Boks hungry for clean sweep
19 Jun 2012
The Springboks will stick to their game plan in an attempt to win Saturday’s Test and record a 3-0 whitewash against England.
Coach Heyneke Meyer is set to make several changes for the the third and final Test, but those changes will be made more of necessity than anything else.
Centre Wynand Olivier will replace Frans Steyn, who is set to be married this Saturday and has thus been granted leave. Jacques Potgieter is likely to slot in for the injured Willem Alberts (knee), while Gio Aplon should replace the ailing Pat Lambie (ankle).
Olivier doesn’t have the same physical presence as Steyn in midfield and the uncapped Potgieter may also struggle to replicate Alberts’ efforts at blindside flank. Aplon is better known for his running ability than his kicking. And yet, all three of these new starters will need to play according to the Boks’ territory-based blue print.
Bok scrumhalf Francois Hougaard said on Tuesday that the team will stick to the pattern that proved successful in the first two Tests. The series has already been secured with those two victories, but there is still a desire to win as well as inflict some psychological damage on England.
‘It’s just as important as the first two Tests, we are not going to slow down now,’ Hougaard said. ‘I’m sure England will also be up for it, so we can’t afford to be complacent.
‘Our goal has always been to beat them 3-0 if you think that the goal is to win every game.’
While the Boks will be without several key players, the English are also smarting after last week’s battle at Ellis Park.
Captain Chris Robshaw and scrumhalf Ben Youngs have been ruled out with injuries, and the loss of these players will impact on England’s synergy.
Speaking of the Boks’ synergy and performances over the past two Tests, Hougaard admitted that while the South Africans had played well in patches, they were yet to produce a complete showing.
With a view to the Rugby Championship as well as the desire to beat England 3-0, the Boks must fire from start to finish at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this Saturday.
‘We had four days to prepare for that first Test,’ said Hougaard. ‘We were better in the second, although it wasn’t a complete performance. That is what we must do this Saturday, we must put two halves together, we must produce an 80-minute performance.
‘The focus is on quick ball and doing the basics well. England will look to play off our mistakes, so we have to keep those to a minimum.
‘They scored some soft tries against us in the last game, so we need to watch for the quick taps. I’m sure they will look to lift the tempo in the coming game.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Port Elizabeth
320 Comments
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19 Jun 2012, 14:38 pm
Great to see Care getting a start – must be my kiwi soft spot for alcoholoics
19 Jun 2012, 14:38 pm
Jacques Potgieter – nice move. I can’t wait for Saturday. I bet he can’t either.
19 Jun 2012, 14:39 pm
Pottie if recovered from injury will give the poms a horrid time…
19 Jun 2012, 14:43 pm
Several changes ????? I can count 3 ????
19 Jun 2012, 14:46 pm
@#4 – Keo hacks never afraid of a bit of hyperbole.
19 Jun 2012, 14:47 pm
So judging by the slant of Cardinelli’s article, he is criticizing the Boks for sticking to the same game plan, seeing as “Wynand Olivier doesn’t have Frans Steyn’s physical presence in midfield, Aplon is more suited to running than the kicking game, and Potgieter will struggle to have the same physical presence as Alberts”.
So I assume in Cardinelli’s little universe, the Boks should change their gameplan completely then, due to these injury enforced changes?
Yeah. That’s a great idea. We’ve got new guys coming into the team, and therefore we should also abandon the only gameplan that we’ve had some time to get accustomed to over the last 2 weeks.
What a great plan. We’re disrupted by injury, so what the hell, let’s try an entirely new gameplan on top of that.
Seriously, Cardinelli. Time to get a day job.
19 Jun 2012, 14:49 pm
Look forward to seeing Potgieter at 7 – deserves a start in my opinion – just not sure how he will be after that knee injury.
19 Jun 2012, 14:52 pm
@stew(stew)-4: several in a grammatical context impies more than one – its an open number – I used to be flummoxed by the expresison as well but it does not mean 7 changes. God knows where it comes from – very deceiving.
19 Jun 2012, 14:56 pm
What makes these articles particularly lame is that they try and inject some drama or sense of doom into every trivial little piece of reporting. Sad really…
19 Jun 2012, 14:56 pm
@#7 – The Montagu Marauder will be at his destructive best on Saturday. After all, it’s almost a home game for him.
19 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
@stew(stew)-4: Several, meaning more than 2 but less than many.
19 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
yes, must get clean sweep.
come on boks!
19 Jun 2012, 15:02 pm
@steblooi(steblooi)-9: Yet here we are commenting on the blog like lemmings. lol
19 Jun 2012, 15:03 pm
I fear for Potgieter, in that I think he will be exposed for the mediocre player he is. In the first game againt the stormers he was so absent from the physical contest it was not funny, especially after he scored that easy try against the push over reds the week prior.
He’s fast, I give him that, but can he break one or two English tackles?
19 Jun 2012, 15:07 pm
I’ll be honest. I feel bad for giving Cardinelli such a hard time, but his articles are so clearly agenda driven that it is impossible to take them seriously.
Basically, Cardinelli never liked Heyneke’s gameplan – partly because it has little room for the Stormers’ backline midgets in it.
Furthermore, he is pissed off about Kolisi and maybe even Kocky not being in the team.
So the selection of Wynand Olivier is to him a slap in the face. As is the selection of Potgieter over Siya the Promised One.
And even though Aplon is now in the team, to Cardinelli it is just another reminder of the insult of him not being there in the first place. So he’ll sommer criticize that too, for good measure.
It all culminates in a sulky, “I hate you and your entire approach, Heyneke” article. And he uses the unplanned injuries as a nice vehicle for laying in the stick to the entire shebang that has had him close to tears since the squad was first announced three weeks ago.
Really, Cardinelli. It is plain as day in your every sentence. Grow up, man.
19 Jun 2012, 15:12 pm
Maybe Potgieter will prove me wrong but I think there are a few better flankers in SA that should be there…
19 Jun 2012, 15:14 pm
@#14. One swallow doesn’t make a summer…
19 Jun 2012, 15:18 pm
Damn!Looks like Alberts not going to make it for Saturday. Is it just me or is he also injury prone? Often not available for the Sharks.
19 Jun 2012, 15:19 pm
@Unplugged(Unplugged)-18:
True. Maybe that’s why he struggles with conditioning as well. Difficult to keep the kilos off when your training is interrupted by injury all the time.
Affects your motivation as well.
19 Jun 2012, 15:20 pm
@# 16 – Let’s see on Saturday. Eyebrows were raised all over the country when Alberts was handed a start at the beginning of the series, given that his form for the Sharks this season had been so inconsistent. But he stepped up and justified HM’s faith in him. The same could be argued for both locks, but they have made the conversion to Test rugby fairly easily. Jacques Potgieter is a brilliant ball carrier, solid on defence, and whose work rate puts Alberts’ to shame. He’ll be around for quite some time.
19 Jun 2012, 15:23 pm
@gizzard(gizzard)-20:
In fact, Alberts revealed afterwards that Heyneke came to him about halfway through the Super 15 season and already told him that he was going to get the nr. 7 jersey.
Heyneke knows what he wants. Potgieter wasn’t in the squad for decoration. He was there because he is Albert’s backup.
19 Jun 2012, 15:25 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-19: Who’s the best back up for him, can’t think of anyone as physical as him.
19 Jun 2012, 15:25 pm
Gizzard… Alberts had stepped up before he was selected and smashed the Stormers… But I agree let’s give Potgieter a chance… As for putting Alberts work rate to shame… Sorry… Don’t buy that…
19 Jun 2012, 15:29 pm
What’s going on with Jaun Smith? Does anyone know. He has’nt played for more then a year now. Will he ever play again?
19 Jun 2012, 15:29 pm
@Unplugged(Unplugged)-22:
Alberts and Juan Smith should fight it out for the nr.7 jersey.
I always felt Burger was more of a 7 than 6, but it seems under Heyneke Burger and Coetzee will fight it out for the nr.6 jersey.
With Spies and maybe Vermeulen fighting for the nr.8 position.
I do think that Potgieter may be next in line for 7, although I think CJ Stander is more talented. I just don’t know if Stander is physical enough yet.
Potgieter is 25 or 26 already – a hardebaard. Not all youngsters are like this Marcell Coetzee freak who can rough it up from age 21. So CJ Stander and Arno Botha may need another couple of years to get to that level of physicality.
19 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-25: Cool thanks, agree with you but you might get into trouble now for not mentioning Kholisi.
19 Jun 2012, 15:40 pm
@Unplugged(Unplugged)-26:
But what is he? A 6 or a 7? Seems a bit small for a 7, and was playing at 6 in Burger’s place this season – and doing quite well.
So maybe he should be third in line for the 6 jersey then, after Burger and Coetzee.
19 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@# 23 Agree, Alberts has been a great carrier at times, although his form this season has been anything but consistent. Interesting what Tac maintains (# 21), and to be honest, I’m not that surprised. HM’s game plan is simple: Smash the opposition into submission and punish their mistakes. In that sense, his planning isn’t far from that of Jake White’s.
There’s also a focus on the set piece, especially using first-phase ball to introduce strike runners.
Those Bok fans looking for dancing feet and flair are going to become very disillusioned under HM’s tenure – he’s far too pragmatic for that, although problems arise when our pack goes backwards. HM’s game plan is pretty limited/ineffective when the opposition gain parity in terms of possession and territory.
19 Jun 2012, 15:43 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-27:
Because that’s the way Meyer works. He has a ranking for all the players in a particular position, and he tells them where they stand.
Hence, Coetzee would have been told he is ranked nr.2 in the 6 position, after Burger. But that he had a chance to put his hand up for promotion to nr.1. Which he seems to be making a strong case for in this series.
Same for 7, where I presume Alberts was told he is nr.1, Potgieter nr.2 and Stander nr.3.
All of the above in Juan Smith’s absence, of course.
19 Jun 2012, 15:46 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-27: In Meyers plan it shouldn’t really matter, because physicality is first prize, if you judge him opn physicality, he’s at least on part with Coetzee and Potgieter. Just cast your mind back to the stormers v bulls at loftus if you’ve forgotten.
19 Jun 2012, 15:46 pm
@# 29 +1 – we all know how important career progression and having a well-defined career path is for employees. Professional rugby is no different.
19 Jun 2012, 15:47 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-29:
Where do we see those rankings? Maybe we will understand his thinking better then. Similar to golf and tennis rankings…
19 Jun 2012, 15:51 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-30:
Yes. He has impressed me with his tackling in particular.
I suspect he will take Keegan Daniel’s spot in the squad in the near future. Although, I think with Potgieter back from injury Daniel’s spot is already gone, once Alberts also returns.
See, that’s the problem. So many good loose forwards, yet only 4 positions available in the matchday 22.
19 Jun 2012, 15:51 pm
@# 32 – That, I should imagine, is confidential information between an employer and an employee.
19 Jun 2012, 15:54 pm
I think we need a stronger replacement than Keegan Daniel on the bench this weekend. It simply isn’t a like for like replacement if Potgieter’s knee konks in again early in the game.
19 Jun 2012, 15:54 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-25: Hmmm… have Meyer ever talked with Schalk or Juan? I never got the idea from anything Meyer said that he has either one in his future plans.
19 Jun 2012, 15:55 pm
HM just BBM’d me the team for SAT:
15: APlon
14: JPP
13: JDV (capt)
12: Meisiekind
11: Habs
10: M. Steyn
9: FH
8: Barbie
7: Pottie
6: Marcel
5: Juandre
4: Eben
3: Jannie
2: Bissie
1: Tendia
- eat your hearts out boys !!!
19 Jun 2012, 15:57 pm
@# 37 Yawn! That was yesterday’s worst kept secret.
19 Jun 2012, 15:59 pm
If J.Smith ever plays again, surely he won’t be the same player. Normally happens when a player is injured for such along time? Remember Andre Snyman
19 Jun 2012, 16:01 pm
@gizzard(gizzard)-38: no – some think Bambie is going to make it as starting 15 ….. not so HM said Bambie is not going to be selection as his ankle is not ayoba.
19 Jun 2012, 16:03 pm
@Bouts(Bouts)-36:
I’m sure he made an effort to consider everyone. No one knows what the story is with Juan Smith, but it seems to me he has given up the ghost.
Burger will be back soon, and the contest for the nr.6 jersey will really hot up then.
I expect that Burger will be told to play a very different – much tighter – game under Meyer than the loose cannon, wannabe flyhalf role he has tried to explore in recent years.
No more double skip passes to the wing from Burger. He is there to bash into the opposition to soften them up so that our backline can do the passing.
19 Jun 2012, 16:08 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-41: Except he doesn’t do that anymore. These days he starts to pirouette before contact, hitting the tackler with his backside and falling to ground about 40 clicks from the advantage line.
19 Jun 2012, 16:09 pm
@# 41 – A lot of how tight or loose you play as an open-side flank is determined by your other loosies and whether the tight five is bossing the collisions or not. HM likes two carrying flanks which will probably suit Schalk. Marcel has been a bit of a revelation, playing to the ball and carrying equally well. In that respect he’s quite like Schalk, which must be comforting for HM. I’m more worried about the second row to be honest.
19 Jun 2012, 16:09 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-29: In other words, HM is not paying any attention to combinations that might work well, or quotas maybe. His selection is purely based on his ranking system?
Not being sarcastic…..its a honest question?
19 Jun 2012, 16:11 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-42:
True, that.
It may be that Coetzee overtakes him sooner than many would expect.
Although, we’ve seen so many veterans suddenly play to their potential under Meyer – Habana, De Villiers, Spies, Bismark, even Jannie.
Maybe Meyer can get Burger back to his former juggernaut self again.
19 Jun 2012, 16:13 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-44:
I’m sure he does. But in the context of his ranking system.
Sadly, I am not privy to his every thought. I just read the interwebs dilligently, like you all do.
19 Jun 2012, 16:16 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-35: i’m not sure i understand the logic behind having Daniel ahead of Brussow for this purpose.
19 Jun 2012, 16:21 pm
@ # 47. Agree. They are completely different players. I heard one assessment that Brussouw has been overlooked because of the new breakdown interpretations and that he might be too easily penalised. But I still can’t get my head around Daniel even being in the squad. He’s solid but nothing more. Would he make the All Black or Oz squads I wonder? Probably not.
19 Jun 2012, 16:21 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-47:
Daniel is primarily a ball carrier. Brussouw is primarily a fetcher. Meyer likes ball carriers.
19 Jun 2012, 16:21 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-25: Where do we play Shcalk then? If Smith/Alberts fight it out for 7 and Coetzee locks in the 6 jersey do we consider Schalk for 8?
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