Goosen’s time comes
26 Sep 2012
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has selected Johan Goosen at flyhalf for the Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.
Keo.co.za reported yesterday that Goosen would start but Meyer surprised by completely omitting Steyn from his 22, selecting the uncapped Elton Janjties as pivot cover.
Asked about his decision to leave Steyn out, Meyer said: ‘This was very difficult, but I looked at what the team needed first and then at the impact on the individual. At Loftus, where he has played well, it is a big call. But he accepted it graciously. I feel it is in his best interest that he doesn’t play. He’ll fight back.’
Meyer said he had contemplated including Steyn’s on the bench but was dissuaded from this course of action because of the potential to expose an already under pressure player. ‘It isn’t going to help him to bring him on with 20 minutes and he ends up having to kick the game-winning or game-losing goal. I either back him 100% or not. That’s the decision I had to take,’ Meyer said.
Meyer also dispelled the perception that Goosen’s natural attacking instinct would be reigned in to come in line with a game plan that is widely perceived as conservative. He explained that a sharp assessment of the state of the defensive line was key in determining what action to take.
‘There’s a misconception that Goosen must fit into a rigid structure. He has the freedom to play the situation as he sees it,’ he said. ‘But this is not Currie Cup rugby where you have space and time. I’ve said to him to go out and express himself, that’s why I picked him. He must determine when it is on to go wide or take the safer option.’
He added: ‘People have to be realistic though, you can’t expect a 20-year-old to win the game on his own.’
Elsewhere Frans Steyn (who’s struggling with an ankle injury) is bracketed with Jaco Taute in the midfield. The Lions youngster will make his debut in the No 13 jersey if Frans Steyn fails to recover, with skipper Jean de Villiers taking over at inside centre.
‘I want two experienced guys on either side of Johan. Jaco was very good at 13 in Super Rugby,’ Meyer said in explaining this move.
The medical staff were highly optimistic about Steyn’s availability on Tuesday evening but he rolled the same ankle in Wednesday’s training session. A call on his availability will be made after the captain’s practice on Friday afternoon.
In other changes Andries Bekker and Eben Etzebeth unseat Juandre Kruger and Flip van der Merwe in the second row. ‘There is great competition at lock now,’ Meyer said. ‘Flip played his best Test ever against the All Blacks and Juandre was very good as well.
‘It was a horses for courses change there. Australia are very good at lineout time and we want to exert pressure on them there. I feel that Eben, Andries and Duane is a good combination to achieve that, as well as a little more mobile which is crucial as Australia will play expansively. Also Andries is a little more experienced and in 50-50 calls like this I always go with the more experienced guy.
Probed on why Taute had leapfrogged Juan de Jongh in the pecking order, Meyer said: ‘Jaco would have been in the squad earlier had he not been injured. He is 106kg and runs the 100m in 10.7. So I looked at the way Australia defend and thought we could exploit that [better with Taute]. I can’t elaborate on that because we’re talking game plan then. It’s a tough call on Juan.’
Coenie Oosthuizen comes onto the bench after a neck injury in the only other change to the bench.
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn/Jaco Taute, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermuelen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Marcel Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Jaco Taute/Juan de Jongh, 22 Pat Lambie.
By Ryan Vrede, in Johannesburg
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582 Comments
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26 Sep 2012, 15:32 pm
@Jeraldjay-290: Dunno if we’d walk it but we could definitely become a real force again. All depends on how these guys are nurtured and developed.
I’m a bit worried about Meyer’s player management, he’s pretty erratic with his decisions on dropping or retaining players.
26 Sep 2012, 15:34 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-289: Bakkies, what is better in the long term for Bok rugby?
Living in the past and being too sh y te scared to make ANY changes for fear of losing – YET STILL LOSING….
OR
Living for the future, making a few changes, being brave and taking a fuckingchance on actually winning, in a manner which would bode well for the future?
Is a loss with Morne Steyn at 10 somehow BETTER and more admirable than a loss with ANYONE else at 10?
26 Sep 2012, 15:34 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-298: I’d love to see Hougie and Goosen developing into a combination
26 Sep 2012, 15:35 pm
@Atreides-287:
@stormer in a teacup-291:
i had resigned myself to expecting the boks to win their home test against the anzacs, as being non negotiable.
well, negotiations are firmly back on the table now. and i dont think we are bargaining strongly.
@Jeraldjay-296:
my obsession is with the boks doing well.
and we’ve just taken a step backwards i fear.
26 Sep 2012, 15:35 pm
@viewer-275: Did he at least buy you a drink?
26 Sep 2012, 15:35 pm
I owe these guys a lot
Thank you guys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9khCXkWaJA
26 Sep 2012, 15:35 pm
@nama1-292: My thoughts exactly! You can’t realy blame the 15 if he is off covering space somewhere else, but it was the 2nd time in as many weeks he got beaten like that though. Out of position, beaten on his inside. There must be something wrong with the plan itself then. Why was no one covering midfield if Kirchner was on the wing somewhere? Higgenbotham was more or less the same
26 Sep 2012, 15:37 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-304: You are turning into the Grant10 of the north. Pull yourself towards yourself.
26 Sep 2012, 15:37 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-302:
we should build and win at the same time. its simple.
i am sick and tired of the jake white instituted judge me at the world cup kak that we have accepted for the boks.
this, in a nutshell is really what you are saying isn’t it, only you dont know it.
26 Sep 2012, 15:38 pm
@Atreides-301:
This is the teething phase were his sussing out what works and what doesn’t.
By next year their should be consistency in selection.
But their have been a few unnecessary selections like, Wynand Olivier, Dean Greyling and Jacques Potgieter that could have been avoided.
26 Sep 2012, 15:38 pm
@Atreides-303: That would be super! Hougaard needs to sort out one or two issues though but if they click I can see them carrying on for many a year to come. One thing that does bother me is our depth at 9 if you exclude overseas based players who will most probably be over the hill come WC time.
26 Sep 2012, 15:38 pm
Decent side with 2 exceptions:
1. Sideshow Bob – with a bit of luck he’ll slip and twist an ankle running out of the tunnel!
2. Ruan Pienaar – if I see this fvckwit kick one more ball back into the ruck while standing there with that dom, vacant look on his face I’ll sh1.t myself!!!
26 Sep 2012, 15:39 pm
@Katman-284:
That may be true Katman, but as long as HM is the coach, he will remain third choice. That’s just how it is.
26 Sep 2012, 15:39 pm
@UptheGuts-279:
YES!!!
@UptheGuts-288:
He was standing in the back line not realizing that there was no FH on his inside. Remember, that play took place right after Goosen came on for Morne.
Why you sub players when you are on the defensive in your 22, is beyond me. Let the players on the field deal with that situation first and bring on the subs when the pressure is released.
WP did the same on Saturday (subbing the two props 5m from the goal line). The end result was a penalty try for “Kwas.
26 Sep 2012, 15:40 pm
@shark4life-312: Speak to Justshat. He’s been there already.
26 Sep 2012, 15:41 pm
@Jeraldjay-310: Common my man surely it is not only bulls players responsible for the slump? Did someone in Pretoria park a snot in your milkshake?
26 Sep 2012, 15:41 pm
Think Bakkies is having all of you on. No way can it be real anyone bemoaning Steyn’s ommision.
26 Sep 2012, 15:41 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-304:
How can you say that by selecting ” the Sachin Tendulker of rugby” we taking a step backwards.
The worst thing that could’ve happened on Saturday is Morne missing his first kick and Loftus turning against him. That would be tragic.
26 Sep 2012, 15:42 pm
@Jeraldjay-290:
Hold them horses boet.
It’s not as if the other nations don’t have youngasters coming through.
NZ has been grooming Cruden for two years now. We are only starting with Goosen now. By 2015, Cruden will be way more experience that Goosen with possibly as much talent.
26 Sep 2012, 15:42 pm
The guys from Keo TV team looks like they have just had chisa nyama
And keo has the mokaba to back it up
26 Sep 2012, 15:44 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-316:
Sorry Kwagga. Hardly realised it was all Bulls players.
So it’s good I didn’t mention Spies and Kirchner.
26 Sep 2012, 15:46 pm
@stormer in a teacup-315: Ha-ha! What a farking nic!!!
26 Sep 2012, 15:46 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-311: Yea bud, I still think Sarel pretorius was a big loss…if they could lure him back he’d be great cover for Hougaard or Pienaar
26 Sep 2012, 15:47 pm
@nama1-319:
Cause Goosen is more talented than Cruden, Nama.
But time will tell.
26 Sep 2012, 15:48 pm
@nama1-319:
youngasters = youngsters.
Fern will not mind.
26 Sep 2012, 15:48 pm
@Atreides-323: And Van Zyl looks promising
26 Sep 2012, 15:50 pm
@stormer in a teacup-299: the Aussies trying to direct play would drastically increase our chances. Meaning they would go for the percentage play most of the time. It’s the Cooper-like something-out-of-nothing play that worries me.
26 Sep 2012, 15:51 pm
@Jeraldjay-321: O bliksem ja…hehehe
@Atreides-323: Huge. Still remember watching the Super 14 final 2007 with him and Riaan Viljoen. Down to earth good boytjies.
26 Sep 2012, 15:51 pm
@Jeraldjay-324:
Time will tell.
NZ players always beat us in the area where it matters most….the top three inches.
@Atreides-323:
He is back.
Playing for the Cheetahs again next year, I think.
26 Sep 2012, 15:52 pm
@RL-268: hahahaha just an example
We all love all the players and if they perform then no problem. Even when they dont perform, fans support them to find form again (eg Habana).
When there are better options
or young players who deserve a chance (when the incumbent is not performing – Morne, or is a known quantity – Spies)
Or, in this case, the tournament is a write-off, then changes must be made!
26 Sep 2012, 15:52 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-316: Nope. Andries Bekker was kak in Argentina. Ruan Pienaar was SUPER kak (and I don’t think he is our answer at 9 at all) in Dunedin. Jean Div has done fukkall and also needs to be retired.
Jannie du Plessis and Beast were kak in Perth, as was Mvovo.
Eben was kak in Argentina, and caused kak in Perth.
Frans Steyn has been absent….
Alberts has also gone walkabout at times.
Duane was missing on debut.
Marcell Coetzee looked burnt out and confused about what his primary role was at times.
etc
etc
etc
etc
26 Sep 2012, 15:53 pm
@UptheGuts-327: And remember how the Aussie commentators bemoaned the chipkick that Barnes seem to overdo? More of the same tyvm…
26 Sep 2012, 15:58 pm
@Jeraldjay-324:
That beauden barrett guy from the hurricanes looks pretty useful too.
26 Sep 2012, 16:01 pm
@nama1-329: I believe so. I read somewhere that the aussie coaches had a problem with his passing skills…wonder if this is being addressed? Seems like a common problem, didn’t Rathbone also get sent to the juniors to brush up on his passing when he went to Oz?
26 Sep 2012, 16:02 pm
Taute to fullback if F.Steyn is fit please
26 Sep 2012, 16:03 pm
Taute to fullback if Frans Steyn is fit please
26 Sep 2012, 16:03 pm
So now JG is selected at flyhalf. What good is that going to be if the same kick chase game plan is employed?
26 Sep 2012, 16:06 pm
Once JPP and Chilliboy are injuiry free, Heyneke will have a few more options. He can then replace Zane with a whitey.
26 Sep 2012, 16:08 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-331:
Agreing mostly..
26 Sep 2012, 16:08 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar-339:
“agreeing”
26 Sep 2012, 16:09 pm
Meyer said: ‘Jaco would have been in the squad earlier had he not been injured. He is 106kg and runs the 100m in 10.7. So I looked at the way Australia defend and thought we could exploit that [better with Taute]. I can’t elaborate on that because we’re talking game plan then. It’s a tough call on Juan.’
What does he mean? Taute is big and strong just like Div so why wasn’t Jean (Taute’s direct replacement) brought in the game to exploit this ‘way Aus defend’ in Perth? Hap ok ma lekke babbels… I don’t think there was/is a gameplan to be honest. Or not to exploit defenses. Try and run over them yes!
26 Sep 2012, 16:10 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-60: Both players being treated like cra p.
26 Sep 2012, 16:15 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-63: Well said Kwagga.I still have issues on man management-ie.Lambie_
I dont believe that HM succumbs to views raised on this site.Generally
a very good team which deserves our full suppor t.
26 Sep 2012, 16:17 pm
@ies-337: Guess that is a possibility if they’re still going to try and run the game from scrumhalf. No other scrumhalf we tried since, can do it like FdP. Best to give Goosen the ball and let him decide what to do. Chances are we’ll run the ball more. There was a noticeable difference in the way we played when Goosen came off the bench. We still kicked high but never overdid it imo
26 Sep 2012, 16:17 pm
@AssassinWP-336: I second that – and if JDV gets tired then Taute to centre and Lambie on for the last 5min.
26 Sep 2012, 16:19 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-81: Bakkies
You sound so weary..
26 Sep 2012, 16:21 pm
@Atreides-334:
YUeah…Rathbone was withdrwa from rugby for a full year while they were teaching him some basic skills.
This was a year after he led the Jong Bokkies to become world champs. Says a hell of a lot about our coaching wrt skills at a junior level.
@AssassinWP-336:
Too late for that man. Kirchner will play at full back this Saturday.
Best make peace with it and try to judge him OBJECTIVELY on Saturday.
@DumbSupporter-338:
At the start of the season Kirchner, Habana, JPP and Beast were in the Bok team against England and some on here said that the “magic number is “4″.” Now we’ve been playing with only thee POC’s for the last few tests without any problem.
Why, in your mind, does HM have to wait for Chilli or JPP to be ready before he can drop Zane? Maybe he just rates Zane.
26 Sep 2012, 16:22 pm
So Juan De Jong makes his debut against the biggest inside center in world rugby, Jamie Roberts, sores a brilliant inside center try ( Robbie Fleck style against the AB’s ), yet an untried player like JJ Engelbrecht is picked ahead of him, then another untried center in Jaco Taute is ahead of him?.
Lambie is also chowing bench behind a redundant, imagine-less Kirchner, now Jaco Tute is also ahead of him, WTF???. The inconsistency coming out of Heyneke Meyer’s mouth is p*ssing me off. He says whatever comes first in his month just like PDV used to, but calmer or with less animation, but sh*t is still the same just packaged nicely ( White Afrikaner)
26 Sep 2012, 16:22 pm
As good as this team is, there’s room for more improvement.
SA is covered in the following positions: locks, hookers (if you consider returning injured players), loose forwards (one, or two players can still add value), fly-halfs for the first time ever, outside backs (one, or two players can still add value).
Where we do lack is tight head prop, midfield options, half-back (not yet satisfactory) and full back.
The lucky guys still there;
5. Andries Bekker - Juandre shaded him all of 2012. Bekker however commands at least the back-up role, until he reaches the heights of 2009, 2010.
13. J. De Villiers - Juan De Jongh to hold fort, until the young turks pitches up, Jordaan, Serfontein, etc.
15. Niknaks - solid, without being spectacular. FB being a primary source of attack for all leading sides around the world, any of Aplon, Taute and JJ should get the nod before Sideshow and Lambie.
** If an expectation could be made for Flo, how ‘bout getting the likes of BJ Botha, Guthro Steenkamp and Brian Mujati involved? We’re still lacking at scrum-time…
26 Sep 2012, 16:23 pm
@RL-96: I Thought that it was the
females domain to b e bitchy.
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