Meyer warms to Lambie
23 Oct 2012
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has confirmed Pat Lambie will be considered as a 10 option for the Boks’ end of year tour.
Meyer told Keo.co.za he had been impressed with Lambie’s performances for the Sharks in recent weeks and that the player gives him options at flyhalf and fullback.
Meyer initially saw Lambie more as a specialist fullback, but said that the player had worked hard at certain aspects of his game when with the Bok set-up and that he had translated that into performance in the Currie Cup.
‘I told Pat to work on his tactical kicking. He has really improved in that area and we will look at him as a 10 as well,’ said Meyer, who also confirmed he will assess the form of European-based South Africans playing in the Heineken and European Shield competitions.
‘We showed during the Rugby Championship that if we believe an overseas-based SA player would add value to the strength and depth of the national squad we would include him,’ said Meyer, in reference to the selections of Ruan Pienaar and Francois Louw, both of whom completed the competition as starting options.
‘The tour will provide a last opportunity in the year to assess form and value of players, with short and long term goals in mind. In 2013 I’d like to have the core of the squad settled as we work towards being successful in every Test and fine tune a squad capable of success at the World Cup in 2015.’
Meyer said injury to Andries Bekker was unfortunate and an emphasis would be on the depth at No 5 lock. He singled out the form of Eben Etzebeth and Flip van der Merwe and added that he would turn to an overseas-based SA option only if he believed there was not a player(s) of similar quality in South Africa in said positions.
‘If two players are of similar pedigree I will always first go with the guy in South Africa. The guy playing overseas has to be decidedly better to what is available at the time of selection.’
Meyer is meeting with the selectors of Thursday and confirmed much of the week has been spent working through footage of Heineken Cup games involving potential tour candidates.
‘The core of the Rugby Championship squad will travel if fit, but we are not going to look past a player who is overseas if his form is outstanding and we believe he would be an asset to the national squad.’
Veteran Springbok and former Bulls lock Bakkies Botha has been in good form for Toulon and he could be one of a select few South Africans abroad to make the squad.
Schalk Brits has been a standout performer for Saracens but his is not a name Meyer bandies about and injuries to South African-based props could see the Bok coach look north for tour replacements.
Louw (Bath) and Pienaar (Ulster) will make the squad again.
204 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 » Show All
23 Oct 2012, 16:49 pm
@grant10-98: Who are our other options at 12? The only real name that comes to mind is Tim Whitehead. It’s a serious worry. I reckon for the conditions in the NH Pienaar at 9 is a must with Lambie at 10, if we can get JdV back into 12 it will give some scope to give JdJ a chance which he deserves. With JPP and Habana both in great form we should have a really good backline available. I woud also give Taute a run at 15.
23 Oct 2012, 16:49 pm
@grant10-98: Well Hougaard got his run at 9 for the Bulls for the entire super rugby season. He would have struggled at the Stormers as well. He needs to work on some things and I will not even take him on tour.
He has a decision to make. If he wants to keep playing 9, he needs to get his kicking right and I think it is something he can get right on the practise field.
23 Oct 2012, 16:50 pm
Lmfao, suprised it doesn’t read: he are extremely fit and strong
23 Oct 2012, 16:50 pm
@Horings-91: @Skeppie-92: @i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-93: When you have a natural leader, and gifted fella like Arno Botha ready to claim the Bulls No 8 jersey as his own, you don’t need a guy like Spies blocking him.
Spies by all accounts is an all round ‘nice guy’, so hopefully he understands why Ludeke HAS to bench him
Although if Spies (as captain – mistake No 1) gets to start every game, it’s a bonus for the opposition. I’d be more than happy with Arno on the bench from a Stormer perspective…..From a Bok perspective, I want Botha starting at least 75% of the Bulls games, ready for the international season.
23 Oct 2012, 16:51 pm
@Dylan-100: Also a fair point……all in all we should be winning 80% of our games anyway with our pedigree, history and resources so fair enough
23 Oct 2012, 16:55 pm
@Dylan-100: A draw has never been a loss. In the history book it will show games played, games won, games lost, games drawn. I have read history books with those exact record. I am sure every log has those same records.
@Liewe Luiperd-99: Well if you understood it why did you reach the wrong conclusion, which is me thinking losing 3 out of 9 is quite good. It is not.
33% is less than 56% and the word ONLY is therefore appropriate to use without any reference to my thinking how good or bad it is.
23 Oct 2012, 16:56 pm
@gunther-96:
Nah, it was Nikita “poluting” their site.
23 Oct 2012, 16:57 pm
@Horings-106: you’re a bonehead. Nobody cares. It’s all about how many games are won. Dylan has pointed this out to you. The only reason why you hanker on about it is because you are trying to justify Meyer’s shoddy record, admit it!
23 Oct 2012, 17:01 pm
@Liewe Luiperd-108:
As a friend of mine would have said: “HM picked the Boks up out of the gutter and brought them down to his level”.
23 Oct 2012, 17:05 pm
@David-109: lol.
Even Straueli and Viljoen had better records than Meyer presently has! Eish.
23 Oct 2012, 17:11 pm
@Liewe Luiperd-108: When you compare stats to other coaches the number of games drawn must count somewhere? Or are you maybe the opposite than me. You are here to crucify Meyer. Well let us find a middle ground. You get 1 point for a draw and 2 points for a win. That gives Meyer a 55% success rate. Peter de Villiers had a 62% record in his first year, which declined to 55% in his last year (which includes wins against NAM, FIJI and SAMOA) .
Do you want me to draw you a graph to explain when a coach comes in high and goes out low?
23 Oct 2012, 17:16 pm
Is there any counter argument to me saying Peter de Villiers achieved a 55% record in his last year with the most experienced Springbok team to ever play the game and Meyer achieved the same record by playing the All Blacks in Dunedin with less experience in the forwards than either Matfield or Smit.
Surely the only conclusion is Meyer’s record in 2012 is better than Peter de Villiers’ record in 2011 and Meyer did not even play Fiji, Samoa and Namibia to boost his record.
23 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
@Liewe Luiperd-108: My apologies for all the stats. I know numbers are not the strong point for the average South African.
23 Oct 2012, 17:22 pm
@Big Hit-69: That’s 1 thing that’s suprised me abt HM.
Didn’t pick him as one whose soo eager to take credit for things. PdV always gave the credit away to his players, to a fault where it was to his detriment.
Like when HM stated that he had taken the Boks from 4th to 2nd, only to drop again a few hours earlier, with another blogger highlighting the French results in NH had us moved up before we even faced England.
Very strange from HM
23 Oct 2012, 17:23 pm
Honestly Heyneke! Lambie has 2 good Currie Cup games and suddenly you see an improved player who worked hard on his tactical kicking while with you in the Bok camp??? A player you kept benched the whole season??? So before the Bok camp started, not only was Lambie in your view a better 15 than a 10, he also did not have a good enough tactical boot to be considered as a starter in either the 10 or 15 position. Now after 2 currie cup games…he is good enough!???!
Now don’t get me wrong, I am really happy Lambie is being considered at 10 but not for the reasons HM advocates. Lambie was good enough 2 years ago. All I see is a man backpeddaling on everything he tried to justify before. He knows he screwed up with those initial Bok selections but still does not know how to apologies to us all for this massive mess up of a season (and his part in it). But wait…he may yet still not apologise. Don’t fool yourself into thinking he will suddenly play Lambie at 10 in the run on team. Until that run on team sheet is broadcasted we really can’t be sure of anything with this guy. I mean who suddenly believes in a player after 2 Currie Cup performances? Griquas and Bulls are not exactly setting the stage alight this year. With all that twisted reasoning from HM, still very happy to see Lambie as a Bok 10…but not happy about the lies from HM!
23 Oct 2012, 17:30 pm
So when the keo journalist asked Meyer. “Do you consider Lambie at 10″. Would all of you been happier with “No, he is only a fullback” or “Yes I will, he has worked on his tactical kicking and it showed in the rainy weather against the Bulls. I am happy with the progress he has made”
23 Oct 2012, 17:45 pm
@Horings-116: I’m actually happy that Heineken had the nerve, the bare faced cheek, to even suggest that he had anything to do with Lambie’s performance at flyhalf for the sharks. smile every time i think of it
23 Oct 2012, 17:45 pm
@Liewe Luiperd-108: @David-109:
Some of the thinking here is mind boggling…
This “championship side” that PdV inherited had a poor record just before “2007 RWC”, having taken a 3-1 beating in the 3N and somehow all of a sudden they became World beaters not having faced their 3N foes… mindboggling indeed.
23 Oct 2012, 17:49 pm
Heyneke is a box. He doesn’t deserve a player like Lambie.
23 Oct 2012, 17:52 pm
@Mr Black-119:
Morne Steyn has only been suspended for one match by SARU – he’ll be selected for the End of Year Tour, watch this space.
23 Oct 2012, 18:01 pm
Given Meyer’s obvious tactical style, some of his selections boggle me. Surely he would have wanted to utilize the massive boot of Frans Steyn in play by having him play full back. This would also allow JDV to play in his natural position. Opposition have always been weary of returning a kick with Frans lurking in the back, cos it always gets returned with interest. This could have been the ingredient that would bolster this game plan.
23 Oct 2012, 18:02 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-72:
Bwahahahaha…….but a real rocken rolla wants the ******* lot
23 Oct 2012, 18:04 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-121: I agree, but I suspect that if JDV was at 12 Meyer didn’t like the alternative options at 13.
23 Oct 2012, 18:04 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-121: The above is an example of horses for courses. Saying it was horses for courses starting Hougies at 9 then moving him to wing is just poor form.
23 Oct 2012, 18:04 pm
how do some folk swear here without being edited
23 Oct 2012, 18:06 pm
@Big Hit-123:
JDV’s skillset goes down by 80% when he plays @ 13
23 Oct 2012, 18:08 pm
@Rockn Rolla-126: not saying he is a 13 either but Meyer clearly isn’t keen on De Jongh there and Taute had a ‘mare defensively against NZ.
23 Oct 2012, 18:09 pm
This site will go crazy when Meyer selects Serfontein for the EOYT.
23 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
My god, saw that waitangi day pub crawl in london, never saw such ugly looking dames at once, it was like basset hound city !!!!!
23 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
@Big Hit-123: Meyer definitely does not fancy De Jong.
23 Oct 2012, 18:13 pm
@Big Hit-127:
Ave you seen Paul Jordaan play…….Youtube “Paul Jordaan Try Vs Red Semi Final”
23 Oct 2012, 18:14 pm
@Horings-128:
As long as he fires John Mc Farland
23 Oct 2012, 18:14 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-64: Well,he was piss-poor against the chiefs in the super rugby final.Don’t even start with the Sharkies favourite line that he just came back from an injury.They selected him because they believed that he could do something special…fact.He showed no bmt that day and I believe glorification from guys like you is not going to help him in the long run.Lay off the chap,let him be just a rugby player first and foremost without these superhero status attributed to him.
23 Oct 2012, 18:15 pm
@WP-Forever-120:
Nope, one week. It’s meaningless.
23 Oct 2012, 18:17 pm
@Rockn Rolla-125: don’t swear,mate,it’s not good for your health.We already lost Sharkslover when he started swearing like a sailor on here.
23 Oct 2012, 18:20 pm
@wnbb-133: lol, i was only far-king around with those statements, i even said he should be captain. Bakkies saw the funny side, choend Lambie ate Bruce Lee and sh@t out Chuck.
Truly, i’m skeptical when theres hype surrounding a player, like i am with the Goose. Lambie i personally feel should have been the immediate 2nd choice flyhalf while Steyn losing it. This has been my view all year long.
23 Oct 2012, 18:25 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-136: :
. understand,bud.no problem.
23 Oct 2012, 18:28 pm
Lambie is a Black Sheep. Morne is mutton dressed up as lamb
23 Oct 2012, 18:28 pm
@wnbb-135: Na man…….i use my profanity sparingly……did sharks lover get all touretts on the keyboard over Meyers Selection antics or what happened
23 Oct 2012, 18:32 pm
@David-134:
You know what…..Morne Steyn needs sabatical, he needs a rest and to go play rugga in the south of France or Japan for 6 months or something……..not so ???
23 Oct 2012, 18:39 pm
@Rockn Rolla-139:
. Ag,we all know that he is a very passionate Sharks fan and usually very protective about the team and certain players in particular.His latest flip was about Lambie and a certain lady on here calling out sharks fans as website polluters.
23 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm
@Rockn Rolla-140: Fully agree with you sentiments, I think the best bet would be Japan. FdP will be there to provide guidance and the calming influence.
23 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm
@Rockn Rolla-140:
Morne is just a journeyman who’s day has passed. He;s never had the ability to run a game at test level. It seems that HM though, believes that he can compensate for FdPs management of Morne through coaching. That’s just plain arrogance.
23 Oct 2012, 18:41 pm
Jdj and Paul Jordaan are the best 13′s this year. Both deserve to go on tour.
12′s? JDV of course, and who else? If Frankie is still injured then we could see a bolter in there. He’s already said that he won’t consider Japanese players for the tour, so who then?
23 Oct 2012, 18:43 pm
Lambie is the next big thing,thats what the Sharkies tried to tell you all…speaking of missing persons…where’s HG and RL?
23 Oct 2012, 18:43 pm
@wnbb-141: SL is in fact one of the main contributors RT, when they started off he was on here trying convince bloggers to join him over there.
23 Oct 2012, 18:48 pm
@David-143: Agree with you,mate.First Habana,now Lambie as well.In my opinion,of course,I believe that he is showing a total disrespect to the coaching staff of the Stormers and Sharks etc etc when he utters stuff like that in the media.If PdV had said that in his squeaky voice there would have been an outcry and ridicule of the poor man in the media and on fans rugby forums like this.
23 Oct 2012, 18:50 pm
@Horings-84: Hougaard’s performance against Sharks told a story of a player who started the year eager to prove he’s the best player in the world, to 1 whose soo low on confidence after being forced to play against his instincts and then told he’s not good enough.
Very poor man management!
23 Oct 2012, 18:51 pm
@Rage-145: Rl will be back in 2014.Hg has been locked up by his wife with only acess to toilet facilities.
23 Oct 2012, 18:54 pm
@wnbb-141:
At least you can spell the word.
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.