Boks bank on Kruger to shine
4 Jun 2012
Heyneke Meyer is confident the Springboks’ lineout will function efficiently despite the unavailability or loss of key second row commanders, with Juandre Kruger set to be thrust into the hot seat.
Statistics show that the bulk of tries in Test matches involving the elite teams come from lineouts in or just outside the opposition’s 22m area. This makes lineout success critical to the Springboks’ cause.
With Victor Matfield directing matters during his international career it was a facet of play the Springboks consistently dominated. However, with Matfield’s comeback from retirement blocked by an IRB ruling that stipulates a player must serve a six-month reintroduction period before they can be considered for Test selection, Meyer had hoped Andries Bekker would fill the void.
However, a chronic back injury then ruled Bekker out of contention for the England series, compounding Meyer’s troubles. Kruger looks likely to step up. He trained in the position on Monday afternoon in Durban and Meyer spoke highly of him.
‘Three of our locks haven’t played a Test. But I’m confident in the ability of [forwards coach] Johann van Graan. Juandre has also taken a lot of leadership responsibility at the Bulls. The lineout session today went very well. It’s not the ideal situation but I believe we’ll be fine there.’
Matfield’s influence on Kruger has been evident (Matfield works as a lineout consultant at the Bulls). No team in the competition has stolen more lineout feeds than the Bulls and none have been as accurate on their own feed. Meyer acknowledged the impact of Matfield’s tutelage and said he would place a premium on his views.
‘Victor [evolved lineout play], he was world class. I also think that in time he will be a world class coach. I’ll definitely make use of his insights.’
Meanwhile, Meyer said he had settled on his match 22, explaining that the composition of that squad had come after careful analysis of performances throughout the Super Rugby campaign.
‘I’ve had almost five months to think about the team and the combinations that would best serve us. There are some guys that performed well in the derbies in the last two weeks, but I have to look at the season as a whole. You can’t let emotion influence selections. I’m confident I know who the best 22 is,’ he said.
Asked whether the 30-man squad was picked specifically for the England series or whether he was looking longer term, Meyer said: ‘There’s a balance. The core of players are here for the England series only. But where there was a 50-50 call I went for the youngster who I think in the next year can become great Springboks.
‘They need exposure they need to train with the side and work on our defensive structure and the [attacking] game plan. The six youngsters we’ve brought into the camp [flank Siya Kolisi (Stormers), flank Arno Botha (Bulls), prop Frans Malherbe (Stormers), flank CJ Stander (Bulls), centre Francois Venter (Bulls) and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl (Cheetahs)] have been great and it’s only a matter of time before a couple of them step up. That will probably happen on the year-end tour.’
52 Comments
4 Jun 2012, 16:34 pm
Juandre will shine…
Absolutely no doubt about it…!!
4 Jun 2012, 16:35 pm
I bet there will be alot of nervous Bok supporters come Saturday , imagine losing to England …. At home …. LOL
4 Jun 2012, 16:38 pm
@stew(stew)-2: No Stew we won’t lose the English mate. Bokke all the way.
4 Jun 2012, 16:46 pm
“The six youngsters we’ve brought into the camp [flank Arno Botha (Bulls), prop Frans Malherbe (Stormers), flank CJ Stander (Bulls), centre Francois Venter (Bulls) and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl (Cheetahs)”
And Siya Kolisi.
Come Vrede, didn’t your teachers teach you to check your work?
4 Jun 2012, 16:46 pm
bekker & etsebeth plz.
thks.
4 Jun 2012, 16:50 pm
The whole of South African rugby has had a humility check in the past 2 weeks,first the Stormers were given a hiding by the Sharks,then the Sharks were humiliated by the Lions,and then the Bulls got beaten at home by the Stormers.
So with the Lions eating **** all year,and the Cheetahs more than often snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory,we are in fine shape.
Most of these wins came on the back of cocky bravado.
Only a fool would bet the house on a deeply fractured brand new team playing the first game under a virgin coach,against a team that has got steadily better thru a stiff 5 nations.
The English also had a serious purge after the W/C and they are in good shape
4 Jun 2012, 16:51 pm
This is making stormers fans cry.
4 Jun 2012, 17:02 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-7:
Nope.
Juandre is a quality player and will form a formidable partnership with Eben in the long run.
4 Jun 2012, 17:04 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-7: Not at all. Bekker has not been effective since the overseas leg when his back started playing up again. Kruger has been sublime most of the season – in fact, I would have started with Kruger in any event, even if Andries was fit. Kruger’s form dictates that, not sentiment. It is nice knowing that a FIT Andries Bekker will be back in contention at some stage. This healthy competition is exactly what a bloke like Bekker needed. Just like Spies, he believed too much of the media and fan hype – always good to get back to basics and come down a few pegs – ditto for Spies.
4 Jun 2012, 17:06 pm
I would love to know who the 15 were that ran out to train on Monday afternoon in Durban.
Come on Ryan. You told us who the no. lock was. Now tell us who the other 14 players were.
4 Jun 2012, 17:06 pm
no. 5 lock.
4 Jun 2012, 17:09 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-6: Ja, you could not have written last weekends script..
4 Jun 2012, 17:10 pm
Jannie
Bismarck
Beast
Eben
Juandre
Potgieter
Alberts
Spies
Hougaardt
Steyn
Steyn
JdV
Habana
Basson
Lambie
4 Jun 2012, 17:11 pm
that will be it I think.
Maybe Pienaar wil be surprise based on the likely kick-chase approach?
4 Jun 2012, 17:15 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-13: I’m not convinced that Potgieter and Basson will start.
4 Jun 2012, 17:16 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-15: not my choice, just gut-feel. The plus on Potgieter is he will be fresh and I think HM wants the shock-and awe physicality. Basson not my favourite – liability on defence. But superb in the air.
4 Jun 2012, 17:17 pm
Do we have any idea who the starting team is yet?
Surely he knows who he is picking by now
4 Jun 2012, 17:17 pm
Pottie ? Wtf bru – scary thought that !
4 Jun 2012, 17:18 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-17: I think he knows and has to with such little time left.
4 Jun 2012, 17:19 pm
@brains_trust(brains_trust)-18: watch this space – or Alberts at 8…for 45 min, then “the Spear”
4 Jun 2012, 17:19 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-16: Fresh is just another word for rusty, innit?
4 Jun 2012, 17:20 pm
Just tell us how the training team looked today, Ryan.
4 Jun 2012, 17:20 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-21: Yes indeed. I would like to see some mobility and flair in the loosies – but cannot see Keegan getting a go – te min vleis!
4 Jun 2012, 17:21 pm
Cheers guys – huis toe
4 Jun 2012, 17:48 pm
Meyer will start with Flip and Juandre and introduce Etsebeth off the bench. Kirchner will be the 15 and Lambie on bench to cover 10 and 15. Spies 8, Alberts 7 and Marcel 6.
Both Habana and JPP will start, as will Hougaard at 9.
In other words, HM will start with as many experienced Boks as possible for the first game.
4 Jun 2012, 18:17 pm
Still shaking my head re Brussow. Interesting that so much focus was on de Jongh and Aplon but not so much HB. De Jongh exclusion is bizarre but HB exclusion is just in another universe of logic.
You can say what you like about new styles and evolving game plans and all that and the truth is its bullsh*t. You’re talking about one of the top 3 or 4 loose forwards in the world over the last 3 years.
If you can pick him then you pick him. In any team in the world would, including the kiwis.
I just cannot work it out.
Can you tell that I am upset about it?
De Jongh; so you have a young star – who happens to represent an important demographic of this rainbow nation (although that is of secondary importance) – and also happens to be able to step quite brilliantly off either foot, possesses incredible acceleration and tackles ferociously. And what do you do? You pick Wynand. And your young talent is JJ. Before Juan.
Forget about Bulls and Stormers and all that nonsense. If you want to worry then just sit and think about those two omissions. Brussow and de Jongh. I will still support the Boks of course and they may well win 3 -0 but it still makes me feel ill.
4 Jun 2012, 19:01 pm
Kruger is a machine, allrounder lock with huge heart and dedication.
It’s between him and Bekker, and I think Kruger will win out if Andries doesn’t come back strong soon.
There are not many players left out that will make this team best. So this really is a good squad.
Injury or circumstance has excluded the following:
Juan Smith
Schalk Burger
Jacque Fourie
Fourie du Preez
Bakkies Botha
Danie Rossouw
Andries Bekker
Deon Stegmann
Gurtho Steenkamp
Duane Vermeulen
There are a few other names, but just look at those ones here!
Expect a few of them to make the Bok squad in August, along with some left out this month
4 Jun 2012, 19:46 pm
How is it possible to select Wynand ahead of Juan? Kirchner ahead of Joe P? A good bias check is to ask what would 9 / 10 other professional cooaches have done if offered these choices. Simple answer unless your judgement is clouded through a history with these players.
4 Jun 2012, 22:30 pm
Meyer should lose.. it will fix his goddamn stupid head up ONE time… or at least I sincerely hope that it will…
Brussow, De Jongh and Aplon out for Potgieter, Kankowski, Olivier, Basson and Kirchner
Outright dumbstruck out of sync idiocy of the highest degree… this idiot should lose .. it will teach him the lesson he needs to learn early.. otherwise he might actually not make it in the long run because i don’t know if he really got the downright tough nut staying power if his psychology gets shattered and he can’t see the wood for the trees.
4 Jun 2012, 23:46 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-7: Not at all Bullett. With Bekker out Juandre is the next best choice. He is the future of the Boks Nbr. 5
4 Jun 2012, 23:51 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-29: Haven’t been on for about a year, but can see a Skoppies post any day of the week, despite the ever changing screen names.
4 Jun 2012, 23:51 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-29: Ja, and you must support Lizzy’s pomerainians like the patently treacherous heretical traitorous twat you quite plainly are…
Fark off, the Green and Gold dont need supporters like you when there plenty enemies to go around…
You cowardly Springs Caprivicunty
4 Jun 2012, 23:59 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-31: ‘regards’ sodajoe.. plenty of that going around here lately..
regards.. and so say all of us.
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-32:
fck you with your cowardly.. its quite plainly cowardly to cower behind outright screw up fakefuck broederboetie cowardice .. I’m done with you fakefuck arsecreep cowards..
onward christian f’ng soldiers.. time to resurrect the reality.. fakefuck time has come and gone.. let them sink and melt into the ever setting sun.
4 Jun 2012, 23:59 pm
Oh well seems like I am on Keo. Though I may have stumbled upon a rugby blog. But no.
5 Jun 2012, 00:00 am
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-33: Hello Skops.
I think your Boks will be ok. I don’t think they will win well, the English are fit, fast and will be very well prepared for a very predictable gameplan. But we will win.
5 Jun 2012, 00:03 am
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-33: Farkoff and go and support you and your Five Roses…
The Green and Gold will do fine without the likes of flip flopping winkydrops like you and the rest of the Camps Bay Gerbil snaffling brigade…
Now fark off and sing God save the Jubilee Queen in your highest pitched chipmunk voice, treasonous fuckwit… Only thing you good for… That and a gaylord mushroom burger…
5 Jun 2012, 00:04 am
Lambie
JPP
JDV
Fat Steyn
Habana
Pienaar
Skinny Steyn
Spies
Etzebeth
Kruger
Alberts
Potgieter
Beast
Biz
Jannie
Chili
Coenie
Daniel
Frankie Hollywood
You guys choose 2 more
5 Jun 2012, 00:04 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-35:
I kinda hardly care that much
let the best team win I say.. I’m tired of supporting cowards.. had my fill of them already… they can do whatever suits their cowardice best..
actually sick to the teeth of sweet smelling fake hypocrisy .. I dunno if they deserve to win.. so if they don’t then they won’t… simple.
5 Jun 2012, 00:09 am
Ok here I finish up. Had to check the squads.
Lambie
JPP
JDV
Fat Steyn
Habana
Pienaar
Skinny Steyn
Spies
Etzebeth
Kruger
Alberts
Potgieter
Beast
Biz
Jannie
Chili
Coenie
Flippie
Daniel
Frankie Hollywood
Zane
5 Jun 2012, 00:09 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-36: God saved no fakefuck queen and he didn’t save no fakefuck broederbondtjie either./. so take your fakefuck boetie boeties and shove them far as you like up your dutpipe they got f’all to do with me and I got f’all to do with them just the same.
That is the pity of it.. some good and some bad and you gotta sift it out in between… I don’t offer my allegiances out unconditionally.. the fakefucks can take their bullshit and shove it up their self endorsed inconsistencies.
5 Jun 2012, 00:11 am
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-38:
I dunno. There are a few omissions that can make those parochially partisan unhappy: Joe P, Brussow The Diamond, Duvenhage Vs Jano, but overall this is a good team.
If the guy wants big fast okes instead of small fast okes, taht’s his call.
I am more worried about a totally predictable gameplan than the players.
Skop & charge is easy to beat.
5 Jun 2012, 00:34 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-41:
you know soda this is an exercise in futility.. its all about the biggest bullshit story under the sun.. big fat ego rampant bravado about sweet fanny fckall.. thats precisely what gets blown about this ridiculous exercise in ball breaking brekery..
so actually at end of the line I don’t really care.. they have succeeded in taking the joy out of rugby .. and the pride out of patriotism .. who the fck cares if one set of neanderthals beats another set of neanderthals brains out and gets all ra ra hyper upbeat patriotic about it.. who the fck actually cares.. I don’t..
It now comes down to simple selective strategics.. whoever plays the more astute strategy and accurate rugby wins… and if Heyneke Meyer has stuffed his teams chances up and driven a wedge between his ideology and half of the rest of the country.. that’s his business.. its no longer mine.
5 Jun 2012, 02:21 am
Kircher is useless, Olivier is useless, Potgieter is useless, to many damn Bulls players, how does Meyer rate size when Lambie is there, but not Gio Aplon, England are going to win on Saturday, I love the Boks, but it will be good for Meyer to lose and loosen his bulls blinkers, Tuilagi will make Olivier his bunny, because if de Villiers breaks down, which is highly likely, then Olivier will play, absolutely useless.
They need Nienaber as the defence coach, also doubt Ricardo Loubser as backs coach, what has he coached, Tukkies B team, why don’t they recruit somebody outside of the Bulls.
5 Jun 2012, 07:51 am
@maximus1(maximus1)-43:
couldnt agree anymore about kirchner and olivier.Kirchner no pace,no sidestep,olivier never tries anything but running straight at his defender and getting turned over.Danie Gerber must look at olivier and laugh.
5 Jun 2012, 07:57 am
Anyway, the core 22 players are still test quality and the only players I have full on doubt about is WO, if JDV or FSteyn get in injured then we will be really weak at the midfield.
Jannie – Not the best TH by a large margin but can do the job
Busmarck – On his day he is a rugby giant, always playes well against UK teams
Beast – Back to his best, will crunch the pommie younglings up front
Etzebeth – Is the next big thing in international rugby, watch the english papers after this game.
Kruger – Has obvious lineout skills to put many other locks to shame, will help us win more then our share of lineouts.
Coetzee – This youngster has what it takes, all will come down to his decision making and whether he can take the pressure.
Alberts – Will need to step up his game, very vulnerable at the moment (general weak position for SA due to all the injuries)
Spies – Who else is there? If he can step up and be the player he was born to be, then maybe we will have a proper no 8, but I doubt it.
F Hougard – Has the speed, the guts and the zeal, but does he have the skill and brains for test match rugby?
M Steyn – Will do what he always does, kick, pass and hopefully do so reliably.
FSteyn – Will provide great penetration on the inside channel and hopefully provide some great offloads we saw during the WC in 2011.
JDV – Will be playing out of position, but nothing new for the new cap, hopefully he will provide great ball for the speedy outside backs at our desposal.
Habana – Back to his near best, let’s hope that translates to international rugby.
Mvovo – (My pick)is a strong and fast no nonsense wing, he will shrug of those half tackles and go for the kill.
Kirchner – (Lambie to slow) He knows FB play, let’s hope is he is not too nervous (he has showed a lack of BMT in some international games) and makes costly mestakes.
Coenie – Will be bring the pain come 2nd half.
Chilli – Will provide backup to Bussie.
Flippie – Good sub for the tradional #4 sub at 60min mark.
Potgieter – He is fast, but is he strong enough for test flanker play (Daniel too light)
Pienaar – Will be adequate backup if Hougaard needs to be moved to the wing.
Lambie – Good backup for 10/12/15
5 Jun 2012, 08:03 am
“Statistics show that the bulk of tries in Test matches involving the elite teams come from lineouts in or just outside the opposition’s 22m area”
Which is one of the reasons why the junior boks lost last night. We were aweful at securing our line-out ball and did not protect our scrumhalves particularly well when we did.
5 Jun 2012, 08:25 am
juandre best bet we got with bekker out. probably better option anyways given poor form of bekker who has been carrying injury.
my worry is kirchner being selected at FB and the fact HM will deploy the game (lack of a) plan which has seen the bulls lose 3 in a row. yay.
also the ommision of brussouw without doubt the biggest bolter. the fact he cant even make a squad of 32 means he’ll probably be off overseas soon given he’s probably also behind the injured loosies vermeulen, schalk and juan smith.
5 Jun 2012, 09:01 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-8: Agree. something to look forward to in a couple of years time. Traditionally one would like to see a lock pairing from the same province. I don’t think Bekker has the longevity required and we would be better suited playing these two and building that combo starting now.
By the time WC rolls around again we will once again have the rest pis sing down their legs.
5 Jun 2012, 09:03 am
@maximus1(maximus1)-43: Please let us know if you would prefer coffee or tea with your humble pie come Saterday evening.
5 Jun 2012, 09:04 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-47: “my worry is kirchner being selected at FB and the fact HM will deploy the game (lack of a) plan which has seen the bulls lose 3 in a row. yay.” ………and won them how many CC and Super rugby titles……..yeah right.
5 Jun 2012, 09:13 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-32: 10 out of 10 for that!!
5 Jun 2012, 10:06 am
With Bekker suffering constant back injuries, the Stormer lock pairing will be 4. Quin Roux
5. Eben Estebeth
in a few years time. Eben played at 5 for most of his lock playing career.
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