Lambie gets his break
7 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Dublin, reports Pat Lambie will start at flyhalf against Ireland, while Morne Steyn is still in the mix.
Lambie emerged as a strong competitor for the flyhalf berth with an impressive Super Rugby campaign and commanding performances in the Currie Cup. Initially seen primarily as a fullback, Lambie now has a chance to advance his cause to play in his preferred position at pivot.
With Heyneke Meyer committed to settling on a deputy for Johan Goosen for the 2013 season onward, Lambie will know he has been handed the inside lane in that race.
Steyn comes onto the bench in what can only be ascribed to Meyer’s fears around Lambie’s tactical aptitude. Steyn was dropped from the match 22 for the home leg of the Rugby Championship, with Meyer saying he didn’t have the attributes to warrant his retention as an impact player.
However, Meyer has made consistent references to Steyn’s tactical prowess, and was forthright in his reasons for picking Steyn ahead of Elton Jantjies.
‘I don’t believe in a pecking order so I won’t say Elton was second behind Johan Goosen [from the Soweto Test]. I believe in horses for courses,’ Meyer said.
‘I just felt I didn’t want to be in a position like we were in Soweto when Goosen went off injured in the first 10 minutes and then have to replace him with a youngster who is inexperienced. Morne has 40-odd Tests and has played on the year-end tour before, so he is an insurance policy. Elton will get his chance at the right time. As far as Pat goes, I want to see what he can do. He has really impressed me recently and his goal-kicking has been superb in difficult conditions, he is in the zone, which is what ultimately got him the start.’
Elsewhere Jean de Villiers and Francois Louw have overcome injuries to start, but this is not the case for Gurthro Steenkamp, who picked up a knock playing for Toulouse at the weekend.
Hooker Schalk Brits is involved in the match 22 for the first time in four years, edging out Chiliboy Ralepelle. ‘Chili has been injured a lot this year. Scrummaging is so important here and Schalk Brits has been in superb form. Chili will never let you down, but you want an impact from the bench and with most of the games being won in the last 10 minutes, we’ve really lacked someone who can come on and make the difference. Schalk is just a better impact player,’ Meyer said.
The bench has a dynamic look about it with the industrious and abrasive Flip van der Merwe and Marcell Coetzee included, while Juan de Jongh and Lwazi Mvovo have the aptitude to exploit the space that will open up in the final quarter.
The forecast is for cold but clear conditions at kick-off on Saturday. Ireland announce their team on Thursday and are expected to name skipper Paul O’Connell and experienced prop Cian Healy in their run-on side.
Springboks – 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.
16 Schalk Brits, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Morne Steyn, 22 Juan de Jongh, 23 Lwazi Mvovo
569 Comments
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8 Nov 2012, 01:01 am
So Hurri, whats your take on Chris Ratue’s collumn re the Scots?
8 Nov 2012, 01:05 am
@Hurricane-547: Can’t you arrange a job interview for ‘whatever’ with the Mongrel Mob?
8 Nov 2012, 01:12 am
@wnbb-552:
Prefer the ***** Angels. I have a dop with them most Sat’s at the Pohoi Pub
8 Nov 2012, 01:13 am
Sorry Puhoi…….
8 Nov 2012, 01:15 am
@wnbb-552:
Tell me dude, you a 69, 68 or a 67? ie do you bend, cause judging by your comments you do alot of that
8 Nov 2012, 01:29 am
@wnbb-552:
lol
Would be nice
8 Nov 2012, 01:45 am
@Hurricane-556:
hehehe, but it won’t happen cause you keeping a wide berth due to owing then too much money hey?
8 Nov 2012, 01:58 am
@whatever-557:
lol
They owe me
8 Nov 2012, 02:47 am
@whatever-553:
You party with the Angels….Whatever? Had a few family in with them, an uncle in 61 when they were formed, hes passed on and a cousin who was patchedup in the seventies and eighties….. . Its interesting that the Auckland H.A were the first chapter formed outside California in fact I think they were the sixth charter.
8 Nov 2012, 04:25 am
@willievz-367: just so you know…..Mvovo is bigger than Hougaard
8 Nov 2012, 06:26 am
@j59-560: Bigger?
8 Nov 2012, 06:52 am
Ag kak why can’t we ever have a decent coach in charge of the Boks. Heyneke is an idiot. Go back to the Bulls with your neanderthal approach. I expect big things from Taute, he is a special player. Why play him in a position he doesn’t specialise in – you’re setting him up for failure. This is even more frustrating when you consider we have Kirchner at fullback. We haven’t had had a coach persist with such a kak player since Straeuli’s fascination with Jorrie Muller. Heyneke please get rid of Kirchner at fullback, put Taute there, give JDJ a deserved run in the 13 jersey and put Mvovo on the wing. Hougaard to come on as an impact player. Give Morne a one way ticket back to SA and hand in your resignation. Thank you.
8 Nov 2012, 09:23 am
@skopdiekan-473: get stuffed.
8 Nov 2012, 09:52 am
I’d have selected this team with the available players.
1. Beast
2. Brits
3. JDP
4. Alberts
5. Etsebeth
6. Deon Fourie
7. Louw
8. Vermeulen
9. Hougaard
10. Lambie
11. Habana
12. JDJ
13. JP
14. Rhule
15. Taute
8 Nov 2012, 10:00 am
Those that deserve and those who suck HM’s coock
15 Zane Kirchner – Sucker of HMs testies
14 JP Pietersenv – Deserving
13 Jaco Taute – Deserving, but Zane sucks best.
12 Jean de Villiers – Captain sucker
11 Francois Hougaard – Deserving
10 Pat Lambie – Deserving
9 Ruan Pienaar – Deserving, but may not kick
8 Duane Vermuelen – Deserving
7 Willem Alberts – Deserving but out of position
6 Francois Louw – So deserving
5 Juandre Kruger – Useless, even as a nut sucker
4 Eben Etzebeth – Deserving
3 Jannie du Plessis – Has become deserving
2 Adriaan Strauss – Likes to suck HM’s left ball.
1 Beast Mtawarira – Deserving
16 Schalk Brits – Deserving, but should start
17 CJ van der Linde – Likes to cup HM’s balls
18 Pat Cilliers – Undecided
19 Flip van der Merwe – HM’s ball findler
20 Marcell Coetzee – Not done anything… yet
21 Morne Steyn – He must be blackmailing HM or have pictures of his balls
22 Juan de Jongh – Deserving, but needs to suck HMs balls to play
23 Lwazi Mvovo – Not convinced, but may one day make an impact.
8 Nov 2012, 11:12 am
I do believe that Heyneke is prejudice against player of colour but you could say the same thing about smaller players and players who dont wear light blue rugby jumpers i certainly do not think that its something his aware of i just dont think Heyneke is coping with the pressure assoicated with the job when this happens u tend to go with ppl your comfortable with. The best example of bias is the Home test against new zealand, Taute battled all game on defence, heyneke hadnt criticised a single player by name all season and that includes Dean Greyling after the test in nz, heyneke does the post match interview and is asked about the boks defensive frailties and what does he say? “Its not Elton’s fault he hasnt played in a while” Yes HM we realise its not his fault but you werent asked about Elton. So after watching a terrible bok performance with countless missed tackles and mistakes all HM saw was the fact that elton failed to drift on defence once. Eish you see what you want to see i guess
8 Nov 2012, 11:23 am
Chances are that HM is a racist. He is Afrikaans and he is from Pretoria were it is generally indoctrinated into kids.
8 Nov 2012, 12:36 pm
@whatever-551: I know this was posted last night so you’ve probably left for the day but…
Don’t judge NZ by our journalists and especially not this Chris Rattue. He published the most arrogant article about the Welsh early in Henry’s tenure, calling them village idiots. Henry called him out on it and from that day on he’s been anti-Henry, anti-Hansen, anti-AB. In 2008 he publicly announced he would support Deans’ Wallabies rather than a Henry ABs and gloated when we lost our first game. He’s been a little quiet since then! But three days after the world cup win, had the cheek to criticise the ABs again and claim Henry got his selections wrong and the backs were below par.
Chris Rattue is the one of the reasons I stopped reading the NZ Herald. Hence, I haven’t seen the Scotland article but I can imagine it’s not worth reading
8 Nov 2012, 12:47 pm
@gonzo-568: And I should add, having now read the pathetic article in question, all of the comments below it tear Chris a new one. Which is rare for NZH posters as they are usually worse than the worst on Keo
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