Habana out as Boks pick Brits
28 Oct 2012
Bryan Habana will miss the Springboks’ European tour but the selectors were bold in their selection of dynamic hooker Schalk Brits.
Habana has been in impressive form of late and his absence, as a result of a knee injury sustained in Saturday’s Currie Cup final, is a hammer blow. His unavailability opens the door for young Cheetahs winger Raymond Rhule, 19, who announced himself as a fine prospect with a series of strong performances in their domestic campaign.
Brits has consistently been among the best hookers in Europe since his move to London-based Saracens, but his claims have consistently been overlooked by the national selectors over the last three seasons. He has, however, made the cut as one of three hookers. With Adriaan Strauss expected to start, Brits will battle Chiliboy Ralepelle for the bench spot.
There is also a spot for Toulouse prop Gurthro Steenkamp, who had a strong first season for the French giants. He comes into the squad as loosehead cover in light of an injury to Coenie Oosthuizen.
Wing JP Pietersen returns to the squad after missing the Rugby Championship through injury and is one of five options in the position. Uncapped players Jano Vermaak, Franco van der Merwe, Lionel Mapoe and Arno Botha also make the cut.
The Springboks have an extensive injury list which has compromised the strength of the squad. Those who would have been considered but are sidelined are: Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Tiaan Liebenberg, Andries Bekker, Siya Kolisi, Jacques Potgieter, Pierre Spies, Johan Goosen, Frans Steyn and Habana. Furthermore, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brüssow are still out injured.
‘We’ve got a settled core of players that did the job during the England series and the Rugby Championship and we decided to stick with them,’ said Meyer.
‘Obviously losing so many players to injury, the latest being Coenie, Tiaan, Andries, Jacques and Bryan during the Currie Cup, makes it difficult, but this now provides opportunities for other players.
‘Gurthrö and Schalk are experienced front rankers who have played for South Africa before and know the conditions in the northern hemisphere. This tour provides a good opportunity to assess them as we plan ahead. Arno, Lionel, Franco and Jano have all been part of our squad earlier in the season.
‘Raymond put up his hand for the Baby Boks and the Cheetahs and I’m very excited to see what he can do. It’s also great to have JP and Chiliboy back from injury as they bring a lot of experience to the squad.’
Meyer’s team face Ireland on 10 November, Scotland on 17 November and England on 24 November, and the coach predicted a testing tour.
‘Although the Springboks won on their last visit to Dublin [in 2010], they lost three in a row before that,’ he said. ‘In 2010, we lost to Scotland in Edinburgh. They beat the Wallabies in Australia earlier in the year, so it won’t be easy there.
‘And in June we’ve experienced first-hand how difficult and opponent England are. They will be fired up at Twickenham and it will be a challenging Test to end the tour with.
‘Our aim is to end the season on a positive note. We set ourselves high standards and we want to improve with every Test, but we have a team that is still gaining valuable experience as we strive to constantly be amongst the top sides in the world. We know we’re not there yet, but we’ve laid a foundation in the first nine Tests this year and we will build on that.
‘The World Cup in 2015 also takes place in England, so we will use this tour to see how our players adapt to the conditions as we look ahead to that very important tournament.’
Springbok squad – Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Schalk Brits, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (c), Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Zane Kirchner, Juandré Kruger, Pat Lambie, Francois Louw, Lionel Mapoe, Beast Mtawarira, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Raymond Rhule, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, Jaco Taute, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Franco van der Merwe, Jano Vermaak, Duane Vermeulen.
317 Comments
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28 Oct 2012, 16:24 pm
Will be interesting to see if Rhule has the complete skillset. ie. Good under high ball, can kick well, good tackle technique… He might still be a bit raw
28 Oct 2012, 16:24 pm
@CharlesM-81: Yes, but Eben caused all sorts of damage at 4, I say leave him there. Get another 5 lock rather.
28 Oct 2012, 16:27 pm
@stormersboy-102: This will be an important tour for Eben. The tight 5s in NH take their tight stuff very seriously. He will have his hands full and should come away with excellent experience.
28 Oct 2012, 16:28 pm
@CharlesM-97: Hi Charles….I read now they are goingto add 1 more player….taking squad to 32….I would add Deon….not sure why player 32 not selected as yet.
28 Oct 2012, 16:28 pm
We haven’t seen Fourie as a 2 for a long time, so everyone clamoring for his inclusion ahead of Brits have lost the plot!
Its like selecting Hougaard@11 for Boks when he hasn’t performed there for quite sometime and it shows in his defensive lapses and his attacking positioning as a wing.
Fourie has been good but can’t crack nod ahead of the rest of the pack unfortunately
28 Oct 2012, 16:30 pm
Boks will put out a good 22…..
Just need to leave M Steyn in the stands….
28 Oct 2012, 16:32 pm
@stormersboy-102: I know, but read what I’ve said about the opposition. He caused damage because of Burden. But he will be 21 tomorrow and he can develop at 4 over time. The problem is with Bekker out there are no real contenders for the 5 jumper. Juandre Kruger completely lost the plot against the Bulls. Who would you suggest at 5 ?
28 Oct 2012, 16:33 pm
@stormersboy-102:
Our problem is 5… at 4 we have Bakkies, Flip, Possibly Alberts etc…. The boy is tall and athletic and only 20…. He will be the best 5 lock in the world given the opportunity …..
28 Oct 2012, 16:33 pm
If they pick Deon they must pick him at 6 or not at all, he is a good hooker but not Springbok material.
As a specialist 6 however he has shown himself to be the best one playing in SA at the moment, i.e. fit and not playing overseas.
On that basis he did deserve a tour call up.
You need someone to cover for FLo. None of the other guys do that effectively.
28 Oct 2012, 16:34 pm
@stormersboy-109:
Brits will cover flo….
28 Oct 2012, 16:35 pm
In reality HM picking Daniels over Arno would’ve been the biggest window dressing exercise.
Under HM the following players should forget about being in a Bok squad,let alone playing for the Boks: Daniels, Aplon, Brussouw, Peter Grant…
28 Oct 2012, 16:36 pm
What everyone´s forgetting is that Meyer has gotten off to a really kakstart to his Bok coaching career. If he had been at 90% winning ratio right now we probably would´ve seen a more exciting experimental or developmental squad tour the Eilandjies.
The selections smack of a coach under pressure to NOT LOSE the tour games (sort of what the Sharks tried to do yesterday). The strategy with this group is clearly to “build” on the mindset already in place. Picking players too far outside that dogma just wouldn´t work in the short term, which is what the thinking obviously is.
I liked Meyer´s vision of winning every game, as opposed to the usual “judge me at the world cup” rubbish, but there has to be a balance. The problem in SA rugby is that the form players mostly seem to lose out either way.
28 Oct 2012, 16:37 pm
Is there a team that Heyneke doesn’t think is hugely challenging for the Boks? His first season a dismal failure and he’s already talking about the 2015 RWC. Entire Bok coaching team is a joke.
28 Oct 2012, 16:38 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-113:
Dont worry to much!!!!! Spies will be back soon………
28 Oct 2012, 16:40 pm
@CharlesM-107: @phil72-108: I hear what you guys are saying, believe me, but starting to move him around for the sake of the team may damage his long term development for short term gain.
I would go for another specialist 5. Juandre has played in the NH and i agree that he wasn’t great at the end but I wouldn’t throw him away just yet, and we have Van Zyl there too. I would have considered Juandre Marais who could work out nicely in the future.
Yes we have Bakkies and Flip but really, Eben for me must be left to develop himself at 4. In (fairly short) time he could be the best in the world.
I had a chat to him a few seasons ago, and I asked him specifically whether he sees himself as a 4 or a 5 and he was quite adamant that he saw himself as a 4, so i say let him stay there.
That’s my viewpoint, my opinion.
28 Oct 2012, 16:40 pm
@Lions_Soutie-99: why can’t we start Alberts off the bench, he does look to be tiring towards this latter part of the year.
My loose trio to start:
6 Cotzee
7 Louw
8 Vermeluen
With Alberts coming off the bench. Besides he and Vermeulen are similar players. Not to say that must be the starting loose trio for all games, come an sundry, but take a play out of Plum’s book and apply your mind in sqaud selections, DAMMIT
28 Oct 2012, 16:42 pm
Going to be damn interesting next year when / if all the injured players become available.
28 Oct 2012, 16:42 pm
@papaown-116: You certainly wouldn’t play Alberts for 80 minutes these days. He makes a big impact for a short time it’s true.
28 Oct 2012, 16:43 pm
@Lions_Soutie-101: Rhule has immense talent but is quite raw, and if HM has learnt anything from International rugby, hopefully its the fact that such players should start off the bench, @least for their 1st 4/5 games.
Then the bright lights doesn’t affect their game!
One really can create greats and a good culture if that is done as a standard, same for Jantjies, Goosen and Taute.
28 Oct 2012, 16:43 pm
lol nother bad squad by HM. I can count the amount tries by Mapoe in the last few years on one hand, Taute was ordinary in his 2 tests, Kirchner plain ka’k, Mvovo unimpressive this year for Boks, Arno Botha a Bulls bench warmer, Vermaak not good enough but a Bull, CJ unable to hold a starting place at WP or Lions, Chilli both just clumsy and over-rated.
What about Bjorn Basson, Aplon, Craig Burden who has had a great season and was in the Bok Squad recently, Anton Bresler impressive all year, Willie le Roux fantastic all year & creates tries out of nothing, Robert Ebersohn a proper 13, Sarel Pretorius or Reinach for 9.
I could go watch the Boks in Edinburgh vs Scotland again and quite cheaply, but will rather not subject myself to the embarrassment like the last 2 times and it will probably be even worse with HM in charge.
28 Oct 2012, 16:43 pm
@grant10-117: Yes how would your Stormers starting loose trio look?
Assume that you have the following to choose from:
Burger
Vermeulen
Kolisi
Fourie
Elstadt
Rhodes
Carr
Give me your 6, 7 and 8.
28 Oct 2012, 16:43 pm
@stormersboy-118:
Alberts future lies in replacing Bakkies after 30min…. like Danie use to….
28 Oct 2012, 16:44 pm
@stormersboy-115: I think you are right!He should be given time to develop at 4. If Bekker gets back (at least it is not his back keeping him out of EOYT) the 2 of them should be a great combination. I’ve just been thinking in terms of what is best for the team….but we know what that did to Pienaar, Lambie, Frans Steyn etc in the past. So I guess you are right.
I just wish Province could get someone to replace De Kock Steenkamp !!
28 Oct 2012, 16:46 pm
@daydreamer-120: Robert Ebersohn’s talent is definitley not being rewarded !!
I’m out again – enjoy the rest of the day fellow rugby lovers !!
28 Oct 2012, 16:47 pm
@stormersboy-115: We really are quick as Saffa’s to want to throw players out.
Juandre was deputy for Bekker and did a solid job, bar 1 or 2 area’s and I wouldn’t fret with him starting as our number 5.
Once again our sheer number of players in our base makes us too willing to discard players and try someone new. We put them on a peddle stool only to break them down when they don’t produce a M.O.M performance every game.
B.S man
28 Oct 2012, 16:48 pm
Adriaan Strauss is rubbish
28 Oct 2012, 16:48 pm
Alberts and Vermeulen will be great in the NH conditions….with Flo wedont have to stand back for any 1 of the 3 teams we play
28 Oct 2012, 16:49 pm
@CharlesM-123: Amen brother I’m with you on the Steenkamp issue, we have always agreed on that. Did you see the ball that Marais stole from him? Right out of his hands. Made me mad.
I mentioned to SharksLover that the Van Zyl move to the Sharks has slipped under the radar in the midst of all the Taute and Jantjies hype but he could be a great asset to any team. I rate the guy, have for a few seasons now. I’d start him behind Bekker and give him an opportunity personally. See how he goes. He’s a classic 5 lock, has great hands, physical enough, ticks all the boxes for me. Can’t see any weaknesses, but you never know until you test him at international level.
28 Oct 2012, 16:52 pm
My starting team:
15 Kirchner
14 JPP
13 JdJ
12JdV
11 Mvovo
10 Lambie
9 Pienaar
8 Vermeulen
7 Flouw
6 Coetzee
5 J Kruger
4 Eben
3 Jannie dp
2 Strauss
1 Beast
Subs: Guthro, Chilli, Flip, Alberts, Hougaard, Jantjies, Taute
that’s for the 1st game and more experimentation can take place off the bench as we advance, but MS and Hougaard mustn’t start in their current fragile state, caused by HM’s player mismanagement
28 Oct 2012, 16:53 pm
@papaown-125:
Will always have him in the squad.. but not good enough to start!
28 Oct 2012, 16:53 pm
@papaown-129:
Mvovo is rubbish!!!! have you watched him play lately?
28 Oct 2012, 16:54 pm
If it’s a case of Mapoe vs Jordaan, I would have gone with Paul Jordaan.
28 Oct 2012, 16:55 pm
@stormersboy-118: fully agree, that doesn’t take away from him being a massive talent and player we absolutely need.
What would your team look like?
28 Oct 2012, 16:55 pm
For me I would have had Aplon in before Mvovo. I’d play Mapoe before Mvovo too.
28 Oct 2012, 16:58 pm
@stormersboy-121: Hi Stormers boy
I would always look at the out and out fetcher type at 6….so D Fourie would crack the nod for me….
7 I would go with Kolisi
8 vermeulen.
Superrugby all about rotation …..
If Deon Fourie at 2 then Kolisi at 6
Schalk 7
Vermeulen 8
But i think AC will prefer
6 Kolisi
7 Schalk
8 duanne….
Elstaht should be back at 4 with Etsebeth….
Rhodes provides good cover for 4 and 7 as well….
Great to have the depth….
28 Oct 2012, 16:59 pm
@W.P-126: @phil72-131: Both of you kindly justify your statements and don’t just spew unqualified commentary
28 Oct 2012, 17:01 pm
@stormersboy-121:
Burger, Kolisi, Vermeulen
Fourie and Elstadt on the bench.
Fantastic impact players and versatile – bench roles will suit them.
Rhodes similar to Elstadt, but I reckon Elstadt is better.
Ntubeni also looks promising as does Carr.
Steenkamp is solid but not spectacular.
28 Oct 2012, 17:01 pm
@puff-137: is Burger definitely returning?
28 Oct 2012, 17:03 pm
@papaown-136:
What more than rubbish do you want… The luckiest player to regain his position in the squad… HM must of had a brain freeze when habana got injured!
28 Oct 2012, 17:04 pm
@papaown-133: True. To be honest if I were to pick a 15 it would look like this:
1. Beast
2. Strauss
3. Jannie
4. Eben
5. Juandre
6. Flo
7. Alberts
8. Vermeulen
9. Pienaar
10. Elton
11. Aplon
12. Jean Div
13. JDJ
14. JPP
15. Lambie.
16. Pat
17. Coetzee
18. Van Zyl
19. Britz
20. Hougaard
21. Rhule
22. Kirschner
Id go for a 3/3 split because one of the chief reasons for picking a guy like Rhule would be to see him tested for a short period of time, to see if he has what it takes.
I wouldn’t pick Flip in all the games automatically, i”d like to see what Van Zyl can do, I think he has what it takes but we won’t know for sure if we don’t try him. I don’t want to be blooding him against NZ or Aus and I am concerned about Bekker’s long term playing prospects and so would like to have 2 alternate 5s with test experience to call on next year if we need to.
i would also bring in a guy like Mapoe on the bench for a game (we have 3 tests and I would like to see all the squad get some game time) as well as flip later.
Bakkies, i wouldn’t bother with anymore, between Flip and Eben we are covered at 4 and i’d only consider Bakkies if there is an injury.
28 Oct 2012, 17:07 pm
Would be brilliant if Stormers could do a deal for F Louw……perhaps with Koster going to Bath a deal may be in the offing?
28 Oct 2012, 17:08 pm
@stormersboy-140: You might change your mind regarding Bakkies if you had watched him play this year. Toulon won 60-0 at the weekend and he has been their best player this season.
Flip Van der Merwe is a poor imitation of Botha and your Etzebeth-Kruger combo is underpowered.
To be honest, the SA pack could be frightening if the likes of Steenkamp, Botha, Beast, Etzebeth, Bismarck, Alberts, Burger, Elstadt, Vermuelen etc were all playing in the same side. Probably a good thing for the rest of us that they aren’t!
28 Oct 2012, 17:09 pm
The only reason Eben started playing at 4 is because Quinn Roux was injured pre the start of the S15 I think. Eben at 5 and Quinn at 4 for the WP babies last year (until Eben got injured) was a combo made in locking heaven IMHO.
A lock pairing that would eventually smash all comers, if kept together……
Yes, I still hope that Quinn Roux returns to WP, plays 4 to Eben’s 5 – with Rhynhardt Elstadt doing the Danie Rossouw thing…….
Ok, probably just a dream.
28 Oct 2012, 17:12 pm
How can rhule make this team? He was killed vs wp and also had a shocker vs the kings… He was very banggat after 2 big hits….nabove willie le roux? Quota gemors
28 Oct 2012, 17:12 pm
@Big Hit-138: 2nd Game of the S15 next year if all goes to plan. Will he be the same? Will he even want to be the same? Who knows.
Then again, his year off rugby (if his previous long term layoffs have been anything to go by) will probably see him return guns blazing……Where to play him though?
Stormer coaches sh y te about to get real come selection.
28 Oct 2012, 17:13 pm
@Big Hit-138:
The talk is he will play in next year’s S15.
Saw him at the gym the other day.
He was pumping the knee on a stationary bike for up to two hours.
Looked focused.
28 Oct 2012, 17:13 pm
The only gripe i have with the squad, is how and why do you choose Mvovo over Aplon???????????????????????
28 Oct 2012, 17:14 pm
If Stormers get F Louw and Quinn Roux back I may be tempted to say it would be a squad almost as good as the Sharks!
28 Oct 2012, 17:16 pm
Ok, now for the customary selection rant:
Morne Steyn must be a ‘Reach for a Dream’ kid or something? Becausefuckknows how else he gets to travel with the Boks……
There are none so blind as wannabe Messiahs who can’t determine miracle from wishful thinking.
28 Oct 2012, 17:16 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-143:
No, I think you are right.
This is more than likely the way it will be sometime in the near future.
Also rate Roux highly.
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