Heyneke to hail Heinke

Heyneke to hail Heinke

5 Nov 2012

Reports from Ireland suggest that Heinke van der Merwe is the probable latest European-based South African to be added to the Springbok touring squad.

Van der Merwe, when confirmed, will complete the 32-strong squad after Northampton’s tighthead Brian Mujati was declared ineligible because he is not a South African citizen. It is what kept Mujati out of the World Cup.

The Zimbabwean-born and raised prop was resident in South Africa when selected for the Boks. He played 10 Tests before he was ruled ineligible because he had not served the required residential period in South Africa.

Subsequent to his Bok non-selection his signed for Northampton and has not returned to South Africa.

Meyer in recent days acknowledged Mujati’s form and the hope he would be cleared to play. Instead he seems to have turned his attentions to selected former SA U21 and Lions prop Heinke van der Merwe, who has previously been capped for the Boks.

Van der Merwe is one of several South African props impressing in the European club scene. He plays for Leinster, Ireland’s premier province. Several of the Leinster squad will be part of Ireland’s match 22 on Saturday.

Meyer would not confirm the status of Bath-based open side flank Francois Louw but Bath director of rugby and former Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold confirmed Louw is still struggling with a neck injury. He is doubtful to play against Ireland.


39 Comments

  • 1.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 16:58 pm

    Raising old players from the dead dragon!

  • 2.Braders: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:09 pm

    Great selection! Just please play him at loosehead and not tighthead. Great back up for Beast!!

  • 3.bokfan1: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:10 pm

    Give him a bash, why not?
    Watch everyone call for him to be dropped afterwards.

  • 4.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:13 pm

    I thought we were looking for tighthead cover?

  • 5.Slider: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:16 pm

    Ryan has already contradicted you, Mark.

    His version is that Heinke is on standby as the next loosehead if an injury occurs. Currently Gurthro is an injury doubt.

    So, Player 32 still not announced yet.

  • 6.wp_boytjie: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:28 pm

    The selection of foreign players has been refreshing from Meyer. All our best players have had a year of Super 15 , Tri Nations and Currie Cup, the European-based players will be fresher.

  • 7.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:33 pm

    Maybe Heyneke is the second coming after all.

    He seems to be resurrecting his fair share of players from the dead (metaphorically speaking of course)…..

  • 8.willievz: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:46 pm

    How did Heyneke NOT know Mujati is ineligible? :shock:

  • 9.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:48 pm

    @willievz-8: I’m adding him to my idiot list, along with the guys who wear power balance bracelets.

    Oh and Livestrong ones too.

  • 10.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 17:56 pm

    @stormersboy-9: :lol:

  • 11.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:03 pm

    Why do we need a loosehead cover?

  • 12.CharlesM: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:08 pm

    @katman-4:Exactly! If Heinke joins the squad there will be 3 specialist looseheads + CJ that can play there as well. Even Jannie can play 1.
    I agree with Willie about Mujati: it has been reported more than once that he is not eligible to play for the Boks. Who told HM that he could pick him(BM)?
    We don’t have many options available though IMO

  • 13.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:08 pm

    @willievz-8: i BLAME SARU!

  • 14.grant10: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:08 pm

    Amateur hour…….really piss poor …

    So now they go for a loosehead as well…..

    Jannie Du Plessis the most valuable player in that squad….he goes down a minute into the game we better pray CJ has a rebirth of Lazurus proportions…

  • 15.CharlesM: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:10 pm

    @PissAnt-11: We don’t as I’ve mentioned above

  • 16.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:10 pm

    @grant10-14: “we better pray CJ has a rebirth of Lazarus proportions…” :mrgreen: bwahahaha

  • 17.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:12 pm

    And if you need a loosehead, call up JC ffs.

  • 18.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:13 pm

    @CharlesM-12: BJ Botha, WP Nel are both in the UK

  • 19.CharlesM: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:14 pm

    @grant10-14: Hi Grant, but at least we’ll have a full frontrow on the bench. I’ll go with Guthro and CJ on the bench.

  • 20.CharlesM: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:17 pm

    @Transformation-18: It seems that Botha isn’t rated anymore. IMO WP Nel is not really test material

  • 21.grant10: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:23 pm

    @CharlesM-19: Seems Guthro may be injured, hence the call to Heineke….leaves us very vulnerable on the tighthead side….maybe best they went to F Malherbe……he had a pretty decent final and has been around the squad….

    Pity about Mujati ……we really do need a destructive and effective 3 to stand in for Jannie…..

    It is an ongoing problem……

  • 22.grant10: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:25 pm

    Dont know whats gone wrong with CJ….been poor for a long while now….damn good back in the day.

  • 23.blik: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:34 pm

    SA lack tightheads. Not sure why Os always converts the prop factories produce into looseheads. Coenie was a TH, and converted to LH when he left school, same with Marcel vd Merwe, who lets hope he can make the step up in due course.

    IMO, this is the current stock in order of value.

    LH.
    1) Guthro Streenkamp**
    2) Beast
    3) Heinke**
    4) Kitshoff

    TH.
    1) Jannie Dup
    2) Coenie*
    3) CJ
    4) Pat Cillers
    5) Marcel vd Merwe
    6) Melherbe

    * currently injured
    ** overseas based

  • 24.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:46 pm

    @CharlesM-20: WP Nel who started alongside coenie is not Test match material BUT coenie has been played at tighthead in Tests?!

    what kind of logic is that? :-)

  • 25.daydreamer: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:46 pm

    Why no BJ Botha?

  • 26.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:49 pm

    @grant10-21: wp nel is better than malherbe!

    why not sommer pick brok harris then?

  • 27.Karma-zaf: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 18:49 pm

    Would still be my 22 to face Ireland…..

    15. Jaco Taute.
    14. J.P. Pietersen.
    13. Juan De Jongh.
    12. Jean De Villiers (c).
    11. Francois Hougaard.
    10. Patrick Lambie.
    9. Ruan Pienaar.
    8. Duane Vermuelen.
    7. Arno Botha.
    6. Francois Louw.
    5. Juandre Kruger.
    4. Bakkies Botha.
    3. C.J. Van Der Linde.
    2. Adriaan Strauss.
    1. Gurthro Steenkamp.

    16. Tendai Mtawarira.
    17. Schalk Brits.
    18. Pat Cilliers.
    19. Eben Etsebeth.
    20. Marcell Coetzee.
    21. Deon Fourie.
    22. Lionel Mapoe.
    23. Zane Kirchner.

  • 28.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:20 pm

    Brok to the rescueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

  • 29.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:22 pm

    @blik-23: Coenie has played how many games at TH?? and you rate him?

    Try again.

    At LH maybe, but he’s not proven himself anywhere near worthy of a TH spot.

  • 30.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:34 pm

    @stormersboy-29: ed zachery!

    i don’t know why people just gobble the coenie tighthead hype, he hasnt done ANYTHING in that position. the last time he played there for the Boks he was a penalty masjien!

  • 31.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:47 pm

    I though WP Nel had thrown in his lot with the Scots?

  • 32.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:48 pm

    Anyone but CJ.

  • 33.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:50 pm

    @stormersboy-28:

    Brok?

    The fly half debate is already confused as it is.

  • 34.willievz: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 19:58 pm

    For some reason, since our readmission, we’ve struggled to produce world-class tightheads.

    In contrast, we’ve been blessed with a conveyor belt produce of world-class looseheads.

    Why?

  • 35.willievz: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 20:02 pm

    Petrus du Plessis of Saracens should get a look-in.

  • 36.David: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 20:13 pm

    @willievz-34:
    Because good tight heads are some of the most sought after and highest paid players in rugby. That’s why most of ours are signed by European clubs at a young age.

  • 37.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Nov 2012, 20:24 pm

    @gunther-33: Well I just thought I’d throw the name of a WP player in……

  • 38.nkqo6: Reply to this comment
    6 Nov 2012, 11:08 am

    mujati ungayi kobabubhanxa , le nkwenkwe(heinke) no sykes bakunyela gqithi

  • 39.Angostura: Reply to this comment
    6 Nov 2012, 14:50 pm

    One cannot blame Mujati – there’s undue risk associated with “getting one’s papers in order” for RSA citizenship :-)

    http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2009/10/sigmatizing-name.html

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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