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, 17:17 pm
@grant10-141:
Agreed.
I think the Burger, Louw, Vermeulen loose trio is unbelievable and exceptionally well-balanced.
With Kolisi on the bench, I reckon that may well be the best loose forward options out of all the S15 teams – I’m talking SA, Aus and NZ.
28 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
@puff-151:
Okay, maybe I’m biased
28 Oct 2012, 17:21 pm
@puff-152:
Slightly?
28 Oct 2012, 17:22 pm
@phil72-153:
just a leeeetle.
28 Oct 2012, 17:24 pm
Sharks have good balance and options in their loosies too.
Kanko will be back for S15, right?
28 Oct 2012, 17:33 pm
Next year:
Bismark
Coenie
Bekker
Brussow
Burger
Kolisi
Juan Smith
Frans Steyn
Habana
Basson
Fit again.
And
Steenkamp
Botha
Rossouw
Kanko
Du Preez
Available for the Boks.
Let’s hope.
Lekker!
28 Oct 2012, 17:33 pm
Not too many complaints about the squad.
Question mark over the selection of Schalk Brits though. Meyer just the other day said that he would only select an overseas based player if there was not one of similar quality available in SA. I believe we have more than just two playing here in SA.
Questions wrt the run on team:
I see that Rapport is speculating that JPP may partner JdV at center. If that is true, it would be a travesty. Still the bigger is always better kak, it looks like.
Ruhle is a LEFT wing. Mvovo is a LEFT wing. Hougaard is the incumbent LEFT wing. Why so many of them? There’s only place for one of them in the team.
Only JPP is an experienced RIGHT wing while Mapoe played there in the past but has been playing outside center mostly this season.
28 Oct 2012, 17:36 pm
@puff-155: The will be missing Bissie for the 1st few games of the S15 I think? Which leaves them very short of a deck player – as was evident yesterday……
They will have to get their loosie balance spot on, or else they might be in some bother.
28 Oct 2012, 17:38 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-158:
Agreed.
Plus Sharks have no depth at prop beyond Beast and the Doc, despite all the talk about how much youngsters like Chadwick and Herbst have grown this year.
28 Oct 2012, 17:40 pm
I ventured the opinion that Sharks would be suspect against the deck play of D Fourie and Vermeulen…..and had the suspect lineout.
great when a plan comes together
28 Oct 2012, 17:42 pm
ill always support the boks, but as long as hm is the coach ill have no hopes of big results. Hougaard? CJ Van der Linde? Morné Steyn? Zane Kirchner? Flip Van der Merwe?
28 Oct 2012, 17:42 pm
Highveld Lions are falling apart.
Looks like the occasion has got too big for them.
28 Oct 2012, 17:42 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-158:
The teams will be going for them now that they know a “nearly under 21″ WP team can beat them+ Pyper at the Tank.
They are in trouble if you ask me- might not even sneak into the top six again.
28 Oct 2012, 17:43 pm
Sharks would do well to lure the likes of Heinke Van Der Merwe and Eugene Van Staden back from overseas.
28 Oct 2012, 17:50 pm
5 wings for a three match tour makes no sense.
Ruhle and Mvovo only going along to hold the tackle bags.
Oh yes, Jano Vermaak? On what grounds?
28 Oct 2012, 17:56 pm
Imo its time to drop Hougaard…
He’s loss form at 9 and after the currie cup he probably doesnt even rank as one of the top 9s and he’s not a specialist winger…
Mvovo (and Rhule) can do the job much better and he is a player(s) of colour, why the hell arent they getting opportunities? Hougaard blew it at 9 and doesnt deserve a starting spot, especially not at wing. Dont even get me started on MS getting a spot in the match 22 ahead of Jantjies and Lambie for that matter! -Now that Taute is also competing for the number 2 spot at 15.
At the very least make Hougaard a super sub as a wing replacement, he played his best rugby for the boks as an impact player at wing…
JdJ and JDV to be the centers. For heavens sake Taute is a specialist 15!
28 Oct 2012, 17:56 pm
Now that I looked at the squad again, I see that it is made up like this:
Bulls: 8 players
Sharks: 7 players
Lions: 6 players
WP: 4 players
Cheetahs: 2 players
Overseas: 4 players
Does this even make sense?
28 Oct 2012, 17:58 pm
@nama1-165:
On what grounds do Hougaard deserve his starting spat at wing? He could be a utility back on the bench, to cover 9 and wing… But seriously he doesnt deserve a starting spot ahead of specialist wingers!
28 Oct 2012, 17:59 pm
@Jeez-166:
I reckon this is what we shall see from Meyer:
9) Pienaar
10) Lambie
11) Hougaard (would have been Habana)
12) De Villiers
13) De Jongh (although I won’t be surprised if we see Taute line up here)
14) Pieterson
15) Kirchner
bench backs:
20) Morne Steyn
21) Lionel Mapoe (would have been Hougaard if Habana was fit)
22) Jaco Taute (unless Meyer starts him at 13 – then this spot will go to De Jongh)
28 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
This coach and the selectors are freakin jokes.
Time for Ian Mac and Jooste to step down. Get new people in with fresh ideas.
28 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
@Jeez-166:
You suggesting we drop Hougaard, probably the best natural talented back line player we have seen in SA over the past few years…. and replace him with the likes of? Would probably be better to choose him at a position and stick with it?
28 Oct 2012, 18:04 pm
@nama1-167:
No doubt that Heyneke has powder blue eyes.
If Schalk, Bekker and Kolisi were all fit, the make-up would’ve looked very different.
And I do feel sorry for guys like Deon and Aplon. Deon, in particular, has had a huge season.
28 Oct 2012, 18:06 pm
@puff-169:
I dont know why JdJ is in the squad. HM is wasting that kid’s time. It doesnt seem like HM rates him … How Taute leapfrogged him i dont know… At this point the amount of combinations and selections makes it truly difficult.. But at center it should be simple. They play together at WP and he is a specialist center… He deserves a chance… And after Jantjies started against the ABs he should be on the bench ahead of MS… Lambie to start.. Unless HM starts with MS!!!
28 Oct 2012, 18:07 pm
@nama1-167: We have a S15 to win next year
The fewer players we have touring, the better! He doesn’t get to fuckthemup gangnam style. I wish we had ZERO representatives 
(only said half sarcastically…)
Sadly, he has: Vermeulen, Etsebeth, de Jongh and Jean Div to screw around with….added to that our NEW players, Taute, Cilliers and Jantjies…..
Too many players of ours are travelling north…..
28 Oct 2012, 18:07 pm
@nama1-157: I don’t even know why we are surprised to hear HM wants JPP in the midfield.
While its not the worst move as I feel JPP’s renewal@the Sharks was due to his stint@13 I just feel like WHAT must a player like JdJ still do to prove he is the best option@13?
Its soo short sighted from HM as he’ll play anyone ,including Taute and Engelbrecht, ahead of JdJ. That must be the ultimate window dressing exercise and should perhaps discard him as he has Daniels.
28 Oct 2012, 18:08 pm
@nama1-157: I’m happy with the inclusion of Rhule, but what other right eing options do we genuinely have?
Ndungane?
28 Oct 2012, 18:09 pm
@papaown-176:
Mapoe has played quite a bit on the right wing.
28 Oct 2012, 18:10 pm
Why do people accept so readily that Lambie must be selected ahead of Jantjies? This, after Jantjies sat on the bench against England when Morne started. He sat on the bench in the RC when Goosen started. Now he must sit on the bench again only for Lambie to start? Bullshit!!!
Give the boy the chance to prove himself.
Best possible back line from this squad would be:
15. Kirchner (The best Bok player this season with Etzebeth and Habana)
14. JPP
13. De Jongh
12. De Villiers
11. Ruhle
10. Jantjies
9. Pienaar (Only because of his experience in Europe)
Reserves:
Hougaard
Lambie
Mapoe
28 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
@Jeez-173:
Absolutely agree.
I would have:
10) Lambie
12) JDV
13) JDJ
15) Kirchner (for now)
with Jantjies and Taute on the bench.
28 Oct 2012, 18:12 pm
@Luiz VRC-161: Oi! Flip had his best game against the All Blacks in NZ, and that performance away from him demands he not be bracketed in the same sentence as those other players!
Respect good performances in a Bok jumper please and leave provincialism out of this!
28 Oct 2012, 18:13 pm
@phil72-171:
I dont know what rugby youve been watching…imo H is a shadow of the player he once was… He’s been awful at 9 and he’s nothing special at wing… So yes drop him, why not? He needs to regain the form he showed as an impact player during the world cup before he deserves selection. Mvovo, Rhule (now there is some talent we havent seen in a while, apart from Goosen) deserve a starting spot ahead of H. Even a player like Jordaan is much better suited to fill the postion as utility back! I would not want Hougaard to be the backup 9. He cant even get his box kicks away without being charged down!
28 Oct 2012, 18:14 pm
@nama1-178:
I hughly doubt that Ruhle will leapfrog Hougaard or Mvovo (or Mapoe for that matter) to claim a starting wing berth.
Not right now anyway.
Lambie deserves a crack at 10 to show Meyer what he is made of.
If he performs well, I would say that Morne Steyn’s test days would have to be numbered with Goosen, Lambie and Jantjies all there.
28 Oct 2012, 18:16 pm
@Jeez-168:
I’ve been preaching that viewpoint the whole season. He is best suited as an impact player.
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-174:
That’s one way of looking at it.
Yeah, the S15 trophy is the holy grail.
28 Oct 2012, 18:17 pm
@nama1-178:
And Kirchner the best Bok player this season with Etzebeth and Habana?
Are you smoking your socks?
I rate Kirchner far more than most of the bloggers on here and the general public.
I believe he is solid but certainly not spectacular.
He is not going to win you a game like Israel Dagg or Kurtley Beale.
He is simply holding the 15 spot at the moment until Taute proves himself, IMO.
But the best Bok this year???
Better than Francois Louw?
Better than Jannie Du Plessis?
Better than Marcell Coetzee?
Come now…
28 Oct 2012, 18:18 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-174:
And early December, the Stormers if not all Super rugby franchises begin their pre-season conditioning. But Vermeulen, Etzebeth and even JDV have had injury enforced lay-offs during the season and are hungry for rugby.
28 Oct 2012, 18:20 pm
@Jeez-181:
People still remember the try he scored in the S14 final in 2010 and will forever select him because of that one moment of magic.
Stupid really.
He should be dropped and send to his province to rediscover his mojo. He’s lost it totally.
28 Oct 2012, 18:22 pm
@I am a stormer-185:
JDV – injury enforced layoff?
Aside from the last two weeks, the guy has played a hell of a lot of rugby this year.
He is committed and a trooper, but sheeeeeeeez he must be exhausted.
Feel for him though.
Had to watch the Boks win RWC 2007 and WP win Currie Cup 2012 from the sidelines.
Feel for Schalk too.
How he would have loved to have been part of Saturday’s success on the field.
Oh well, WP will just have to win it again next year!
28 Oct 2012, 18:22 pm
@puff-182:
“Lambie deserves a crack at 10 to show Meyer what he is made of.”
Don’t you think that Jantjies also “deserves” a crack?
28 Oct 2012, 18:25 pm
@172 Phil72
So do you believe in playing players into form@International level?
Talking about starting Hougaard becuase of his talent and potential, that’s Nonsense man. Players know when they’re not playing well and when they continually get selected to start it doesn’t help them but adds more pressure on!
There’s nothing wrong with playing him off the bench or dropping him completely to sort out his mental space. Since when did being a Bok represent a free ride!
What happened to every game could be your last game do give it your all??
28 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
@177 Puff
Mapoe is as much a right wing as Taute is a centre.
Sure they can do the job but that’s not where they’re best utilised…
28 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
So peeps.. Deal with this! Spies will be the next SA Captain!. Hougaard will play SH with Goosen playing 10…. all the speculation about pienaar, Bambie, Jantjies,
Vermeulen…. This will remain speculation! The plan is in place!
28 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
@puff-187:
Jean’s injuries always happen at the worst possible time. You have to feel sorry for the guy.
@nama1-188:
People forget that Jantjies played most of the test at Soccer City. He is therefore the incumbent Bok FH and deserves another crack. Kirchner will start so Lambie will be on the bench yet again.
While Morne Steyn will be sitting in the stands. Which is not a bad thing.
28 Oct 2012, 18:29 pm
@puff-184:
What FB in SA can win you a game like Beale or Dagg?
Kirchner had a solid season with the Boks when a lot of the other players were not putting their hands up.
The reason I did not mention Flo was because he only played in the last 4 tests. One as reserve.
OK, let’s add Jannie as well. That’s three Boks out of the nearly 40 that Meyer used.
Still means that Kirchner had a good international season with the Boks.
28 Oct 2012, 18:29 pm
@178 Nama1
I’m Jantjies biggest fan, but I know the South African public and they will crucify him if he doesn’t perform like Dan Cara!
Newer players into international level I feel should start off the bench. Lambie has been there longer and should start the 1st game.
The 2nd game they could swap them around.
Actually, who do we play in the 1st game? I know England is the last game…
28 Oct 2012, 18:32 pm
@Big Hit-142: I left Botha out for several reasons:
Forstly he isn’t the future. He’s still playing well but not amazingly so, and we need to start looking forward. Flip did fine against the Kiwis and Aussies and if he can do ok against them then the NH teams won’t show him up. Kruger too. Well see.
It’s time to move on from bakkies. That’s my opinion.
28 Oct 2012, 18:33 pm
@I am a stormer-192:
Exactly.
The ignorance is just astounding.
28 Oct 2012, 18:34 pm
@papaown-194:
Ireland
Scotland
England
28 Oct 2012, 18:35 pm
@phil72-191: Thank you for confirming you have 0 rugby insight with those bold predictions.
No reason to respond to any of your “comments” anymore. Let’s move on
28 Oct 2012, 18:38 pm
@papaown-198:
Can tell the so called experts that with 100% confidence…wait you will see.. it has been decided!
28 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm
@stormersboy-195: personally not really sure SA can afford to leave players of that quality out, but fair enough you’ve given your reasons
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