Lambie set for Bok start
5 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, writing from Dublin, says Pat Lambie ran at flyhalf for the bulk of Monday’s training session in a strong indicator that he will play ahead of Morne Steyn at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
Lambie impressed throughout the Super Rugby campaign in the position and was exceptional in Currie Cup semi-final at Kings Park, where his tactical game management and goal-kicking lead the Sharks to the final.
It had been a straight choice between Lambie and Steyn for head coach Heyneke Meyer, who remained hopeful that Steyn would regain his confidence after dropping him for the home leg of the Rugby Championship. He believes Steyn’s tactical kicking game is the best of his available flyhalves, but has acknowledged Lambie’s growth in this facet of play, most recently at Monday’s press conference which preceded training.
‘You can’t compare the Currie Cup and Tests but he showed great tactical awareness in winning the Currie Cup with the Sharks in 2010 as 19 or 20 year old. Suddenly I’ve seen some of that in him again and he is really improving and knocking on the door hard at the moment.’
Steyn is now unlikely to feature in the match 22 as Meyer doesn’t see him as an impact player, with Elton Jantjies expected to provide cover on the wood.
Lambie has an opportunity to stake a serious claim for the shirt and will be acutely aware of the importance of a strong performance at the weekend. Johan Goosen remains Meyer’s preferred pivot of those at his disposal, but with Meyer set to commit to a deputy for Goosen for the 2013 season and onwards towards the World Cup, Lambie has an inside lane.
‘I know Morne will get back to his best soon,’ Meyer said. ‘Dan Carter said to me a couple of years ago that he went through a difficult time and went to France and came back a better player, which gives me confidence about Morne [Meyer was intimating that a break will have done Steyn good]. But you also want to see who is the next guy after Goosen.’
Meyer lamented that nearly a year into his reign he was still deciding between flyhalves.
‘Because the three are young [Goosen, Lambie and Jantjies] the only way you’ll see whether they have it or not is by playing them. The difficulty is that if your flyhalf isn’t on song then you lose because he runs the whole game plan. I would have loved to have the opportunity earlier in my tenure to look at the 10s. But I didn’t have that luxury. We’re probably the only elite nation without an established 10,’ he said.
He did, however, express delight at the new-found depth in a position that has historically been troublesome.
‘I’m happy at what we have at present and then future looks good with Handre Pollard and others coming through,’ he said. ‘If you look at the last 10 years this is probably the best group of flyhalves we’ve had available. But how they respond in these conditions is key. They’re all good at running and distributing the ball, but with the World Cup being in England you’ll need guys who are tactically astute. They all have to work on that aspect of their games.’
Meanwhile, JP Pietersen is set to be reinstated on the wing after missing the Rugby Championship through injury. Francois Hougaard is likely to retain his place on the opposite flank.
Jean de Villiers and Francois Louw didn’t participate in the contact session but the former ran freely and is expected to overcome a hamstring strain to start. Louw has a neck injury that is being monitored. If he fails to respond to treatment he will be replaced at openside flank by Marcell Coetzee, with Arno Botha coming onto the bench.
Adriaan Strauss will keep his place at hooker ahead of Schalk Brits, who will be used as an impact player. Elsewhere in the front row, Gurthro Steenkamp was a notable absentee at training, the prop picking up an injury in Toulouse’s match this weekend. In the event of Steenkamp’s injury precluding him from joining the squad, Leinster’s Heinke van der Merwe will be called up.
Probable Springbok XV to face Ireland – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermuelen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Follow Ryan on Twitter
Follow SA Rugby magazine on Twitter
635 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
5 Nov 2012, 18:06 pm
Babyface Dragon.
5 Nov 2012, 18:13 pm
Even uf Lambie has a blinder, I feel that HM will start Steyn against the Pomms.
Watch!
5 Nov 2012, 18:15 pm
Yoh Yoh Yoh – good news!
5 Nov 2012, 18:16 pm
@BULLET-2: Ugh – I have the same bad feeling!
Its not fair – Janjtjies deserves a start (a few starts) and so does Lambie.
5 Nov 2012, 18:16 pm
best news in a long time…..thank the angels!!
5 Nov 2012, 18:22 pm
And now Lambie leap frogs Elton
Inconsistent Muppet Messiah
Poor players must be so disillusioned. Man management of a muppet
5 Nov 2012, 18:22 pm
Awesome news for the future of Bok rugby.
5 Nov 2012, 18:23 pm
Really hope Lambie can have a good game , sick of kicking flyhalfs that bring nothing to defense or attack.
5 Nov 2012, 18:28 pm
ABS
Anyone but Steyn
5 Nov 2012, 18:39 pm
@grant10-9: Agree
5 Nov 2012, 18:40 pm
So Jantjies just gets dropped?
Ya whatever, this is guy is an idiot. No guts at all.
“Lambie impressed throughout the Super Rugby campaign in the position”
Pfffffffffffff
5 Nov 2012, 18:45 pm
Awesome news- by far and away the best we have. Hope he has a blinder… then mix it up between him and Goosen once the other young gun is up and running. Jantjes not there yet (he is also pants when it comes to D) and as everyone has said, MS bottom of the pile right now.
5 Nov 2012, 18:53 pm
Well one thing is clear – Goosen is his first choice.
5 Nov 2012, 19:00 pm
Great…. But…. Not sure I get this chumps logic…
This shouldn’t be an issue of either/or concerning Lambie and Jantjies. Both should be on the field @ da same damn time imo. They played together at junior level for a couple of years at 15 and 10 respectively and were a class far above any other junior bok at the time. Compare that to the Goosen/Taute combo just last year then you wonder why an english speaking surfer boy and a darkie(close enough) have to shift hillbillies to get some recognition.
I mean, didn’t Megalomania Meyer watch the WC last year..? Lambie did nothing wrong at fb, any other boy at that level would have been found wanting.
And we all know how often 10 and 15 regulrly interchange during play…just watch how often Issie Dagg is at 1st receiver and Carter drops back.
This A-Hole clearly has favorites, screw his lil predisposed prejudice!
5 Nov 2012, 19:25 pm
I still feel for JDJ he should be starting at 13 with JDV at 12 and possibly Mvovo at 11.
5 Nov 2012, 19:33 pm
@race of tan-15: Agreed. No reason to pick Taute above him.
5 Nov 2012, 19:36 pm
this punk is a racist how much further they wanna try pretend otherwise
Taute to 13 says it all… I hope Ireland stuff his blue little racist eyes out.
Every which way and the punk still tries to play his prejudicial gamesmanship around his preferred favorites who fit his racist agenda.. its enough to make one sick.. only way the message gets through is let him keep losing.. and so he will as long as he thinks he can continue with his supremacist ideological play acting around his racist inspired team selections.
Go Ireland stuff this punk through his racist blinded eyesight
5 Nov 2012, 19:43 pm
I notice he mentions Pollard by name, another of his purchases for the Bulls. So far his new Bulls acquisitions have bombed: JJ, Pottie, Sadie, which doesn’t say much for his talent recognition so far. Even though they were all regulars for their provinces in the CC.
5 Nov 2012, 19:57 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1xjDFNqh38
5 Nov 2012, 20:06 pm
Actually it is that simple…applying any other logic to this steeupids blatant scheming is like trying to explain why I got caught jerking off to my pet hamster. Obviously it means I’d fck a hamster doesn’t it?
What position did Megalomania Meyer play at school? Right Wing???
5 Nov 2012, 20:07 pm
Actually it is that simple…applying any other logic to this steeupids blatant scheming is like trying to explain why I got caught jerking off to my pet hamster. Obviously it means I’d fck a hamster doesn’t it?
What position did Megalomania Meyer play at school? Extreme Right Wing???
5 Nov 2012, 20:23 pm
Meyers claims about all the other elite nations having established 10s is an exaggeration . England, Australia and to a certain extent France have all struggled to settle on a preferred starting 10.
5 Nov 2012, 20:40 pm
Pat Lambie’s Sharks won the CC in 2010 because of Pat’s ability to distribute and attack the advantage line, not because of his tactical kicking.
I wonder if Meyer would have selected Henry Honiball.
5 Nov 2012, 20:47 pm
@David-22:
All part of his conniving scheme to continually select MSteyn and claim a settled team means consistency.
5 Nov 2012, 21:19 pm
@David-22: David am interested to know how or why you have a Canadian structural engineering and project management firm attached to your ID link.. looks like a go ahead company how are you associated? Don’t expect you to respond fully here just maybe a slight hint and I try follow up elsewhere.
5 Nov 2012, 21:21 pm
Come guys, really shouldn’t be surprised with this selection, Meyer didn’t suddenly un-doos himself over night. If Steyn had a slightly above average currie cup, Lambie would be shinning wood right along side De Jong and other first choice players.
5 Nov 2012, 21:24 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-26: this twat is thicker than a few planks strapped together.. and all these years I been hearing what a bloody rugby genius this moegoe is
where have all his glory hallelujah singers disappeared to? I don’t see not a single one hanging around and putting voice to the chorus for some time already.. where have they gone?
5 Nov 2012, 21:31 pm
I am sickened by the way Meyer has now passed over Elton Jantjies in a similar way to the treatment of Keegan Daniel… However, at least Keegan got the “horses for courses” excuse… Elton hasn’t even been afforded an explanation…
Its a pity on of my favourite players has taken Elton’s place because I would otherwise be literally torn between wishing some schadenfreude on Meyer’s Boks and wishing to win after singing the National Anthem with gusto…
On another note, if that team shown truly is the prospective team for the Test and if JdV is injured, then another selectorial fckup is on the way wrt the center pairing… Taute does not cut it on the outside especially on defence… JdJ may be made the scapegoat should he even be Taute’s partner in midfield… De Jong should be a shoe in but we can never be sure with the way Heyneke flipflops…
If JdV is injured – there is no reason for Meyer not to go with JdJ at 12 and JP at 13… I would farken pay good money to see that combo… How the fark him and his yes men cant see this option is beyond me…
A fairly decent backline against the Irish would be
15 Zane (APlon/Ludik could be here though)
14 Taute/Hougaard
13 JPP
12 JdJ
11. Mvovo
10. Lambie
9. Pienaar
5 Nov 2012, 21:34 pm
@fishdish-20: WTF!? Is that a common South Africa phrase or one of your own?
5 Nov 2012, 21:41 pm
@Heavens Game-28: Ironic considering that SARU recently had its “Transformation Summit” and Meyer could have picked a “Transformed” or Black/Bruin backline on as much merit as a backline based on his supremacist “tactical” principles such as:
15 Zane
14 Aplon
13 JPP
12 JdJ
11 Mvovo
10 Jantjies
9. Pienaar
I would also pay good money to see the above team…
5 Nov 2012, 21:49 pm
@skopdiekan-25:
I’m rather confused. Which ID link are you referring to?
5 Nov 2012, 21:49 pm
@gonzo-29:
It is what it is…don’t tell me you never thought about letting your pet schnauzer get that itch you don’t wanna scratch?
5 Nov 2012, 21:52 pm
Most skilled Boks’ halfback combo since Naas/Garth Wright or Naas/Divan
5 Nov 2012, 21:54 pm
@Bagel-11:
He was left out to concentrate on his Stormers’ relegation task next year!
5 Nov 2012, 21:57 pm
@Heavens Game-30: this punk is a white is Right supremacist through and through I’m surprised the right honorable Mr Fikile Mbalula isn’t all over him like a blood boiling rabid rash.. sieg heil boermag operatives allowed free reign to wave the vierkleur in broad light disdain while singing nkosi sikelele and biting their stiff witsie blitsie upper lip in refrain.
5 Nov 2012, 22:00 pm
@David-31: Ens Canada Inc comes up if you click on your ID link .. dunno how you got associated with that, but that is what is attached to your ID link here.
5 Nov 2012, 22:01 pm
HM on Juan de Jongh:
“He has improved tremedously. However, without being disparaging, you have to look at who he played against in the currie cup. We have, in the past, made the mistake of calling up players based purely on currie cup form and they disappear – never to be heard from again”.
“Juan has already proved himself at superrugby level and was on the bench in the last two tests. He’s making great progress and we are a bit thin at centre. I don’t look at just one currie cup game, I look at how he has progressed throughout the year”.
“What makes him a good option is that he plays with Jean De Villiers and is a good defender, which we’ll need in those conditions”.
5 Nov 2012, 22:04 pm
@skopdiekan-35: If we stop and think – Meyer could actually have had a 90% Black backline playing for the Boks on Sat and most honest supporters would have batted less of an eyelid than the codswallop he could end up selecting such as:
15 Zane
14. Mvovo
13. Taute
12 JdV
11. Hougaard
10 Steyn
9 Pienaar
I know which backline I prefer out of the one in this post and the one from post 30… And not due to lily liberal pretensions of black or brown grandeur either… The darker hued one is actually clearly superior to me…
5 Nov 2012, 22:05 pm
@skopdiekan-36:
I’ve no idea.
Anyway, I’m off to bed, been up since 3.30am.
5 Nov 2012, 22:09 pm
@mxhosa-37: condescending little witsie blitsie piece of boermag vrot face vrekgat drek.. hope Ireland and England put an end to this immeasurable garbage this punk is spewing through his clenched boer moer teeth.
so now Taute is the defensive masterstroke the last white dictatorial piece of insane misery has instated as his 4th Reich master plan at No.13.
There is no end to the sheer goddamn pits of the situation till they eradicate this trash right out of the remains of the entrenched filthy trash can.
5 Nov 2012, 22:11 pm
@David-39: so long.. get some rest
5 Nov 2012, 22:14 pm
@Heavens Game-38: it makes me sick to my f’ng stomach when I see this garbage ensuing and nothing is done to put this prejudicial piece of trash out his prejudicial fckup misery…
only thing gonna fix this punk is he keeps on losing.. and if he continue like he is I gonna be at the front of the queue singing for his demise.
5 Nov 2012, 22:22 pm
@skopdiekan-35: Its hard to tell if Meyer is a racist or just a plain 530d, maybe he is both. But Its becoming increasingly difficult to believe that his selections don’t reflect a reluctance in selecting Souties and Blacks.
5 Nov 2012, 22:26 pm
@mxhosa-37: f.uck heyneke meyer on this one…why is juan de jongh a “currie cup” player when he’s played and scored internationally?
and this oke will pick WO who hasnt done squat in 40 Tests…f.cuk him.
5 Nov 2012, 22:27 pm
Kolisi took the might of the Bloubul masjien apart solo in their own fortress.. same as De Jongh took the might of the Sharks midfield and defensive line apart solo while putting in some spectacular saving tackles on their strike runners in their own guppietank.. and neither are good enough for the heilige vrotface’s boermoer witzieblitsie team…
while his own love children Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies, Jaqcues Potgieter, Wynand Olivier, and Jaco Taute, and even some his magic ‘finds’ like Marcel Coetsee have PALED into the f’ng arse end of any kind of credibility in any kind of comparison.. yet this racist blind bigot got witsblitz garbage blindfolds covering his witsblitz eyesight..
He better get fck’d up on this tour to fix his bigoted blind sight one time out its bigoted laager.
5 Nov 2012, 22:34 pm
Meyer is a walking contradiction wrapped up in excuses,why can’t he come out and say he farkedup. He played Morne outta form….he didn’t have the guts to throw in Jantjies against the Poms, big mistake….he fell back on a recovering Goosen who should have been brought in to the Bok fold in a more measured fashion…..now hes looking at Lambie who imo should have been given a go against the Aussies in Perth after Morne played poorly in Argie land…all of a sudden he comes out and says;
“We’re probably the only elite nation without an established 10″
When he could have at least one established 10 in Lambie….a good back up in Janjties. A rested Morne ready to prove himself when given the chance and a trump card up his sleeve in Goosen
5 Nov 2012, 22:34 pm
@skopdiekan-42:
We need an overhaul.., a mutiny of sorts. And not the subtle type if you know what I mean. This government wasn’t handed over by asking politely.
That’s the language this supremacist megalomaniac will understand.
Ok maybe let’s not go that far yet, but change is going to come!
5 Nov 2012, 22:38 pm
de jongh doesnt have to PROVE s.hit if taute can just walk into the run-on side without proving sweet fanny fokkol to anyone ANYWHERE!
http://showme.co.za/files/2011/01/Juan-De-Jongh.jpg
Taute upon signing for the Stormers said “i consider myself a fullback, thats is the position i played at high school, i only played centre because on injury crisis at the Lions”
now he is a starter for meyer…
5 Nov 2012, 22:40 pm
HM on Raymond Rhule:
“I always said I won’t throw players into the wolves”.
“I have eased certian players in. I have never worked with Raymond Rhule – before I throw a player in [at the deep] – I first want to see him train with the squad. He will have an opportunity to train with team, but I won’t throw a guy if he’s not ready”.
“It is more a question of taking him along and getting him used to the game plan”.
“He is a guy who can be there at the world cup”.
5 Nov 2012, 22:41 pm
@fishdish-47: makes me sick to my stomach watching this f’ng racist supremacist get away with bullshitting his way through his camouflaged supremacist agenda laden prejudiced selection patterns.. either the government going to have to step in or the opposition must step it up and fck him up where it hurts worst.. on the rugby field… that is where I hope the lesson comes to him like a f’ng thundercloud out of hell…
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.