Bakkies is back
19 Jun 2006
Despite the rampaging performances of Danie Rossouw against France, Bakkies Botha is expected back in the Springbok starting XV against France.
Botha has been out of action since injuring his lower calf while playing for the Bulls against the Crusaders in Christchurch a month ago. He joined the Boks in Port Elizabeth last Monday, but was not considered for the second Test against Scotland.
In his absence, provincial team-mate Rossouw had two outstanding games and was rewarded for his effort in the second Test with the man-of-the-match award.
Despite this, Rossouw will be relegated to the bench, possibly replacing Botha shortly after the restart, if not at the break against France at Newlands on Saturday.
Rossouw’s rise to prominence in the past two Tests will have delighted White immensely. The coach has had to persist with Botha and Victor Matfield as the No 1 pair for much of the last two years, without anyone else really putting up their hand.
The real worry of burn-out existed, but if Rossouw can deliver performances of the quality he did against the Scots against better quality opposition in the Tri-Nations then White will have solved one of his question marks.
For now Rossouw, who has also played on the flank for South Africa, has shown he is a more than able back-up to Botha. And while Botha is the acknowledged enforcer in the Bok set-up, Rossouw is not far behind in the intimidation stakes.
Botha will be key against the French as the Boks need to introduce their world-class players and White has already admitted his team need to raise the bar if they hope to maintain their unbeaten run on home soil.
Rossouw will be perfectly positioned to deliver the knock-out blow in the last quarter after Botha has softened the opposition for the first 50-odd minutes.
By Andrew Hollely
55 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
19 Jun 2006, 06:58 am
Pakslae was ‘n monster.
19 Jun 2006, 07:03 am
Danie is a good impact player, he will always be behind Matfield and Bakkies.
19 Jun 2006, 07:07 am
Where is Johan Ackermann, he too can add value.
19 Jun 2006, 07:08 am
yes i think akcerman for an old man has been amazing he is strong and of alot of value . rathbone sucks and so does vickerman and greg rawlinson stil i wouldnt mind if they played ofr the boks
19 Jun 2006, 08:16 am
Rossouw is an average player. Will be exposed against better opposition. He is not an international flank nor an international lock.
19 Jun 2006, 08:18 am
viper6, ackerman is in his old age home resting his feet, also viper i have noticed u like to use proper spelling, punctuation, etc with ur comments, r u training to become the new tackler?
19 Jun 2006, 08:19 am
Capeflatsboy
For an average player he did very well in the last two test, he did also very well in alot of the s14 games against the aus and nz. wake up , you probably want dik gat Quinten there
19 Jun 2006, 08:26 am
capeflatnose,
Danie will make most international reams as a lock.
He is also better than most of the Cape’s flankers.
Give the guy some credit for a good games, you doos.
19 Jun 2006, 08:28 am
eish, bad typing there.
teams.
good game.
19 Jun 2006, 08:34 am
Scotland is k@k.
Wait for the Blacks and Aus. We will then see how avaerage Danie is.
But I think to you Bulls supporters anything from Tshwane is kwaai. You a really deprived lot
19 Jun 2006, 08:35 am
If Danie is average what does it make the other 14 that played in Saturday.
Burger running into players with every ball he got, Big Joke dissapeared again, Juan Smit went with Big Joke the list goes on……..
19 Jun 2006, 08:35 am
Better than Joe, Watson and Schalk on the flank? *pukes* Rossouw is a lock, not a flank.
19 Jun 2006, 08:36 am
And to think people here were praising most of the players after the first win against Scotland. My, how fickle some are.
19 Jun 2006, 08:37 am
The value of Bakkies is immense.Danie Roussow stood out in a generally poor effort on Saturday and much of what he did so well so should have been done by the blindside flanker.Bakkies could turn around our pathetic play at the breakdown, where it seems our forwards are happy to stand off and be carriers.There has to be a large physical and relatively mobile chap hitting the rucks at pace.This is the achilles heel of the Boks so far.No backline will create anything when the forwards fail to clean out at ruck time.
19 Jun 2006, 08:37 am
Like I said. Only the Bulls players deserve to be in the Bok team.
When are you lot gonna become objective and support all the players wearing the green and gold?
19 Jun 2006, 08:37 am
Cmon Mikey,
I did not expect you to fall for that one…
19 Jun 2006, 08:39 am
rasta,
I fully agree.
Here we have to blame Smit as the captain as he was suppose to lead from the front and to control his forwards.
19 Jun 2006, 08:40 am
Stan maak vir Victor kaptein
19 Jun 2006, 08:45 am
he should play rousouw with bakkies and bring the show pony off the bench when the game is won
19 Jun 2006, 08:45 am
Capeflats
Now that you are the know it all of rugby, who would you play in the place of DR? aand please players that are injured doesnt count
19 Jun 2006, 08:47 am
Stan
Even as a long-time fan of John Smit this weekend he let the side down.The Boks needed a stand up leader on the day to take charge,but none was forthcoming.The forwards needed to be pulled together and this was not done.Kicking for points with a weaker opponent on the ropes is indicitive of the lack of belief that we can actually score 5-pointers.
19 Jun 2006, 08:48 am
Jurgens
Bakkies is the no1 lock with Vic. Yes both Bulls and I dont have a problem. They are the best. Another Bull van Schouwenburg is in my opinion also better then Danie.
19 Jun 2006, 08:49 am
What good reason have the rest of the team given him to believe that they can score 5 pointers…I mean, it’s not like he’s got the Ozzie or AB backline behind him now is it?
19 Jun 2006, 08:51 am
capeflats
lock is not the boks problem though
19 Jun 2006, 08:51 am
Early in the morning for me, Stan. Call it as it reads at this time. I better get some breakfast and head to work *yawns*
19 Jun 2006, 08:52 am
Morning chaps
It’s actually funny that no one mentions the poor line-out throws from J. Smit in the last two games.
Isn’t the line-out the reason JW didn’t pick Scalk Brits. And from the games against Scotland SB would have made a better contribution than Smit.
19 Jun 2006, 08:54 am
Bloem Leeu
Agree but remember we are not allowed to point fingers to some of JAkes blou eyed boys
19 Jun 2006, 08:54 am
Platneus,
Ek sal Victor vir n game of 2 drop op hierdie staduim.
19 Jun 2006, 08:55 am
Jurgens lock is not the problem Not yet. What will happen if Bakkies and Vic gets injured?
Danie and Albert? I think that will be a problem.
19 Jun 2006, 08:56 am
Bloem leeu,
Nie waar nie. Dit was een van my eerste opmerkings gewees oor hoe swak Smit se ingooie was.
19 Jun 2006, 08:57 am
Stan
Stem 100% saam met jou. hy was nie great die naweek nie en dink dalk om hom van die bank te start n game of 3
19 Jun 2006, 08:58 am
Stuff you guys then,
since no-one is going to take the redrag I threw out on post#23, I’m off home for dinner!
19 Jun 2006, 08:58 am
capeflatsboy
good point, but didnt you say Francios?
19 Jun 2006, 08:58 am
flatnose,
We have Danie, Ackerman, Muller, Vschouwenburg etc.
Lock is our smallest problem.
19 Jun 2006, 09:07 am
But have they been tested at international level?
Not yet. Jake does not have confidence in them. Lock is not a problem. Centre was not a problem too long ago. Look now. We battling to find centres.
You guys must wake up or we will lose the WC before it start.
19 Jun 2006, 09:08 am
Flatnose
centre has been a problem since barry adn joubert started to play
19 Jun 2006, 09:41 am
Frikkie welsh is currently a better option than Broodkop and joubert.
19 Jun 2006, 09:46 am
Stan
While you at it.
How about all the other Bulls. Maak hulle almal Bokke.
Jou dwaas
19 Jun 2006, 09:49 am
Pakslae was on fire but I want to see him do the same against quality oppo.
Message to Pakslae: Hold the ball tighlty when you go into the tackle situation, please!
19 Jun 2006, 09:54 am
Currie Cup SuperBru pool is open if anyone wants to join – Muppit League.
19 Jun 2006, 10:01 am
danie is not even nearly in the same league as botha. very glad bakkies is back!
even though i have never rated danie, i guess its good that he has finally shown his potential.
19 Jun 2006, 10:18 am
In Bakkies and Victor, we have one of the best lock combos in world rugby. Now with Danie putting his hand up, we have a suitable player to help with the load. And the fact that he can also pack down in the loose adds more versatility.
19 Jun 2006, 10:21 am
Danie had two very good games indeed, should be good for JW to see. imagine bakkies, rossouw, CJ and Os in the same tight 5, yoh.
19 Jun 2006, 10:44 am
I don’t know what is worse: classic Pretorian mentality that every Bull is a Bok, or the WP attitude that every Bull is ****. I laugh at you both (particularly guys like capeflatsfuck).
Danie had two awesome games, irrespective of his provincial side. I’d pick him ahead of my team’s locks any day.
19 Jun 2006, 10:45 am
I would like to see AJ on the bench with Danie in the future. Absolute versatility. (Plus AJ is way better than Big Joke)
19 Jun 2006, 11:13 am
Sampioen I can not agree more, lets pick the best team, lets see that other provinces have good players as well. Lets be honest with our selves .
JC a Bull is off the boil, Drossouw a Bull is boiling. I thought Carstens had a decent S14, but it seems he’s not good enough at test level.
I agree on AJ , but I feel P3 ,is younger version of AJ and a better investment, although young Spies impressed at the u/21
19 Jun 2006, 11:14 am
He should play Danie and Bakkies as his locks on saturday. Rossouw is just starting to find some form and Matfield was non-existent against Scotland on saturday.
I do have to agree with an earlier comment though that we need to see Danie against the AB’s/France/Aus before we can start proclaiming him one of our top locks… He’s had 2 good games, but it wasn’t so long ago that he was having ball ripped off him in contact by Carter and Mauger and he was taking contact on saturday again with the ball under the wrong arm. Smith, Waugh, McCaw and co would have had a field day.
Other than that though, he’s been playing well.
19 Jun 2006, 11:21 am
Hey guys, just saw on Supersport that Schalk Burger has a neck injury and is out of rugby till at least after the Tri-Nations.
19 Jun 2006, 11:21 am
hey guys bad news schalk injured,
The Springboks have sustained a massive blow to their chances of doing well in the 2006 international season with the news that Schalk Burger is going to be ruled out of rugby for some considerable time with a neck injury.
19 Jun 2006, 11:21 am
yeah, just saw that too citizen, pretty nasty eh.
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.