Duane set for Perth debut
5 Sep 2012
Duane Vermeulen will start at No 8 when the Springboks tackle the Wallabies this Saturday.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer has brought two new loose forwards into the match 22 following last week’s poor showing against Argentina. Vermeulen will start at No 8 while Francois Louw will be utilised from the bench. Until recently, Vermeulen was playing for Western Province and Louw for English club Bath.
Vermeulen, who has been one of the most consistent performers in the past three seasons of Super Rugby, will finally get his chance at the highest level. The robust Stormer will add some grunt to a loose trio that suddenly looks very intimidating.
‘We’ve decided to put Duane straight into the starting team because he is a classic No 8, a position we’ve lacked in since Pierre Spies got injured and Ryan Kankowski moved to Japan,’ said Meyer.
‘I’ve always admired the way Duane plays rugby and he’s fitted in very well the past week. He would’ve been a Springbok years ago if it had not been for injuries and it’s great to finally see him selected.
‘And by including Francois on the bench, we have a specialist opensider, but also a versatile loose forward that brings a bit more balance to our back row mix.’
While Marcell Coetzee is not an out-and-out openside he will be expected to outplay Australia’s Michael Hooper at the breakdown. The Boks need to produce an improved collective showing in this area after last week’s shocker in Mendoza. Coetzee will need to step up in what should be a brutally physical first half, and Louw will be asked to play a different kind of game in the second when it is not as tight.
Other changes to the pack see Andries Bekker dropped completely and Juandre Kruger introduced as the starting No 5. Bekker played his worst game for the Boks last week, and Kruger should see this as an opportunity to make the position his own.
‘At lock we’ve decided to go for Juandré as he plays more to the ball. Juandré and Eben played well as a combination in the June Tests against England.’
As expected, Meyer has favoured Ruan Pienaar at No 9 and moved Francois Hougaard from scrumhalf to wing. The backline reshuffle sees Lwazi Mvovo moving to the bench.
It’s another change in selection that should become permanent if things go well in Perth. Meyer has said that it’s a ‘horse-for-courses’ pick, but if the Bok pack fires and Pienaar has a blinder, he must be considered as a long-term solution at No 9.
Of course, if Hougaard, playing on wing, gets the ball on the front foot and produces the rugby we know he can, it will serve as further evidence that he is better suited to a back-three role.
Johan Goosen is another new face in the 22, and will earn his first cap if he gets a run in the second half.
Goosen recently recovered from a serious shoulder injury, an injury that prevented him from making his debut in the Test series against England. He represents the future of South African rugby and through his Super Rugby offerings has shown that he’s ready to make the step up.
The pressure is on Morné Steyn, not only to improve on his inconsistent performances of 2012 and guide South Africa to victory, but also to keep Goosen at arm’s length.
Meyer has already admitted that Goosen is the kind of player he wants in that No 10 position. Apart from having all the necessary kicking skills to be a success under today’s modern laws, Goosen also boasts an impressive attacking game. It’s a complete skill set that could eventually allow the Boks to play a more balanced game.
‘In my mind he can become one of the great flyhalves in world rugby. I’ve been very impressed with his work ethic and attitude since he joined the squad on Thursday in Johannesburg and we will keep on managing him carefully over the next few weeks.’
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Johan Goosen, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
694 Comments
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5 Sep 2012, 15:20 pm
To be fair to Deans any coach that has to play against the Ab’s 4 times every year is farked, his record against the rest is good, against the Bokke outstanding.
5 Sep 2012, 15:22 pm
At some stage the Bokke will have a NZ coach, if you want to be the best you need the best coaches.
5 Sep 2012, 15:24 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-440:
If you’re saying cc and 6n doesn’t count, I think you’re clutching at straws. In both cases these coaches brought a refreshing (and rewarding) new style of play to these comps that really injected some new life in both these comps. Wales was also vere refeshing at the world cup. If only we could follow suite and appoint a more enterprising coach (not necesarily NZ), we wouldn’t be stuck in the dark ages like we are.
5 Sep 2012, 15:29 pm
TMR Bakkies will never admit it on this forum too much pride but he knows.
5 Sep 2012, 15:30 pm
Funny how some people talk about “the home leg,”…. “the eoyt,”….”next world cup” as the time to measure the team now. When Meyer was announced as coach, his supporters believed that he would coach the Boks to an unbeaten home record, 90% win record in Europe and about 60% win record in the RC.
What happened to that?
5 Sep 2012, 15:33 pm
@TooMuchRugby-449:
kiwi coaches havn’t exactly turned international rugby on its head though have they?
kirwan poor
gatland poor to mediocre
henry poor
mitchell poor to pathetic
deans mediocre ‘to almost out of a job’
are ones that come to mind.
5 Sep 2012, 15:34 pm
will never happen china
5 Sep 2012, 15:35 pm
@TooMuchRugby-449: Sorry TMR I was only repeating what Bakkies was actually asking, I don’t keep track of Kiwi coaches at all, the only one I am interested in is Plum
5 Sep 2012, 15:36 pm
@nama1-444: With you there… 100%
5 Sep 2012, 15:36 pm
inevitable my friend only a matter of time
5 Sep 2012, 15:36 pm
@TooMuchRugby-453:
he won a watered down cc void of any big hitter personnel and has been poor elswhere.
there is a case to be made in wales’ regard true, but then just look at his win ration?
5 Sep 2012, 15:37 pm
@Sharksgirl-458:
and how’s he been doing?
5 Sep 2012, 15:39 pm
please, i would slice my ballsack the day that happened,, if it ever happened.
becasue it never will happen.
sa plays an honest but hard brand of rugby which no single kiwi is in keeping with.
5 Sep 2012, 15:39 pm
@TooMuchRugby-449: Gatland ain’t struggling – if one is doing international comparisons for Kiwi coaches.
Deans could possibly be one of those coaches, who is brilliant…but with his ceiling being provincial rugga – super rugby – like Heyneke
I don’t believe that though, I believe Robbie Deans is struggling because of player discipline(no-one can out ill discipline Aussie players….and they can’t be dropped – because in Deans’s case, there really IS no other player to replace a Beale for example), player injuries depleting an already shallow pool….etc etc. Then again, Robbie Deans and the Wallabies havefucked us up enough over the last few years, which means he can’t be a total washout
@Sharksgirl-446: @i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-447: Kiwi coaches are the best in the world, IMHO, and have the silverware to show for it. Deans is not the only yardstick for Kiwi’s overseas…look at Warren G. (and see above, Deans ain’t half bad….)
5 Sep 2012, 15:43 pm
thing is, if Saffa coaches currently held all the trophies I mentioned earlier, bakkies would have no doubts that they were the best… the fact so many nations employ kiwi coaches irks his xenophobic hatred of anything NZ..
therein lies the conundrum..
5 Sep 2012, 15:49 pm
@nama1-455:
Reality has a way of fuckingup even the nicest dreams…..
5 Sep 2012, 15:49 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-462: I’ll leave that unanswered
I do believe in giving credit where it is due, once he recognised that his game plan didn’t work and left MJ at home he did get us to the final. However if it had taken him just 3-4 games less to figure it out we would not have had the gruelling travel itenerary that we had! and my biggest beef I have with Plum is his lack of belief in hiring a head (head as in kop) coach for the Sharks, when clearly its what is needed at the Sharks, how can we thrash a team like the Bulls and Stormers and then go and lose to the minnows? etc. and Like Meyer it seems, he will stick with a player through loyalty and the player needs to almost score a try for the oposing team before he gets replaced read MJ, MB, while there are promising youngsters such as Jordaan waiting in the wings 
5 Sep 2012, 15:51 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-464:
agree to disagree then.
@poppa69-465:
i do not hate all things nz pops, i’ve told you this before..?..
i deeply dislike ‘to the point of contempt’ the dishonest, low, cheap shot style of rugby you play that’s all. its ruining agreat game as spectacle and so many possible classics for matches gone dwon the tubes.
5 Sep 2012, 15:53 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-456: C’mon Bakkies. I would sell my soul to the Bulls to have Gatland, Henry, Deans, Kirwan, Smith, Rennie and co involved in SA rugby in any way, shape or form.
5 Sep 2012, 15:57 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-468: yes Bakkies, we can agree to disagree
5 Sep 2012, 15:57 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-469:
Calm down Ruckles.
Nobody is at the Bulls is interested in your soul.
5 Sep 2012, 15:59 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-464: @The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-464: I think you may be right, only I don’t really follow NH rugby (if I could get hold of the remote I might just do that too) so I don’t feel knowledgeable enough to make a statement in that regard, and SH rugby didn’t count according to the question that Bakkies was asking. I always liked Deanes when he was at the Saders, and yes I agree with you irt Ozzie discipline, look how badly they have rubbed off onto Pops
I certainly wouldn’t be upset if Henry came to coach the Boks.
5 Sep 2012, 16:00 pm
I’ll hold you to that.
5 Sep 2012, 16:01 pm
@Sharksgirl-472: oops sorry Henry was meant to read as Deanes freudian slip?
5 Sep 2012, 16:03 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-468: maybe its the gulf in class between the Abs and Boks that is causing the loss of “classic” matches as you say..
5 Sep 2012, 16:06 pm
@poppa69-475: Speaking of gulf in class…
5 Sep 2012, 16:07 pm
@gunther-471: Would give it to them for free, and even wear those satanic little horns for a week….if it guaranteed a few of those Kiwi names in our coaching ranks…..
C’mon Gunther….don’t be like Morkel now, no balls and all and all. How good would a few of those Kiwis be for SA rugby…
5 Sep 2012, 16:08 pm
Pops is back for more.
Why am I not surprised
5 Sep 2012, 16:08 pm
@katman-476: hilarious…
too funny, but then I guess you know all about gulf in class, its why your leeus-ers wont be playing Suepr rugby next year..
5 Sep 2012, 16:10 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-477:
We’re still not interested in your soul my angel.
Only how you fill out a bikini.
5 Sep 2012, 16:10 pm
@poppa69-479: Unrelated and unfunny. A dreadful combination.
5 Sep 2012, 16:11 pm
I seem to have read most of this yesterday.
Deja vu
Except the part where Katman is gonna voel Joanne’s earrings later.
That’s new.
5 Sep 2012, 16:12 pm
477 11 tri nations and 11 super titles to Sa’s 3 says it would be outstanding for SA rugby, its happening already though, Plum, Mitchell and the Kings coach.
5 Sep 2012, 16:12 pm
@gunther-480:
Have you ever seen a pubikini?
5 Sep 2012, 16:12 pm
@katman-476:
Poeps Gulf is all class.
It’s got tinted windows and a canon on the bonnet.
And a box of tissues on the back shelf.
5 Sep 2012, 16:13 pm
@katman-481: agin youd know, youre the expert on unrelated unfunnies..
5 Sep 2012, 16:13 pm
There goes the neighbourhood
5 Sep 2012, 16:14 pm
@gunther-480:
You should be, at least there be some soul there. There certainly ain’t any in the way you play rugby.
5 Sep 2012, 16:14 pm
@gunther-485:
He’s more resilient nowadays
Yesterday was almost-meltdown
Today he’s back with the same posts from yesterday.
5 Sep 2012, 16:15 pm
@Dawn-489: and still, my rancid bait attracts the same “big fish”, without fail, without delay, always..
more fool me huh?
5 Sep 2012, 16:16 pm
@Sharksgirl-467:
yes, he did leave late to give the sharks any real chance.
considering his overall coaching history i think its fair to he’s poor to mediocre and should come up for a serious review irrespective of the sharks making this years super final.
5 Sep 2012, 16:16 pm
@Dawn-482: Hey, I’m not too picky. I’ll rate anyone’s earrings.
Pedigree, do you have a nice pair?
5 Sep 2012, 16:17 pm
@TooMuchRugby-488:
Whatever you say Dorothy.
5 Sep 2012, 16:17 pm
@poppa69-490:
Rancid indeed
5 Sep 2012, 16:18 pm
@gunther-480: Oh well, if the Bulls don’t want my soul, I will have to try selling it to the devil…..I’ll let you know if Brian van Zyl and his Sharks crew are more receptive.
Whatever it takes
@NZINCHINA-483: You are preaching to the converted.
5 Sep 2012, 16:18 pm
@poppa69-490: Your tackle is rancid? I’d have that looked at.
5 Sep 2012, 16:18 pm
@Dawn-482:
Indeed.
He’s working on the matching necklace.
5 Sep 2012, 16:19 pm
@Dawn-494: oh look, seems I have one on the line at the moment
5 Sep 2012, 16:19 pm
And who’s this new eedjit with this sister fixation
5 Sep 2012, 16:19 pm
a triple hook up now, excellent…
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