Os backs Coenie’s tighthead switch
19 Sep 2012
Os du Randt says Coenie Oosthuizen’s transition from loosehead to tighthead prop will be good for the player and the Springboks.
Oosthuizen will make his comeback from a serious neck injury when the Free State Cheetahs take on the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. He has been out of action since hurting himself during the Springboks’ June Test series against England.
His return will see him feature at tighthead prop, a position he has hardly played in during his professional career. He has predominantly been selected at loosehead since making his senior debut in 2008.
Bok head coach Heyneke Meyer sent an SOS to Cheetahs boss Naka Drotske to give the player an extended run in the No 3 jersey during the Currie Cup as it’s a position South Africa lacks depth in at Test level.
Following the departure of Cheetahs tighthead prop WP Nel to Scottish club Edinburgh after Super Rugby, Oosthuizen will have the opportunity to do so.
Cheetahs scrum coach Du Randt believes a successful positional switch will have major benefits.
‘Coenie’s transition from loosehead to tighthead prop was always on the cards,’ Du Randt told keo.co.za. ‘It’s a position he played in at school level. With WP Nel gone, the Cheetahs need a long-term replacement there too.
‘First of all, it will help prevent future neck injuries. At tighthead, you scrum with both shoulders and that offers you more support. At loosehead, you only scrum with your left shoulder. So if something goes wrong, it’s easier to get hurt.
‘If Coenie can can make a big impact during this switch, it will be a massive boon for the Springboks and Cheetahs,’ he continued. ‘It’s usually the loosehead prop that has a high work-rate. But with Coenie at tighthead, we will see both props all over the park.’
Du Randt added that Oosthuizen’s return to the Free State match-day squad is a much-needed boost following the Bloemfontein union’s poor start to the Currie Cup. Free State are currently in second-last place on the log after losing four of their six fixtures.
With the Bulls also struggling at the foot of the table with the same league record, this will be a must-win clash for both teams.
‘Coenie’s presence will lift the spirits in the squad. He’s the kind of character who always motivates his team-mates and leads from the front,’ said Du Randt. ‘With his strong ball-carrying ability and his solid defence, he’ll offer us a lot in the forwards battle.’
By Gareth Duncan
145 Comments
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19 Sep 2012, 12:06 pm
@Transformation-92:
Agree
19 Sep 2012, 12:20 pm
Miss UFO in this sort of thread.
19 Sep 2012, 12:21 pm
AlanSolomons
Give Goosen a go!
2012-09-19 10:25
Sport24 columnist Alan Solomons (File)
Related Links
Jake offers Heyneke advice Boks freed for Currie Cup duty Bok fans slam Div ‘outburst’ Alan Solomons
I thought it was a much-improved performance from the Springboks this past weekend, and they certainly had opportunities to win the game. To some extent, the Boks were architects of their own downfall.
It’s always dangerous to write off a Springbok side, and it was evident the visitors were up for the game. I felt the forwards played particularly well and really fronted up to the All Black pack. When the tight five is on song, it makes it easier for the loose forwards to play. Francois Louw certainly gave a good account of himself against Richie McCaw.
In truth, the hosts didn’t play very well at all. It’s clear that Piri Weepu doesn’t really suit the All Blacks’ style of play and once Aaron Smith came on in the second stanza, I felt he made a big difference. Their gameplan requires a halfback with speedy service and the ability to snipe around the fringes.
I feel the Boks missed a real opportunity to get a win in New Zealand, which was a pity. Had Morne Steyn had his kicking boots on, there is no doubt the Boks would have won the game. Steyn is usually a sound goal kicker, but a 20% success rate is simply not good enough at international level and unfortunately for him there’s a price to pay.
While Heyneke Meyer may be tempted to keep Steyn at flyhalf for the home Tests, I think Johan Goosen is the way to go. While I’m aware it’s different starting as opposed to coming on for the final 20 minutes, Goosen has a good temperament and has shown he is comfortable at international level. Goosen presents a lot more challenges to defences than Steyn does. He will give the Boks a lot more options on attack and make them less predictable. I think Meyer has to make the move now.
While Meyer has made it clear that he is not going to alter his gameplan – which relies on the forwards gaining the physical edge – the reality is that there is a lot of kicking in our repertoire. The Boks’ strategy is fundamentally to play for territory and therefore their kick execution has to be spot on.
Some pundits may suggest that the Boks’ ill-discipline is a growing concern after bans for Eben Etzebeth and Dean Greyling. I don’t think either are malicious players, but I have no doubt Meyer would have spoken to them about playing with channelled aggression. Greyling’s elbow on McCaw was however over the top and certainly unacceptable.
At this stage, It’s pretty much the All Blacks’ competition to lose. They have won all their home games and have crucially beaten Australia away from home. Having lost away to Australia and drawn with Argentina in Mendoza, the Boks have made life difficult for themselves.
Australia, whom the Boks face next, where quite fortunate to beat Argentina on the weekend. Had Robbie Deans’s side lost to the Pumas, there’s no doubt he would have come under increased pressure. Whether the ARU would have taken a decision to let him go is difficult to say. Deans is clearly a good coach, and in fairness, he’s had a plethora of injuries to key players.
Argentina were unlucky to lose, and in all three away Tests, they have come out with a lot of credit. They have shown they belong at this level, which is a positive for the competition going forward.
The Boks’ home games are massively important and the expectation on the team will move up a notch. The expectation will be to win both games, which the Boks are certainly capable of achieving. It’s a massive advantage that both Tests will be played up country.
Going forward, the Springboks need take their opportunities. In the last Test, those came in the form of kicks for goal. The Boks need to be more clinical in everything they do, and I’m certainly taking the Boks to beat the Wallabies on home turf.
I think Meyer may well give Goosen a full go against the Wallabies. It would great to see Goosen paired with Francois Hougaard and Pat Lambie brought in at fullback, which will give the Boks more of a cutting edge on attack.
19 Sep 2012, 12:23 pm
@ryecatcher-102: Make that all threads.
19 Sep 2012, 12:36 pm
@ryecatcher-102: What happened to UFO?
19 Sep 2012, 12:37 pm
Will Johan Goosen be allowed to play the rugby that is in his genes?
Cape Town – I’m sure Johan Goosen’s heart beats 100 percent proudly South African, but right now the sad thing is that a Silver Fern would probably be a more fitting breastplate for him than a Springbok.
It’s got nothing to do with patriotism. l know we have only seen him for about 30 minutes of Test rugby, and boo to Heyneke Meyer for that, but already Goosen looks like a natural for the black jersey. You know the look – untethered, free-spiritish, playing on instinct. A guy basing his decisions on what’s in front of him, not on what his coach is screaming into a walkie-talkie.
It really looks like Goosen has all the smarties in the box. His punts are long and accurate. His goal-kicking is ace. He can step. He passes well left and right. He can put up a high bomb with the best of them. Fine, he was bumped out of the road by Ma’a Nonu in Dunedin, but you can’t have everything on one night, as the bishop said to the actress.
But how much of Goosen are we going to see for the rest of our first Rugby Championship? And by the way, I’ve grown to like the new name for the Tri-Nations. It’s a bit of a nightmare for headline writers, but it has a nice sense of gravitas to it. It’s like Tiger Woods’s SMS to LeBron James after he won the US Open at Torrey Pines on one-and-a-half legs in 2009. “14 Championships.” Plus the Pumas have already left a few scratches on all three the other teams.
Sorry, back to Goosen. Surely even the Pretoria poppies must agree that it’s time for Morné Steyn to go. Yet even if Heyneke Meyer does pick Goosen, how much freedom of expression is he going to give a 20-year-old at flyhalf? How much of that freedom is going to be coached and drilled out of him? If it’s on and he wants to goosestep in his own half, will he be allowed to? Or will the instruction be thundered out: Jy mag mos nie daarvandaan hardloop nie, nefie. Will he able to put Frans Steyn and Jean de Villiers into a gap or will he be told to set them up for another crash-ball? And so we can go on.
In New Zealand there would be no gnashing of teeth about his age. In that country, if you’re special, you’re special. It doesn’t matter if you hit the scene at 19 or get discovered on a sheep farm at 29. The same principle applies in Australia, as James O’Connor will tell you. Think about it: What would New Zealand or Australia do with a player like Goosen?
Then there is Elton Jantjies and Patrick Lambie. When last has South African rugby been blessed with three young flyhalfs like Goosen, Lambie and Jantjies? Three players who have the boot and the creative vision needed for the No 10 job. Yet Meyer believes Goosen needs to be eased into Test rugby, Jantjies was left at home and Lambie’s frustration has been written all over his face on the Bok bench.
Obviously you need a strong pack and a flyhalf who can boot you out of trouble. Those remain two of rugby’s essentials. But it’s 2012, and surely the time has come to move our game beyond simply trying to overpower teams with brute strength. Surely it’s time to recognise that off-loading in the tackle is the most effective way to unlock defences. Surely it’s time to value and nurture our creative players and not frown on them. Surely it’s time to guard the rugby ball as a treasure and not just kick it away aimlessly.
Lambie, Jantjies and Goosen are just three of our young players who can help change the face of Springbok rugby. But man, I just hope they are encouraged to play the kind of rugby that is in their genes. Because who needs a walkie-talkie
19 Sep 2012, 12:38 pm
I think the Bok front row had the upperhand against the ABs on Saturday. J duPlesis is underrated imo. The ABs obviously rate Tony WoodC*ck due to his many caps, but I think lately JduPlesis has been his boss. Coenie has a bright future and lots of potential if he can stay fit. I think he also contributes most to the drinking sessions. Beast was lazy against Arg & Aus, not sure if he is carrying an injury.
19 Sep 2012, 12:43 pm
@grant10-106: Really good article, I have said for a while do not euh Goosen but ultimatley we should have at least 2/3 of Goosen/Lambie/Jantjies in the team going forward. For the home tests Goosen should probably start and Lambie must be at 15 for now. Jantjies should be our clear no10 on the bench.
19 Sep 2012, 12:48 pm
@Skeppie-108: Yes….agree with you Skeppie…
19 Sep 2012, 12:50 pm
@Skeppie-108:
I have watched Jantjes closely last few weeks…..absolute class….
19 Sep 2012, 12:54 pm
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Jürgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Francois Venter, Sampie Mastriet, Louis Fouchè, Jano Vermaak, Arno Botha, Jacques Potgieter, Dewald Potgieter (capt) Franco Mostert, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Werner Kruger, Willie Wepener, Mornè Mellett.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Frik Kirsten, Cornell Hess, CJ Stander, Ruan Snyman, Lionel Cronjè, Ulrich Beyers
19 Sep 2012, 12:54 pm
@stormersboy-90: If Kitshoff had taken their offer, the useless git Greyling might have been down here in CT….ohthethoughtofthat.
19 Sep 2012, 12:57 pm
@grant10-110: Agree, Jantjies should had had more opportunities with the boks.
When Goosneck was injured, EJ should have started.
Going forward should be:
15. Lambie
10. Goosneck (Jantjies sub)
Goodbye Morne
19 Sep 2012, 13:02 pm
@Masa Govile 7-84:
Where were you when 1. Beast, 2. Chilli, 3. Mujati played for about 5-10 minutes on the EOYT in 2008?
If I’m not mistaken it was against England.
Stand to be corrected.
19 Sep 2012, 13:05 pm
My only concern with this, is that he is quite tall for a tight-head which makes it just that much more difficult to adjust.
Remember what happened the Heinke van der Merwe who was an exceptional loose-head, they tried to convert him to a tight-head and it failed and in doing so wrecked what could have been a long and successful career with the Boks.
No the change is not that easy and it can wreck a players career.
19 Sep 2012, 13:05 pm
Coenie will take time to adjust to TH. Its not an easy move, anyone remember when PDV tried to change Heinkie vd Merwe from being Most Destructive scrummaging loosehead in SA into a TH????????
Coenie is squat, compact and pysical suited to TH but whether he can dominate opposition will take time. The Right Shoulder is the most important weapon of a TH.
Coenie will need guidance from better techniicans then Os for TH role. men such as Piet Bester and Bok scrumcoach Pieter Di Villiers
19 Sep 2012, 13:31 pm
@grant10-111:
!!
Hi Grant
Have I got a surprise for you
19 Sep 2012, 13:34 pm
@greatest13gerber-116: I read an article a while back where Os said he suggested Coenie move from TH to LH when he came into the FS squad. His reasoning is that LH can make it at a younger age, but THs need more time to mature. Bit short sited me thinks.
19 Sep 2012, 13:35 pm
@106 grant10: yes, goosen looks a special talent. He looked very comfortable off the reserves bench against both aus and nz. He is the same size as crudeness so will get knocked over occassionally, but it is up to his looses and Fran’s to give him some protection.
Although the abs do throw players in young, it tends to be from the reserve bench in the case of difficult positions like 10. I think goosen has been handled quite well, and is now ready to start the home leg against the Aussies.
19 Sep 2012, 13:37 pm
*cruden. Damn iPad autocorrect
19 Sep 2012, 13:42 pm
@corporal punishment-119:
Johan Goosen is 6’1″ and 85kg.
Dan Carter is 5’10″ and 94kg.
according to wikipaedia.
19 Sep 2012, 13:47 pm
Meyer said, “this mental break will do him well,” referring to Morne Steyn.
Some people read into that as him saying that Morne will be dropped.
I think he is just referring to Morne not playing THIS weekend. Therefor, Morne will be the run on FH against the Aussies.
At Loftus, in front of hie home fans. What better place for HM to have Morne get his groove back?
Just like he (HM) did with Habana.
19 Sep 2012, 13:50 pm
@blik-121:
Johan Goosen is 6’1? and 85kg.
Dan Carter is 5’10? and 94kg.
Aaron Cruden is 5’9″ and 82Kg.
according to wikipaedia.
19 Sep 2012, 14:00 pm
@blik-118:
yes. I do believe Coenie has a good chance then normal t be a destructive TH. I wish BJ Botha was still playing for Boks. He should have being premier prop longer then Jannie IMO.
but that is fate.
19 Sep 2012, 14:09 pm
@carol-117: sorry Carol …popped out…wassup?
19 Sep 2012, 14:46 pm
MARCEL VAN DER MERWE…
FUTURE SPRINGBOK TIGHTHEAD.
19 Sep 2012, 14:47 pm
Second Phase
Tweaks that can make Boks winners
Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:47
PrevNextJan de Koning reveals what changes he will make to the Bok starting XV
Don’t expect wholesale changes, but a few ‘tweaks’ could help Heyneke Meyer turn the Springboks an ‘almost’ team into real winners.
Meyer will name a 30-man squad – for the final two Tests in Rugby Championship, against Australia in Pretoria (September 29) and New Zealand in Soweto a week later – at the conclusion of Round Seven of the Currie Cup.
While Meyer’s 42.9 percent success rate (three wins, two draws and two defeats) may not make for pretty reading, a proper analysis reveals that the Boks are a lot closer to world No.1 New Zealand than most of his critics would be willing to acknowledge.
Yes, those performances in Mendoza (a 16-all draw with Argentina), Perth (a 19-26 loss to the Wallabies) and Dunedin (an 11-21 defeat against the All Blacks) showed up some flaws in the Bok make-up.
But those should be put down to a lack of form by certain individuals, rather being using as a whip to keep flogging Meyer about his game-plan … or supposed lack thereof.
It is a fact the some of the team’s game-breakers and match-winners have not displayed their best form this year.
The main problem has been at halfback – where Morné Steyn has been a pale shadow of his 2009 and 2010 record-breaking form.
While it is admirable of Meyer to protect players – and all coaches do – he has also acknowledged that Steyn could do with a ‘mental’ break.
Most critics glossed over the surface of Meyer’s comments when he discussed the flyhalf’s lack of form. There is more to it than meets the eye.
“I do not want to knock individuals, but the missed kicks were crucial,” the coach told a media scrum in Johannesburg this week, following Steyn’s 22 percent (2 from nine goal-kicks) in the 11-21 loss last Saturday.
“Morné is mentally tough, though, and look at what happened to Bryan Habana.
“Bryan is now playing phenomenal rugby again.
“The mental break will do Morné good and we will look at the situation after the Currie Cup matches this weekend and decide who will play against Australia in Pretoria.”
Maybe a short holiday away from the playing field will do the trick?
Scrumhalf is another major issue.
Francois Hougaard is an undoubted match-winner.
However, is he a scrumhalf or a wing? The decision to keep shuffling him between positions can’t be good for his confidence.
Just ask Ruan Pienaar, who has played at scrumhalf the last few weeks, while Hougaard was on the wing. Pienaar lost all shape when he was used as a ‘utility’ for the Boks under previous coaches It was only at Ulster, when he played almost exclusively scrumhalf, that he started regaining his best form. Unfortunately he hasn’t transferred that from Europe to the Test area.
The other place where a ‘tweak’ could make a difference is at fullback.
Zane Kirchner had one of his better games against the All Blacks, but there is room for the skill of Pat Lambie. He may not get the same distances as Kirchner with his clearance kicks, but Lambie is no slouch.
What he will bring is some variation and that occasional ‘moment of brilliance’ that all coaches look for.
Against Australia at Loftus Versfeld next week it may be worth taking the risk and gamble of a couple of changes.
Meyer said he wanted to instill a belief in the team that they can beat any side in the world and there is no reason to doubt him when he said: I think we have achieved that goal.”
All it will take is a few ‘tweaks’ to the team selection!
Jan de Koning’s starting XV: 15 Pat Lambie, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 François Hougaard, 10 Johann Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 François Louw, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Willie le
19 Sep 2012, 15:04 pm
@grant10-127: Good article although Rugby Journalists like to think they would make good coaches when in reality they usually don’t.
De Koning is right in in his analysis on certain players – obviously Morne needs to be dropped and I especially agree that Ruan has been underperforming – but to say that one or two player tweaks could be the answer is definitely not right…. The Springboks played well against the All Blacks and certainly if we had played a different flyhalf, we would have won, BUT…. That game against the All Blacks is not the only game we’ve played this year… We played better than expected in that game, but against Argentina and Australia (and England for that matter), we played incredibly poorly and simple player changes would not have made the difference.
There is a lot more to Heyneke’s job than player selection….. I am not defending the man, but Jan De Koning’s article should not be taken as truth either because although his analysis on certain players is correct, it takes a lot more than player selection to improve a team’s performance.
19 Sep 2012, 15:21 pm
@Brig van Zyl: what would your Bulls coach namesake have thought of Greylings lack of discipline? Not much I’m sure. Not that ou Buurman didn’t enjoy a bit of foul play from his team (Moolman and Uli Schmidt come to mind).
But I’m just teasing. Bottom line is that SA has a good number of potentially great props, quite a few of whom do well in the S15 (even Bwok Hawwis) but who get drilled regularly in internationals. Probably the team with amongst the best potential props but the worst record is the Bulls. Remind us again who the Bok scrum coach is?
I think that the real problem with SA rugby is not the players. It is the coaches, administrators and officials. These guys do not work for SA rugby but for their own ideals, egos and often benefit (Rian (the Rat) Oberholzer and Alan (Guiness) Snollymans come to mind as typifying the breed). Some have noble intentions but ultimately ego, self-interest and good old plain SA incompetency dooms SA rugby to stagger when it should run.
19 Sep 2012, 15:31 pm
Ireland also thought that they were actually “a lot closer to world No.1 New Zealand than most of (their) critics would be willing to acknowledge” after the 2nd test in their series earlier this year.
What happened the following week, will haunt Irish rugby for years to come.
I say again: The All Blacks did not play particularly well at all while the Boks played very well but they were still able to beat us by 10 points.
What will happen if both teams play well in Soweto? Will they then beat us by 20 points?
We are not as close to them as some think we are.
19 Sep 2012, 15:52 pm
Pienaar
Morne
Jean de Villiers
Kirchner
Passengers…Boks effectively playing without a backline
No amount of tweaking mindsets of the above players will matter,they aren’t good enough
Furthermore the execution over innovation kick 60-70% of possession away is not going to suit players being touted to be selected to make Boks “better” ex: Goosen,Lambie,De Jongh,Aplon,Willie Le Roux,Mvovo,Jordaan etc
Continue to play that ideology,then keep talented ball players and runners at their provinces where their skill sets will be used and appreciated.
Likes of Kirchner Morne Pienaar can dominate selection in Boks archaic gameplan all they want.
19 Sep 2012, 15:56 pm
To hear Justin Marshall flat out laugh at Boks last week with Pienaar and Morne kicking balk away in accordance to our gameplan was embarrassing
Add the crowd in P.E booing Boks
And Boks drawing in Mendoza when they couldn’t put a single series of phase play together
Did I say embarrassing
19 Sep 2012, 17:10 pm
@mshiniwami-131: I agree with you…
time to cut them loose…
19 Sep 2012, 17:25 pm
@mshiniwami-131: I completely agree… Ruan has resumed his poor form of 2010… For all this talk about his kicking game, he has been a huge disappointment. Another shocker last weekend. Justin Marshall didn’t let his poor performance go unnoticed. I remember him describing one of his kicks as a “nothing kick which has just handed possession straight back to the All Blacks”…. Annoying as hell, because he is right.
19 Sep 2012, 20:02 pm
@Horings-56:
The Beast exhibits plenty of BMT!
19 Sep 2012, 20:08 pm
@nama1-114:
The Poms ran off the field, the Test was called off before time,,,
19 Sep 2012, 20:44 pm
@Kaizan-126: strange how some can see the light where others take quite a little longer
M Van der Merwe would be a better TH potential than Oosthuizen I reckon
Both Marcel Vd Merwe of Cheetahs and JC Janse Van Rensburg of Lions would be first choice options as next up props for TH and LH respectively
Its also strange how not many realize that its actually Ruan Pienaar at the source of Boks woes in the back line.. Morne Steyn is the preferential kicking skop the game dood protagonist but he’s been exactly that since 2009 already – so nothing new, whether its FdP or Pienaar at 9 exactly same diffs.. But the real critical fall out which hampered Boks through Mendoza and Brisbane and Dunedin was specifically Ruan Pienaar not taking the game by the scruff of the neck and forcing opposition to defend.. which is what Hougaard would or should have done.
19 Sep 2012, 22:17 pm
@ blik: cruden and goosen are the same light weight, even tho goosen is taller. So both will be targetted by big players like nonu and frans running up the no10 channel.
19 Sep 2012, 22:26 pm
103 grant10
I think that is an excellent article by alan solomons – v good.
19 Sep 2012, 22:29 pm
As for replacing Beast don’t be crazy.
19 Sep 2012, 22:55 pm
@PielNeus-43: Gobbledydook garbage
and I stroll on by.Wetter of te not.
20 Sep 2012, 07:17 am
An article in”The Times” by Simnikiwe Xabanisa their rugby correspondent. No need for high blood tablets now. This is a weel balanced article addressing societal issues in our country, you may call it perceptions. Great read I must say.:
It was inevitable that former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers would have something to say about the progress of his successor, Heyneke Meyer.
Even more predictable was that South African rugby fans would jump down his throat for whatever utterances he made.
The website headline that got a lot of people’s backs up was “Div upset with ‘white’ Boks”.
My understanding of the article is that Div was warning the Bok coach not to alienate black supporters by giving the impression there is little space for black players in his team.
The key phrase here is “giving the impression”, something you could glean only from some of Meyer’s team selections.
When he has had to choose between a black player and a white player that he hasn’t coached before – say Siya Kolisi and Marcell Coetzee, or Johan Goosen and Elton Janjties – he has opted for the white player.
Some might point out that Coetzee and Goosen seem to be working out, but it is only because they have been given the opportunity and the requisite faith that determines whether a player succeeds or not.
Jantjies and Kolisi were basically told they needed a bridging course before they could run with the big dogs.
There’s something about being white in our rugby that implies you are likely to succeed.
Before I come under attack from the aggrieved white supporters De Villiers so enraged with his comments, I’ll always (maybe naïvely) struggle to believe that there is some evil genius plotting to keep blacks out of rugby.
But De Villiers has a point because from the outside it looks as though black participation in rugby is contained so as not to exceed certain points of influence.
South African rugby in general has to be careful of the message it sends to its black supporters, however unintentional that may be. There have been a few incidents of late that have left one wondering if there is a deliberate element sometimes.
The indecent haste with which Goosen was chucked into the Bok squad, and the Kings’ “inclusion” in Super rugby are just two examples.
By all accounts, Goosen is the real deal, while many experts, Joel Stransky included, aren’t so sure that Jantjies is test match material.
Ignoring the shades of Vernon Philander in this logic, how will any of us know if he is not given a chance in the Bok team – a shot he continues to earn week in and week out?
Wynand Olivier – not to mention Jacques Potgieter – was given 30-odd tests to prove he wasn’t test match material, and Jantjies can’t even be given a handful?
The truth may well be that Meyer mistrusts players he has never worked with, but how hard is it to give rugby reasons why he continues to ignore Jantjies?
Looking at the Kings’ token inclusion in Super rugby, they have been given a year to create miracles while the Lions were given 11 years to **** things up.
It’s an elaborate stitch-up where the SA Rugby Union can hold up its hands and say: “There, we gave you a chance”.
The general thinking in local rugby seems to be that the only people that count are the smug, self-entitled bunch who savaged De Villiers for raising a view that actually exists.
This is at the expense of the future market of the game.
20 Sep 2012, 08:27 am
Calling Stransky an expert is a bit of a stretch.
20 Sep 2012, 09:17 am
@nama1-130: I thought Bok fwds played well, the backs were awful .. no excuse.
However any Intl FH is expected to kick 70-80% of his kicks … if this had happened there would have been nothing between the two sides. .. Granted AB did not play well but why was that ? They will miss SBW, Kaino long term but Carter will struggle if there is no clean ball from fwds..
AB s are the no1 and bench mark, for now. If the Bok coaches can evolve their game we will force the AB play to respond which no tea likes … much like the Boks of 2009 did.
20 Sep 2012, 19:25 pm
Coenie is light weight………. he got scrummed so hard against England his neck was like a tortoise going into its shell………Mujati would be miles better
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