Lambie should be ok as an understudy to Goosen in years to come.
28 May 2012, 11:36 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-205: Horses for courses… If you dont have the Perd then you cant run the race no matter what excuse you bring to the table….
Elstadt has been portrayed by the hormonal Breezer Hype as Juan Smith times two… your “mastercoach” AC searched high and low for the Canadian 8 who he reckons is your Storming answer and your farken fcked up arrogance of playing Fourie at 6 is no fault of the Sharks and their clear superiority no matter which way you look at it…
The fact that your Breezers are dropping like flies after racing out the blocks while the Sharks are now hitting their stride indicates a distinct lack of ballas and misjudgement….
To think that your fckedup coaching team firstly even dared to put a hooker on against the best loosie arsenal on the planet, and bookies installed your overhyped team as favourites on Sat shows how much SA rugby supporters (generally not know for their insight past the last game) actually bought into the bullshit hype…
28 May 2012, 11:38 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)(londonshark)-216: Goosen (sad to say) seems physically fragile. Hope I am wrong, because he really does have a massive bag of tricks, and could tick all the boxes. (Then again, I don’t see much changing from a Bok 10 perspective for the next 4 years – bar an injury to the flyhalf who never gets injured)
28 May 2012, 11:40 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-215: Yes you did Fernus… and it was a beautiful sight… However none of us predicted how farken strong THE Beast actually is…
Let Bresler Fly… pull him back over the shoulders and place him feet first, all the while getting hit by Breezer chasers…
WHO DA MAN?
THE BEAST… LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME… A SHARK FOREVER!
28 May 2012, 11:41 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-217: Fuckrightoff hairdresser… Dont touch me…
Who the fark are you?
28 May 2012, 11:42 am
Lambie might be one of those unfortunate in-between players.He is good at ten but not the greatest(Goosen).He is good at 15 but due to his lack of pace he will never go down as a great 15 compared to legends like Blanco etc etc .
28 May 2012, 11:43 am
UFO.Hello pal.
Time for me to stop basking in reflected glory of my team,and to get on with life
in the real world.
Have a good week and good luck to your team.
Regards
28 May 2012, 11:43 am
@willievz(willievz)-191: we could say the same about taute but his class was never in doubt at 15 even for the “unstructured” lions, andries coetzee is nowhere near bok potential imo.
did you see how he was flung around by pocock? he showed no pace whatsoever when he was put ino space…
28 May 2012, 11:43 am
hg
only beast has the power to do that
stormers were flung around like rag dolls
28 May 2012, 11:43 am
Considering he played against the Stormers 5th & 6th choice flankers an a out of position hooker his performance was outstanding….he will be playing the Powderpuff Lions this weekand so I’m sure he’ll have another monster game!!!!
28 May 2012, 11:44 am
@ufo(ufo)-197:
i’m biased because i think aplon is the bravest little oke i’ve ever seen
28 May 2012, 11:44 am
My bok team for now.
Beast
Bissie
Jannie
Eben
Bekker
Brussouw
Alberts
Spies
Du preez. [c] Hm’s choice
Steyn
Mvovo
Steyn
Whitehead
JP
Aplon
Strauss
Coenie
Wp nel
Juandre kruger
Marcel
Hougaard
Lambie
28 May 2012, 11:44 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-219 Does a token win once every 12 months over the Bulls or Stormers REALLY mean that much to Sharks fans? Cos you lot sure as Sherlock have been satisfied with this for a while now? You don’t want MORE? Like a semi-final?
28 May 2012, 11:44 am
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-213: Did you see… “Could very well be”… But nevertheless they are at least on par at the moment with any combo in SA… And they improve every game they play together….
Its all about trajectory and theirs is very steep…
28 May 2012, 11:46 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-226: I reckon Etsebeth saw that and then decided from that moment on he is still a laaitie and got much to learn…. See how Jannie DuP schooled the Jinja Ninja?
28 May 2012, 11:47 am
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-223:
OK since we on the subject of lack of pace lets talk about Vermulen……I Bet Kobus Wiese (currently) has more pace then him
28 May 2012, 11:47 am
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-202: england send boks into “turbo reverse”, with what scrum?
last year, sharks scrum was nowhere – got decimated by saders – but alberts was a juggernaut, last time we played in europe no body could stand up to alberts – scored in 3 tries in 3 matches. haskell has done well and shown great skill & talent to match wits with sh loosies, but hey let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
28 May 2012, 11:48 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-230: Semi finals are coming soon the Sharks way the way they are playing and improving week by week…
Be in no doubt my little ignorant hairstylist…. Be in no doubt…
28 May 2012, 11:48 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-222: A more intelligent and enlightened version of you, that’s who.
28 May 2012, 11:49 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-219:
You do have some point- playing Fourie as hooker was unbelievably dumb while I also agree that Elstadt is overrated as a FLANK- he just does not have the speed or even the ball skills. He might make it as an international no 4 lock in the Brad Thorne mould.
Re the misjudgement….. look, the stormers need a break, who knows what will happen after the England series- it is also possible that your team has peaked too soon- lots of rugby still needs to be played.
I reckon the Crusaders will eventually win this competition. They have through the years proved to be the masters of “peaking at the right time”.
28 May 2012, 11:50 am
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-223: forget Blanco, did you see Mils cut up the Poms gister…a thing of beauty.
28 May 2012, 11:51 am
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-224:
hey rye…
nothing wrong with enjoying an excellent win…
expect the sharks to have another this weekend too… good luck to them…
should be another tough day at the office for my team though… they’re gonna have to dig really deep to be in contention against the bulls…
@charo(charo)-228:
oh i see… good that we agree on that…!!
28 May 2012, 11:51 am
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-224: Lol… Dont be too nasty to the Foofighter… The soppy farker does tend to get a bit romantic about these things but generally is okay… (Other than the odd BeeGee eulogy or two… But he cant help it as a proper died-in-the-wool Stormer fan)
28 May 2012, 11:52 am
Who would you guys suggest at 13 for boks?No one really standing out.
28 May 2012, 11:53 am
@FFF(FFF)-233: Ideal for the Boks gameplan, just as Heyneke Meyer has said. He would have been the 1st loosie on Meyers team-sheet. All the Duane Vermeulen critics should only look at one thing before bashing the man: The Stormers WITH Duane, and The Stormers WITHOUT Duane. Such is his value. Fortunately those that are actually involved with Bok rugby DO see what you DON’T.
28 May 2012, 11:54 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-221: Seriously bud?If you really believe that **** that you have just typed i believe that you are even far gone in the mental stakes than what I suspected all of this time.I believe most people gave the Stormers chasers credit for tackling in what could have been a serious situation if they had.You need a serious dose of reality mate or psychological help.
28 May 2012, 11:54 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-236: Cant be possible… Now back to those crewcuts, and one two purple hair rinses…. You talking too much sh.yte in your breaks….
28 May 2012, 11:55 am
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-243: Not tackling
28 May 2012, 11:57 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-237: I dunno, I reckon Chiefs are the team to beat… But Sharks and Bulls aint too far off… Sharks now have lifted themselves a few levels above the last time they met…
28 May 2012, 11:57 am
bressler only weighs 112kg…
28 May 2012, 11:59 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)(londonshark)-204:
I missed JDJ…
Lol… I thought the ‘number’ was 5 with 3 starting… ludicrous we’re even having this conversation…
Oh yeah I’d take Coenie and then Greyling before Kitschoff …
28 May 2012, 11:59 am
paul tito’s lovechild was owned by bissy
28 May 2012, 12:01 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-237: A team needs to peak twice in a Superugby season. Once is not enough. (Except that freakish Crusader team who went unbeaten the entire season). A few teams are in for a rude awakening across all conferences once the Test period is over. Certain franchises might be sitting with more than one problem – depending on what franchise the most Boks, Wallabies and AB’s are selected from. A team like the Brumbies might be ready to kick on a massive way, whilst a team like the Saders might have a few problems. The Bulls might be all Bokked out, and the Sharks or Stormers might have an injured Bok or 2 to deal with. Sharks players who are fringe Boks/bench Boks or not Boks will have a 4 week lay off including their bye week – good or bad? There are many pages left to be written………so I’m not sure why some people are heralding their teams title hopes just yet.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.