Duane’s day to remember
29 Aug 2012
Duane Vermeulen is finally a Springbok and one of two uncapped players for the Rugby Championship tour to Australia and New Zealand.
Johan Goosen is the other newbie, with recalls for Juan de Jongh and Bath-based Francois Louw.
‘Untimely injuries to Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Pierre Spies, JP Pietersen and Bjorn Basson have already hit us hard in the past few weeks. This again provides opportunities for other players to put up their hands,’ said Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.
‘We were very keen to give Siya Kolisi an opportunity on this tour, but he is also out injured, alongside a list of other injured or unavailable forwards that include Gurthrö Steenkamp, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Ryan Kankowski.’
Meyer confirmed he would have selected Vermeulen and Goosen in his initial Test squad but for injury to both players.
‘I regard both of them as world-class rugby players. If it wasn’t for injuries, Duane would have been a Springbok long ago. I also believe Johan has a long career ahead of him at Test match level and we will expose him when and how we feel it will benefit the player and the team best.
‘Both Juan and Francois played at the Rugby World Cup last year and are experienced players. Juan covers both positions in the midfield and we opted for Francois because he is a specialist openside flanker, in the absence of Schalk, Heinrich and Siya, that can cover blindside and No 8 as well, while he is also a very useful option in the lineout.
‘I’m also very excited with the quality of young talent coming through – Eben, Marcell and Johan are all still U21 and that bodes well for the future of Springbok rugby.’
Springbok squad – Willem Alberts, Andries Bekker, Craig Burden, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (c), Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Goosen, Dean Greyling, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Zane Kirchner, Juandré Kruger, Pat Lambie, Tiaan Liebenberg, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarira, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, Jacques Potgieter, Frans Steyn, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Jano Vermaak, Duane Vermeulen.
656 Comments
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29 Aug 2012, 13:02 pm
If it takes the national coach of SA, a supposed powerhouse of world rugby, 5 games to realise that in 2012, a fetcher type player is essential, how long will it take him to realise that the kick-chase , deep flyhalf wont do the stuff against better teams… I find this a bit disturbing actually… Give him props for the selections, but the team selected for Perth, and the way they attempt to play would carry more weight…
29 Aug 2012, 13:03 pm
@grant10-146: Grant don’t get too excited now. We need to see who Meyer has starting in the team for Perth. Think he knows though we need a fetcher. We were bullied at the breakdowns by Arg.
29 Aug 2012, 13:04 pm
@Transformation-123: hehe
Look the Sharks fans are all the same, they want the whole Bok team to be Sharks and if they don’t get their way they call players from other provinces, and the Bok coach’s game plan useless.
These Sharks fans will hope we lose to Australia so they can be proven right and that Heyneke Meyers eyes will open and see that if you want to win you got to have at least 13 Sharks in the team. They will be shouting for Australia in front of their TV sets come next weekend.
The Shark supporters are truly pittyfull 2 faced fair weathered fake Bok supporters
29 Aug 2012, 13:05 pm
@cane-137: He is the unluckiest player in SA rugby history. He has been treated pretty badly by the Bok selectors in the past, yet he stuck it out in SA, waiting his turn, which has TWICE been stumped by injury. Last year he would have played Tri-Nations, were it not for injury. And had he played….Spies would not have started in the World Cup.
This year again, injury has clouded his Bok dream…
Now the poor fellow is 50% fit…..and is about to be shunted into possibly the kakkest Bok team in years….
What chance does he have?
He must have really pissed the rugby gods off.
Fukkit I hope he manages to impress, regardless of what the rest of the ship of fools are doing.
29 Aug 2012, 13:06 pm
Heyneke .. pls read… free of charge…mahala..
The Boks seemed to think going harder would be the answer this week. Ball carriers predictably lining up to smash through another Argentinian gang tackle ended up in a mugging. The bullies were bullied. The Bok coaches need to rethink their strategy.
Of course rugby is a physical contest, one that you need to win. But it’s your brains, as much as your brawn, that helps you win this battle within a battle. Heyneke Meyer made his approach clear through his selections. By picking Jacques Potgieter and Willem Alberts in his loosies, Meyer signalled that subtlety and finesse weren’t going to play a major part in this contest. they are sledgehammers rather than rapiers
Outmuscling the Pumas in their own back yard isn’t simply a matter of giving hulking ball carriers one-out passes to t-bone over top of tacklers. The Argentinians are too proud and tough for that to happen. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is a phenomenal leader. Like other skippers before him, he gets the Pumas to grow extra muscles.
What South Africa needed was some subtlety. Run these behemoths at the defensive line, make the tacklers sit on their heels, then pass the ball. This would take Argentina away from gang tackles and allow ball runners to dominate one on one contests rather than lose two on one battles!
Of course, to do this you need backs coming forward with the runners to force defenders into making decisions. An uncertain defender will be sluggish in the tackle.
Instead South Africa sent a flat line of forward runners promoting themselves to receive the ball and a deep line of backs to get the ball behind the forwards. This made it too obvious which group was getting the ball, and allowed defenders to smash the forward runners or slide off on second-man plays to cut down backs or, at worst, end up pushing the outside backs to the sideline where the Bok wingers were always confronted with 2-3 Argentinian defenders.
Every move in the game should involve hiding and holding players. Holding players run strong decoy lines to commit defenders and stop them sliding off. Hiding players look like they are not interested, run as if they aren’t getting the ball then strike like cheetahs (or, like springboks escaping cheetahs!)
Instead, the Boks gave too many cues away about who is to get the ball, and the Pumas read them like a Wilbur Smith novel. Until the Boks come up with an attacking formula that allows them to hit either the forwards or the backs (or both in the same play) without sending obvious cues to the opposing defenders, they’ll continue to struggle with slow ball, defences that are set and little continuity.
29 Aug 2012, 13:09 pm
Aussie test….
After much thought and reflection
15 Lambie
14 Habana
11 Mvovo
12 F Steyn
13 J De Jongh
10 Jantjes
9 Hougaard
8 M Coetsee
7 Alberts
6 F louw
5 J Kruger
4 Etsebeth
3 Jannie
2 Strauss…captain
1 beast…
29 Aug 2012, 13:10 pm
I’m not sold on Vermeulen, but will be very happy if he can prove me wrong.
29 Aug 2012, 13:11 pm
@line break-151: I agree, it is ridiculous.
But hey, we are just stupid bloggers who don’t know better than the coach.
29 Aug 2012, 13:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-154:
I remember seeing him (Duane) in the same team as Luke maybe 5 years ago here in NZ.
Stormers had very talented loose trio.
I was impressed.
29 Aug 2012, 13:13 pm
This will be the team for the next test
15 Kirchner
14 Habana
13 JDV
12 Frans
11 Mvovo
10 Morne
09 Hougaard
08 Vermeulen
07 POtgieter
06 Flouw
05 Bekker
04 Etsebeth
03 Jannie
02 Strauss
01 Beast/Greyling
16 Liebenburg/Willie Wep
17 Greyling/Beast
18 VDMerwe
19 Stegmann
20 Pienaar
21 JDJ
22 Goosen
29 Aug 2012, 13:14 pm
@willievz-157:
Agree with you. He is a desperate pick, and even when fully fit, is so-so.
Now in his underprepared state, I would not start with him. I’d pull out the cash and get Kanko released from is club for a few weeks or something.
We really are down to the bare bones in terms of player depth.
29 Aug 2012, 13:14 pm
@rvanaardt-107: Don’t know where you get your stats from:
Potgieter played 80 minutes, made 18 tackles, attended 14 rucks, made 54m, 0 offloads and 1 turnover. Mean time between tackles 4.4 minutes
Alberts played 80 minutes, made 12 tackles, attended 18 rucks, made 68m, 1 offload and 1 turnover.
Coetzee played 67 minutes, made 15 tackles, attended 20 rucks, made 17m, 1 offload and conceded 1 turnover. Mean time between tackles 4.5 minutes
So he did not make more metres than Alberts, had the same tackle rate as Coetzee, and attended fewer rucks than both
I would not say that he outshone his partners – overall I thought they all had poor games
29 Aug 2012, 13:16 pm
Kiwi test
Play Vermeulen at 8 [ if fit ]
Goosen at 10 [ if fit ]
Be bold HM…..
same old will not cut it anymore….
and stormers / wp…..FFS man, with Schalk looking really bad, as well as Koster, get F Louw back here man…dammit
29 Aug 2012, 13:16 pm
@willievz-157: He might prove me wrong….and I am one of his head cheerleaders. But at the very least, he is going to get a CHANCE! The only thing he (and his groupies) have ever asked for.
Just feel for him that it is under these rather ‘whacked’ conditions that he will make his 1st appearance.
29 Aug 2012, 13:17 pm
From this squad i would go with
15. Kirchner (JPP in the future)
14. Habana (Hope he doesnt shoot off his line)
13. Jean
12. F Steyn
11. Hougie
10. Lambie/Elton either or
9. Pienaar
8. Coetzee
7. Alberts
6. Flo
5. Bekker/Kruger cant decide
4. Etsebeth
3. Jannie (Needs to stop giving away penalties)
2. Strauss
1. Beast
29 Aug 2012, 13:18 pm
Guthro Steenkamp needs to be brought into the fold as well….Beast has looked moeg last couple of games
29 Aug 2012, 13:18 pm
@Bokhoring-162: turnover = concede a turnover
29 Aug 2012, 13:18 pm
@Bok fan-165:
That’s pretty close to the team that will be picked, I reckon. Minus Lambie and Elton.
29 Aug 2012, 13:19 pm
@willievz-157:
I’m not sold on HM.
29 Aug 2012, 13:21 pm
Pretty excited about Goosen getting a chance. I just hope they don’t rush him back and he gets injured. Also excited about Vermeulen but to be honest i always though he was pretty slow at 8th man. I dont think he going to add anything else to the team that Spies, Potgieter offers us. Best selection was Definitely Louw.
29 Aug 2012, 13:22 pm
Well I know it sounds like a complaint but is very annoying that Keegan Daniel is dropped.. I actually agree with Flow & Vermeulen but I would have dropped Potgieter
Daniel is very unlucky. Good to see De Jongh there but I would have loved to see Gio Aplon ahead of Kirchner
Elton Jantjes should be there ahead of Goosen…I know the kid is good but Jantjes is on fire
I find Heyneke Meyer more difficult to understand than P Div..by a long shot.
My squad:
15 Patrick Lambie
14 Gio Aplon
13 Jean de Villiers
12 Francois Steyn
11 Bryan Habana
10 Elton Jantjes
9 Francois Hougaard
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Willem Alberts
6 Marcell Coetzee
5 Andries Bekker
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Pat Cilliers
2 Tiaan Liebenberg
1 Tendai Mtawarira
16 Adriaan Strauss
17 Jannie Du Plessis
18 Juandre Kruger
19 Francois Louw
20 Ruan Pienaar
21 Juan De Jongh
22 Lwazi Mvovo
23 Craig Burden
24 CJ Van Der Linde
25 Jean Deysel
26 Jano Vermaak
27 Johaan Goosen
28 JJ Engelbrecht
29 Aug 2012, 13:23 pm
@wpstormerbok-169: Not many of us are. Or ever have been….
29 Aug 2012, 13:23 pm
Daniel to shine against the Cheetahs
29 Aug 2012, 13:28 pm
Happy with the team
Now leave HM alone to do some coaching
29 Aug 2012, 13:31 pm
Vermulean is a hard man with great positional skills. Fantastic choice, Tac’s prejudice aside
29 Aug 2012, 13:31 pm
I think Flo,Goose and Duane will be in the match day 22. I base it on the following logical (to me anyway thinking):
1. Why would you bring a guy back from the UK and not use him.
2. If you are not going to use the other two,It would have made more sense to leave them at home to get more matches under the belt and use them in the home leg. They cannot get match fit by sitting in the stands.
I think the team will be:
15. Kirchner
14. Hougaard
13. De Villiers
12. Steyn.
11. Habana
10. Steyn
09. Pienaar
08. Alberts
07. Louw
06. Coetzee
05. Bekker
04. Etsebeth
03. Du Plessis
02. Strauss
01. Beast
16. Liebenberg
17. Cilliers
18. Kruger
19. Vermuelen
20. Goosen
21. De Jongh
22. Lambie
29 Aug 2012, 13:34 pm
Hey Transformation
The Reason why we SHARK FANNIES think the way we do has nothing to do with selfishness, closed mindedness, etc which exists everywhere else…
It is very simple mate, we are the brains of the country mate, thats all….!lol
BRAINS- the Springboks are tick(thick) as a plank and more so, are the SA frenchise, all the cronies who take home a lovely pay cheque and only imput 25% of their monies worth.
Which team is going into liquidation…ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Tick as a plank I say…
Talking about Sharks, the Shark team should do away with those stupid “Americanised wanck wanck cheerleader nonsence and have Zulu men and chicks in their tribal clothing, about 20 of them welcoming all provincial teams to their field. That is spectator stuff, who the hell wants to be amercian?
Be leaders(sheperd) not followers(sheep) I say….
29 Aug 2012, 13:35 pm
@Pypkan-153: Don’t be a complete idiot. I will never support Australia no matter who is playing for the Boks I will always support the Boks. I don’t only Sharks players there I want the best. I will never wish for the Boks to lose. But we will against the All Blacks and could against Oz. NOT that I want them too. I simply hate us losing to either of those countries. It is all about us playing with our best. And needing to play a better style of rugby, that is no brainer. Think what you like but that is it.
29 Aug 2012, 13:36 pm
@Tacitus-168: Minus the most NB spot in the team unfortunately
29 Aug 2012, 13:39 pm
@kimberleystormer-176:
I also reckon that will be HMs loose trio. He’ll try to replicate the Schalk/Flo combo with Marcel playing the Schalk role and Flo coming in behind him at the breakdown on both defence and attack.
29 Aug 2012, 13:39 pm
HM would do well to give Coetzee a break for the next game
He has pretty much been playing non-stop since February plus all the recent travel plus he plays a very physical type of game
29 Aug 2012, 13:39 pm
sharks_lover – How can stegman be in your 22 if he is not in the squad.
29 Aug 2012, 13:39 pm
@kimberleystormer-176: Think you could be spot on there. Except I think Kruger will start and Bekker on the bench.
29 Aug 2012, 13:40 pm
H.m pls pick this starting 15.
1. Beast.
2. Strauss.
3. Pat.
4. Eben.
5. Kruger.
6. Louw.
7. Alberts
8. Duane If fit
9. Hougaard
10. Goosen
11. Mvovo
12. Steyn
13. Jdj
14. Habana
15 lambie
29 Aug 2012, 13:40 pm
Pumas outsmart predictable South Africa
Wayne Smith
Former All Blacks Assistant Coach
about 3 hours ago
The Pumas nearly pulled off a winning upset that would have been well deserved. Tactically they were way superior to the Boks. Argentina won the physical battle because they were much smarter in how they went about it.
The Boks seemed to think going harder would be the answer this week. Ball carriers predictably lining up to smash through another Argentinian gang tackle ended up in a mugging. The bullies were bullied. The Bok coaches need to rethink their strategy.
Of course rugby is a physical contest, one that you need to win. But it’s your brains, as much as your brawn, that helps you win this battle within a battle. Heyneke Meyer made his approach clear through his selections. By picking Jacques Potgieter and Willem Alberts in his loosies, Meyer signalled that subtlety and finesse weren’t going to play a major part in this contest. they are sledgehammers rather than rapiers
Outmuscling the Pumas in their own back yard isn’t simply a matter of giving hulking ball carriers one-out passes to t-bone over top of tacklers. The Argentinians are too proud and tough for that to happen. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is a phenomenal leader. Like other skippers before him, he gets the Pumas to grow extra muscles.
What South Africa needed was some subtlety. Run these behemoths at the defensive line, make the tacklers sit on their heels, then pass the ball. This would take Argentina away from gang tackles and allow ball runners to dominate one on one contests rather than lose two on one battles!
Of course, to do this you need backs coming forward with the runners to force defenders into making decisions. An uncertain defender will be sluggish in the tackle.
Instead South Africa sent a flat line of forward runners promoting themselves to receive the ball and a deep line of backs to get the ball behind the forwards. This made it too obvious which group was getting the ball, and allowed defenders to smash the forward runners or slide off on second-man plays to cut down backs or, at worst, end up pushing the outside backs to the sideline where the Bok wingers were always confronted with 2-3 Argentinian defenders.
Every move in the game should involve hiding and holding players. Holding players run strong decoy lines to commit defenders and stop them sliding off. Hiding players look like they are not interested, run as if they aren’t getting the ball then strike like cheetahs (or, like springboks escaping cheetahs!)
Instead, the Boks gave too many cues away about who is to get the ball, and the Pumas read them like a Wilbur Smith novel. Until the Boks come up with an attacking formula that allows them to hit either the forwards or the backs (or both in the same play) without sending obvious cues to the opposing defenders, they’ll continue to struggle with slow ball, defences that are set and little continuity.
In contrast, the Pumas were smart, had a clear tactic to get gain line through driving line outs or through forward runners shifting the point of attack using linking passes. You could tell that Graham Henry is already advancing theircoaching.
The Boks obliged with the first tactic by happily kicking the ball out and giving the Pumas driving opportunities. The second tactic allowed the Argentinian ball carriers to get their shoulders slightly past their South African tacklers. At the very least, this created an impression within the Bok camp that they were being outmuscled. Heyneke Meyer’s comments after the game that they let their country down and that they have to go harder at the breakdown supports this perception.
Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, who replaced the injured Hernandez, was a revelation. He took the line on and caused South Africa a lot of problems. Both Argentina’s half backs also had a significant influence. This is a team with ability, growing in confidence, who could be a threat far sooner than people think.
29 Aug 2012, 13:42 pm
@Puma-178: It seems no Bok players will get game time this weekend , None were released
29 Aug 2012, 13:43 pm
@sharks_lover-173: Have no doubt about it. He will.
29 Aug 2012, 13:44 pm
@sharks_lover-186: Damn. Was hoping we could get Lambie and Burden for this game. Would have been great.
29 Aug 2012, 13:46 pm
@race of tan-182: thanks, was meant to be Coetzee
29 Aug 2012, 13:47 pm
@Gazelle-184: That would be a great backline if they could start. As much as I rate Hougie I would start with Ruan there.
Anyhow think post 176 probably has who Meyer will start with. Except I think Kruger will start ahead of Bekker this week.
29 Aug 2012, 13:50 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-149: Saw a pic he posted on Twitter recently. Looks like he’s about 6 months pregnant.
29 Aug 2012, 13:51 pm
The more pressure on Boks means more pressure on HM whihc unfortanately means more Bulls influence in the Boks. It is good knew that Flo is in but one man doesn’t make a difference to terrible tactics.
When Jake White started out his Boks looked alot more healthier than this bunch and before you all get upset , the centres for Whites first series v Ireland were Julies/M Joubert, infact they were very good. Butit was White’s tactics that worked well. I don’t see that magic at all with HM, nothing at all, just promises promises promises!!
29 Aug 2012, 13:51 pm
@mpundulu-185: The key word in that thesis is in the title.
Predictable.
29 Aug 2012, 13:52 pm
sharks_lover – Phew. Good knews. Way to early for DP my man!!!
29 Aug 2012, 13:53 pm
@race of tan-192: White played a flatter 10 in 2004 that drew defenders, in Jaco van der Westhuizen.
In 2005 and 2006, it was Andre P.
And in 2007, it was Butch.
All 10s who varied their alignment and positioning.
29 Aug 2012, 13:54 pm
@willievz-193: Very much so.
29 Aug 2012, 13:56 pm
@grant10-166:
i would bring gurthro and john back.
29 Aug 2012, 13:57 pm
Am i the only one who is not happy with this selection of Goosen and Vermeulen. Its a lose lose situation for the players and for the team. Although to be selected is awesome.
They are both coming off long term injuries and have only played a few games. Goosen one game back, Vermeulen 2 games back.
If he selects them for this squad he better start them because if he does not start them then he is a stupid coach. They could of rather been getting match fit in the cc instead of carrying tackle bags or sitting on the bench. If they start it is even more problematic for the Boks. To have two rusty players start against the best two sides in the world is stupidity. Why not let them get match fit for the home leg then you can start them because they would have a whole month of rugby under their belts.
Disappointed in HM. I didnt think he would be this bad.
29 Aug 2012, 13:57 pm
@grant10-166: Ja with so much rugby def need Guthro in the mix
29 Aug 2012, 13:58 pm
willievz – Atleast Whites plan was fairly affective. 2005 we were minutes away from back to back 3N title, best Boks i have ever seen was 2005!!!
All i am saying is HM looks rattled and becuase he is a former provincial coach , he is leaning too much towards his beloved Bulls style of play, which aint work.
And we are going to get found out by the Ozzies then the ABs.
No former Provincial coach has ever been succesful as a Bok coach as they are always too provincially biased.
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