No Du Preez, Brussow for Boks
3 Jun 2012
Fourie du Preez and Heinrich Brussow were the big omissions from the 32-man Springbok squad to face England in the June Test series.
It was believed that Japan-based scrumhalf Du Preez was informally offered the team captaincy last week from head coach Heyneke Meyer. However, it seems as if the player has made himself unavailable for selection as he’s been left out of the squad. Eighthman Pierre Spies and centre Jean de Villiers should be front-runners for the captaincy.
Cheetahs openside flank Brussow is also a major omission from Meyer’s first official Test squad. His high penalty count this year is a probable reason for his exclusion. Stormers duo Juan de Jongh and Gio Aplon can count themselves unlucky as they were overlooked.
Stormers flank Siya Kolisi was not picked. However, he and six other young players – flank Arno Botha (Bulls), prop Frans Malherbe (Stormers), flank CJ Stander (Bulls), centre Francois Venter (Bulls) and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl (Cheetahs) – will train with the Boks during the series. This will allow these players to gain experience in the Test set-up, but they won’t be eligible for selection.
There are nine uncapped players in the squad – flank Marcell Coetzee, wing JJ Engelbrecht, lock Eben Etzebeth, flyhalf Elton Jantjies, lock Juandré Kruger, prop Coenie Oosthuizen, flank Jacques Potgieter, lock Franco van der Merwe and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak.
There are 15 survivours from of the 2011 Bok World Cup squad. Wing Bryan Hanbana is the most experienced player with 74 Test caps.
‘We were always looking to start the season with an experienced squad to face England, but injuries to certain players and the non-availability of others have made it difficult,’ said Meyer.
‘What we’ve lost in experience, we’ve made up in passion and desire to play for the Springboks. We have put together a squad with a nice balance between a number of veterans and players with less experience as we start to build for the rest of the season.
‘Working with these players during our four planning camps this season has been great and really made a very difficult selection process a bit easier. There were a few unlucky players that didn’t make it and they will get opportunities in future as long as they keep on knocking on the door.
‘The nine uncapped players have all put up their hands during Super Rugby this year and we know they have what it takes to succeed at the highest level,’ he continued. ‘We realise that it is impossible to please everyone when it comes to selecting squads like these, but we would really like to see the entire country stand behind us as we take on England.’
Springbok 32-man squad for June Test series:
Backs – Bjorn Basson, Jean de Villiers, JJ Engelbrecht, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, Morne Steyn, Jano Vermaak.
Forwards – Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Keegan Daniel, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Ryan Kankowski, Juandre Kruger, Werner Kruger, Beast Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Jacques Potgieter, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Pierre Spies, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Franco van der Merwe.
1,463 Comments
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3 Jun 2012, 16:34 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-1048: Red is red not pink
3 Jun 2012, 16:35 pm
@RL(RL)-1051:
Exactly…no chance if you wear red. Move over the Jukskei and he could just make it.
3 Jun 2012, 16:36 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-1052:
3 Jun 2012, 16:37 pm
i love the schicken.
MMMMM.
3 Jun 2012, 16:40 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-1040:
Well when the Sharks lose, they do it in style (poor style). ‘Easy games’ always the achillies heel for the Sharks.
Congrats on your team 2 weeks back. Totally outplayed and it took the ref to keep them in it ..
3 Jun 2012, 16:41 pm
If I were HM these the players I be watching now
15 Coetsee
14 Engelbrecht, Sithole
13 Jordaan / Sadie / Taute / Mapoe
12 De Jongh
11 Le Roux, Mvovo
10 Smit / Goosen (Coetsee and Le Roux can both play 10 better than Jantjies, Lambie or Ebersohn also.)
9 Van Zyl, Schreuder
3 Jun 2012, 16:42 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-1049:
Skoppie I can just see the type of rugby they are going to play
Kick and chase
Kirshner will run straight into defenders get isolated and give up the penalty
or kick the predictable up and under
Wings there to defend help Kirshner and go for the break away tries
Centers just going to crash the ball up
Steyn Kick kick and more kicking
Hougaard same as above but sometimes trying to break at rucks
Forwards are going to try maul the English into the ground.
Spies going to pick up at 8 running upright and getting driven back 10 meters and holding on to the ball giving up penalties
Potgieter and Coetzee going to do Spies work for him
Get the picture?
3 Jun 2012, 16:45 pm
@OCO(OCO)-1038:
Myself not a great supporter of Aplon at the Test level, agree his last two tries came from a deliberated, well practiced forward pass and a ball stolen from Ndungane, big deal
But,
He is far better then the likes of Kirchner, Basson or Jantjies, none remotely adequate at the Test level.
3 Jun 2012, 16:46 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-1056: He is watching them, as well as a few other young players, like the centers from Grey that are playing for the Bulls, as well as Botha and Kolisi, and cj stander
3 Jun 2012, 16:49 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-1058:
Yes but you see Aplon or Jdj do not fit into HM’s style of play.
I do think he has shown he can play at test level and he defends with a big heart too. He would not let any coach down.
3 Jun 2012, 16:50 pm
@RL(RL)-1046:
Not much wrong with Taute, I rate him highly
3 Jun 2012, 16:51 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-1061:
Yeah me too
I would have him at 13 or 15
3 Jun 2012, 16:55 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-1060:
Coach,
it all start with Styen’s selection, he faded yesterday even faster than he did against the Hurricanes?
3 Jun 2012, 16:56 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-1058: why the hate against Basson? the guy scores tries, doesnt miss tackles, has a almost uncanny ability to win the high ball, but yet Aplon is better than him?
how?
3 Jun 2012, 16:57 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-1059: and Venter at 12
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-1057: yip watch England do us at our own bigger is better style game
they got a neat set of half backs and inside centers in Care, Youngs, Flood, Farrel
big bruising outside centers such as Tuilagi and Josephs
and some fast paced wings and FB’s in Ashton, Wade, Goode, Foden etc.
We probably be the team to play it safe and kick everything while they do all the ball in hand running.. complete turnaround from couple decades or more ago.
and if we not careful could blow up in our face.
Anyway time up here
Out
3 Jun 2012, 16:58 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1064:
You do mention some good qualities about Basson But you know his defense is not great he does not miss tackles because he is sometimes not in position to make them
3 Jun 2012, 17:07 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1064:
No hate involved, none whatsoever
Just disapproval, if you are not Carl Dup kind of wing then at least we expect you to defend like James Small or Chester, Basson does none.
3 Jun 2012, 17:11 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-1066: wow, he is the second leading try scorer and that is dismissed because he is sometimes not in a position to make tackles?
he has scored double the amount of tries Aplon has. wings are supposed to score tries, no?
look at Zane Kirchner, he may not score a whole lot of tries, but is solid under a high ball, has a good boot and is equal top of the stats with Cruden for try assists. his defence is also solid.
yet Aplon is somehow much better than him?
Aplon is good, agreed.
but objectively, how is he BETTER than Basson @ Kirchner?
3 Jun 2012, 17:12 pm
correction – not double
8 versus 5.
3 Jun 2012, 17:14 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-1067: so is Aplon a Carl Dup then?
ok, has he been scoring Carl Dup tries in mid-week games? Has he been defending like James Small in practice? because on weekends he’s been pretty average lately.
3 Jun 2012, 17:15 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1068: Do you see any of the Kiwi commentators raving about Zane? They love Aplon: wonderful counter-attacker, very solid under the high ball, educated boot, is quicker, etc. He would thrive with a move expansive game plan (which takes care of the “try assists”). Would take Aplon ahead of Zane every day.
Basson is a useless defender and has no side-step or swerve.
3 Jun 2012, 17:20 pm
The way I see it working from his iffy selection the best team going into the first test is this:
1 Beast
2 Bismarck
3 Jannie Dup
4 Etzebeth
5 Juandre Kruger
6 Marcell Coetzee
7 Willem Alberts
8 Keegan Daniel
9 F Houghaard
10 M Steyn
11 Habana
12 F Steyn
13 Jean De Villiers
14 JP Pietersen
15 Lambie
16 Coenie
17 A Strauss
18 Werner Kruger
19 Flip vd Merwe
20 Pierre Spies (based on the fact that Kanko is also **** and J Potgieter is coming back from injury – cant see how he can even play?)
21 Ruaan Pienaar
22 Basson
3 Jun 2012, 17:22 pm
Basson included based on the k@k game plan they are obviously going to utilise. In that case he will probably be playing Kirchener who the f knows
3 Jun 2012, 17:22 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1070:
I said clearly earlier that Aplon should have been selected ahead of Kirchner, Basson and Janties.
He gets better all the time although he may never be another Paulse
3 Jun 2012, 17:22 pm
Cheers all
3 Jun 2012, 17:27 pm
my personal team would have been
1 Beast
2 Bismarck
3 Jannie dup (who the hell else?)
4 Etzebeth
5 Kruger
6 Kolisi
7 Alberts
8 Johnson
9 Houghaard
10 M Steyn
11 Habana
12 F Steyn
13 Juan de Jongh
14 Aplon
15 Lambie
16 Coenie
17 Strauss
18 W Kruger
19 Flip
20 Marcell Coetzee
21 Ruaan Pienaar
22 Mvovo/ Joe Pietersen
or something similar
3 Jun 2012, 17:27 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1071: so explain why he is a try scoring machine? That useless side-step or swerve has not been that useless this season.. or last season, or hell even the season before that.
oh,and are we now using Kiwi commentators as the measuring stick for national selection?
srsly?
3 Jun 2012, 17:28 pm
As an England and Stormers fan I would like to thank Heyneke Meyer from the bottom of my heart!
3 Jun 2012, 17:29 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-1072: Have to agree Slumtown. That would be the best starting XV from the players selected.
Though will Meyer leave out Spies? He could you know still be our captain? Though it should be JDV. We have to see. Keegan has been way, way better than Spies. So hope that it is the Sharks loosies that start. Just can’t see Meyer leaving out Spies.
3 Jun 2012, 17:32 pm
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-1078: hahahaha. England not gonna beat that SpringBok team mate. Never those are superb players, whether some have not made it, that is a damn fine Bok squad. However, now that Stormers will not have many in the Bok team they can rest up and be totally focused on winning the S15. They have a very good chance to win it now. Good luck to your team.
3 Jun 2012, 17:32 pm
Cannot understand some of the points made here.
Not since 1981 have we really had a backline that was the focal point of our strength, 9and that was not picked properley anyway). We looked great against the cavaliers in 86 against half interested mercenaries mind you.
Since then and forever before we have been known as a forward orientated side. We do play some good stuff out wide, but lets not fool ourselves that we are france or Australia or New Zealand or even Wales. We do things differently. Our players are bred like that.
Now some/many expect Meyer to take on the English with a creative, running, counter attacking side that includes half sized quick little guys who are going to score lots of tries.
If you are the coach you will look at what you have and stick with what your players know. Particularly with one week to prepare.
I have no doubt that Meyer will develop the style the Boks play with time, but to see the coach move away from the massive resovoir of players that dominate SA rugby in favour of a dreamed up nonsense that does not exist would be irresponsible. This is what Harry Viljoen did, and his teams achieved the opposite of his aims to play ‘expansive’ rugby. They were by far the most turgid uninspiring teams in recent Bok History. Even Straulies mess was better. The blues are simple compared to beethoven, but are better to listen too if you have taste like me. To witness a good Bok performance lies at the heart of our rugby culture, and when executed with the ability that only the Bokke can, is the finest thing to witness in all the world of rugby.
Meyer has picked the right players IMO.
3 Jun 2012, 17:34 pm
@Puma(Puma)-1079: Yeah I seriously doubt he is going to leave out Spies unfortunately – just thought to try and put together the best possible team with players given. So I can also se ehim starting with Flip instead of Etzebeth for instance and possibly playing Kirchener and having Lambie on the bench.
3 Jun 2012, 17:36 pm
@hensopper1(hensopper1)-1081: Excellent post. Well said.
3 Jun 2012, 17:37 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1077: The only thing Basson has is pace.
3 Jun 2012, 17:38 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-1082: I think it may go that way as well. Lambie should be starting from that squad at fb, but think Meyer may go with Zane. Zane only really covers fb and not much else. Lambie covers, 10/12/15 he could be on the bench, sad that but it could be.
3 Jun 2012, 17:39 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-1082: flip is strong in the scrums and will help the strong front row, but outside of teh scrums he is a liability. Etsebeth is a much better option imo, strong in the scrums and true mongrel in the loose without too many penalties.
3 Jun 2012, 17:39 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-430:
Please do not refer to Kolisi as your “boy”. You expose a certain tendency there.
3 Jun 2012, 17:40 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1084: Ala Cobus van der Westhuysen.
3 Jun 2012, 17:42 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-1082: Etzebeth should start at 4. Don’t care if this will be his first test, he don’t need to prove a thing. He is world class. Think it will be the Bulls locks though. I would have had Etzebeth at 4 with Kruger at 5. Meyer I think will go with the combo pair from the Bulls. My feeling Etzebeth will be our number 4 lock come the RC, Meyer will have seen what he can do at Bok level and will start him. Well that is my feeling.
3 Jun 2012, 17:44 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-1086: Yip, my feeling too.
3 Jun 2012, 17:44 pm
1. Beast / Gurthro
2. Bismarck / Fourie / rallapelle
3. Cilliers / CJ
4. Etsebeth / elstadt
5. Kruger / bekker
6. Brussow
7. Alberts / elstadt
8. Kolisi / Burger
9. Hougaard / mcleod
10. Morne / grant
11. Habana / basson
12. Frans /
13. JdJ / jdV
14. JP / mvovo
15. Aplon / joe p
pick either deon fourie or rallapelle on bench to cover both hooker and openside – pick elstadt on bench to cover both lock and blinside – pick CJ to cover both LH and TH, meneerness and experience of beating England – pick spies on bench as an impact player in last 20 when game opened up on hard loftus field.
3 Jun 2012, 17:45 pm
Out of here now.
Cheers everyone.
Anyhow that is our Bokke they never selected themselves SO LET US GET BEHIND THEM AND SUPPORT THEM.
That is still awesome Bok squad. Just can not see us losing to England.
GO BOKKE.
3 Jun 2012, 17:45 pm
Keep it coming people
HM Keohane needs all the hits he can get
3 Jun 2012, 17:46 pm
Why does everyone forget that under the helm of Meyer the Bulls were propping up the table for like three years
The guys a fu.kn twat. We going to see the most boring kick chase k@k that the fellows on the other side of the boerewors curtain seem to enjoy
3 Jun 2012, 17:47 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1084: nonsense. he can score tries and retrieve the kick-ball almost at will. one of the best kick-chasers in the game.
3 Jun 2012, 17:47 pm
Just before I log off.
Remember we still have to see who our captain is. That is important too. Should be from that squad JDV but it could be Spies and a surprise it could be Bissie or Strauss.
Okay out of here.
Cheers all.
3 Jun 2012, 17:51 pm
Joe p can cover fullback, flyhalf and wing
how can a side who is leading tge conference be contributing the least number of players?
3 Jun 2012, 17:51 pm
Please refrain from using my name in comments. Get your facts first.
3 Jun 2012, 17:53 pm
@SAfan4life(SAfan4life)-1094: maybe because he took on the challenge to lift them up and the structures he put in place led them to 3 Super Rugby competitions, domination in the junior structures, dominance in the CC and the bulk of the Bok team that lifted the Web Ellis trophy?
but i could be wrong.
3 Jun 2012, 17:54 pm
Cheers PUMA.
No matter how hard the fans are on the Boks, and so they should be, that’s what makes us unique, The Boks have been the Best team in the world for much of their history. The great All Blacks have taken over no 1 spot in the years post isolation, but no international team comes close to the Boks regarding their record against the all blacks in recent times. To overtake them we will need to develop OUR game to do so.
Heyneke Meyer understands the way our rugby works, and although he has won nothing yet, I believe he will prove this. Even a school coach will not please everybody when he selects a team. HM has the most difficult job in world rugby and the easiest. of course many fine players have not been picked. This is what makes us so great. depth.
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