Steyn poised for national selection
8 Oct 2006
Luke Watson still won’t make the Springbok squad for the Ireland and English tests, but the national selectors will blood several in-form Currie Cup players.
The form of Pierre Spies gives White an escape not to pick Watson, although Spies has been devastating as a No 8 in the Absa Currie Cup and not as an open-side option. Watson, consistently, has been the best open-side flanker in the country, through the Super 14 and the Currie Cup. He was very good playing in a beaten pack in Western Province’s semi-final defeat and newspaper reports that played off his performance against that of Spies were outrageous. One played openside flank in a pack whose tight five got murdered. The other played No 8 in a pack that marched relentlessly to a final.
Most independent observers would laud the possibility of Watson playing as open-sider, Spies playing at No 8 and Juan Smith completing the loose-trio. For those who still argue that Watson misses out because there are better, don’t kid yourself. Watson misses out because White does not rate him and never will.
White this weekend told the Sunday newspapers, English and Afrikaans, that for the first time his focus was on winning the World Cup and not the next test. Let’s hope the national coach can maintain this supposed belief on tour. He mentioned a similar thing prior to the Tri Nations. Then the Boks got hammered by France and White feared for his job. His reaction was to stick with the same players who failed him the year before.
Injuries forced him to introduce younger players and Spies was one of those to benefit with two outstanding home tests against New Zealand and Australia. But before we get too carried away, look at the impact of Spies at No 8 in his test debut. Yeah, there was no impact because there was nothing happening among the tight five.
To beat Ireland and to get at least one win out of two against England will require a tight five that is dominant and not just competitive. The loosies in the northern hemisphere will only ever be as good as their tight five. And White and his selectors will have to think carefully about who goes and stays in that department.
Rudolf Straeuli also opted for a young tight five in 2002 to play France, Scotland and England. Deon Carstens, Bakkies Botha and Wessel Roux were all the stars of the domestic competition. They got smashed by teams, whose tight five were well versed in technique.
It will require a mix and match in selection if White is to succeed where all Bok teams have failed since 1997.
Taking younger loose-forwards and backs is to be applauded, but the wiser and more battle-hardened souls are the non negotiables among the pack.
Speculation, based on White having a banter with the Sunday newspapers, include the selection of Francois Steyn as a utility back, potentially Brad Barritt and Jaco Pretorius as a second string midfield combination and the injection of youth in Hilton Lobberts and Kabamba Floors. Chiliboy Ralepelle will again tour, despite the Bulls selectors rating him third, at best, in their current senior set-up – a rating I fully agree with when you consider the quality of Botha and replacement hooker Strauss.
White will not select overseas-based players like Cobus Visagie, although there is a very strong case to be made for Visagie, given he has given all the English props a torrid time in the last two seasons, while French-based Shaun Sowerby would be a ‘horses for courses’ selection.
White will continue to pick John Smit as his first choice hooker and captain, but Os du Randt and Percy Montgomery will be rested. There is also talk that White will ‘rest’ his best outside back in the last two tests in Breyton Paulse. Just why only the selectors would know because Paulse has played very few matches this year and has ended his overseas commitments with Clermont two months ago.
With Montgomery out, White can choose between Bevin Fortuin, JP Pietersen and Steyn, but it seems Johan Roets is very much in the Watson mould. Regardless of what he does, he won’t make the team.
Of the contracted Boks who SARU will be paying until the end of 2007, Hanyani Shimange, Eddie Andrews, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Marius Joubert and De Wet Barry are unlikely to tour, while a decision has to be made on Jacques Cronje and Victor Matfield.
Joe van Niekerk, who has not had any rugby since the away leg of the Tri Nations, is also unclear about his tour involvement. Van Niekerk hurt his neck in August and it would be wiser to give him an additional month to make a complete recovery.
White’s biggest selection headache comes at lock. Matfield is the best contesting lineout in the world and Bakkies Botha is the best foil in a partnership to Matfield. Without Botha and Matfield, the likes of Johann Muller, Albert van den Berg and Danie Rossouw aren’t as imposing a prospect.
If you look at the two teams that will contest the Currie Cup final, the majority of the players are unlikely to feature in the touring squad. Of the Free Staters, Fortuin is the only probable backline inclusion, with Floors and Jannie du Plessis candidates among the pack. Among the Bulls, Ndungane and Wynand Olivier will probably tour, while Spies, Lobberts, Rossouw and Gary Botha should be in the national squad of 30. That’s less that 10 players out of the 30 coming from the two teams who have dominated the domestic competition.
652 Comments
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9 Oct 2006, 11:07 am
Luke is dumb he failed a survey
9 Oct 2006, 11:07 am
quinny,
well done lad, your team had a great run and will def. feature in the S14. Steyn has a lot of growing up to do but will be a superstar.
9 Oct 2006, 11:08 am
GBS – not sure i will make some enquiries – i suspect that they had no idea who was in the final that there will be a short delay while they load it on to the system. i am sure it will appear.
9 Oct 2006, 11:08 am
Bluebarb, if you had anything to do with the Bulls team being in the final I would gladly wash your car, you are merely one of the blue drones that fit the stereotypical profile that I can fit to any bulls fan.
Anyway your team won’t be playing next week either. hahahaahahahaha
9 Oct 2006, 11:08 am
Morning Quinny, good point about the S14. One thing that the Sharks DO have for them in the S14 is their travelling mentality. Best touring team of all the SA teams if I’m not mistaken…
9 Oct 2006, 11:09 am
?
9 Oct 2006, 11:09 am
548
Well…..Campo was never know as a great defender when he played…..
Perhaps the onus is more on attack then defense in the Sharks camp?
9 Oct 2006, 11:10 am
Thanks Ig,
We want to assemble a Bulls muppit group to go on a bus to Bloem………
Heard that Bulls muppits….we might already have the 15 seater bus all sorted!
9 Oct 2006, 11:10 am
I think we(SHARKS) have a better record away than at home.
9 Oct 2006, 11:11 am
AJ’s captaincy had a lot to do with the Sharks resurgence. calm, decisive leadership is what they need. they have hugely talented players, and a great coach. you have to accept that if you plsy high risk rugby that sometimes you will pay the price. I think they did great this season.
As did the Lions, it was a great CC and the top 5 teams can take huge pride in their efforts.
9 Oct 2006, 11:11 am
Was Paulse not anonymous in the earlier part of the season because he wasn’t playing?
I think its difficult to make an impact if you arent on the field…
9 Oct 2006, 11:11 am
Quinny….but he did play better than JP in my opinion….
He read the play better (more in pos), he kicks loads better, he is faster, has a better step, etc…..
I think your back 3 should be Steyn, Odwa and Russell…..but if Butch is retiring then I would play Russell at 10 with Steyn as goal kicker fullback…..
Odwa, JP, Adi can then fight it out for the two wing pos……
9 Oct 2006, 11:12 am
555
But if Sharks start their S14 campain with a few home defeats (as could well be the case, seeing how they finished the season) they could struggle abroad. Winning in Australia/NZ will depend on them transferring some sort of home form over there, as well as momentum. Any sort of negativity & they will struggle.
9 Oct 2006, 11:12 am
gbs, ons sal vir seker saam ietsie moet drink op die Castle Deck na die tyd, of hoe? Jy kan die Cheetah rugby-unie ook bel vir kaartjies as ek dit nie mis het nie, andersins iemand in Bloem vra – blykbaar was daar al honderde mense in die toue vanoggend by die stadion.
9 Oct 2006, 11:13 am
The Cheetahs fans seem to want to take a leaf out of the Bulls fans books, they have a sea of orange flags on the stands week in and week out.
9 Oct 2006, 11:13 am
Should be a good mission GBS….if i find something on tickets i will mail you.
Can i help katman ?
9 Oct 2006, 11:13 am
Luke Watson was the worst loose forward on display this past weekend… how does someone like that become captain of a great team like Province, he doesn’t even deserve a place on the bench…
9 Oct 2006, 11:13 am
finmaste,
describe me then. what am i like? there is a independent (sharksfan) muppit here who know me rather well.
have a go, what am i like, cockchops?
9 Oct 2006, 11:14 am
Pretoria rugby fans who want to go to Bloemfontein for the Blue Bulls/Free State Cheetahs Currie Cup final on Saturday face disappointment. Only a small percentage of tickets have been allocated to the visiting team and its fans.
On top of that, hoteliers and guesthouse owners in the Free State capital say most accommodation has been booked already.
It’s the Bulls’ fifth consecutive Currie Cup final and rugby fever hit Pretoria hard at the weekend after the local team’s exciting 45-30 win over Western Province.
The championship match five days away has been billed as a grudge final – no one has forgotten that the Bulls agonisingly lost to the Cheetahs in 2005′s Cup final at Loftus Versfeld.
But Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein has a capacity of just 38 000
The atmosphere in town on Saturday night – in the pubs, in the streets, at the braais – was electric.
But Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein has a capacity of just 38 000 – much smaller than Loftus – making tickets difficult to come by.
Blue Bulls Rugby Union acting CEO Barend van Graan said local fans wanting to attend the final “should rather contact people they know in Bloemfontein and ask them to get tickets, than try and obtain tickets through us”.
“The Cheetahs will supply a small number of tickets to us, but these will be taken up by the families of the four teams playing there on the day, and by staff and clubs,” Van Graan said.
“We don’t know how many we will be given, but we would advise people to phone anyone you know in Bloemfontein to secure a ticket, as we are unlikely to have any for the public.”
‘We don’t know how many we will be given’
Bloemfontein guesthouse owner Johan de Waal said on Sunday night that requests for rooms have flooded in since Saturday.
“We’ve got problems; we don’t have enough rooms,” De Waal said. “We had people booked in for the game at the weekend and they immediately booked their rooms again for the coming weekend. We also had people after the game who came directly from the rugby to book rooms for next weekend.
“It’s the same everywhere… even people who come to Bloemfontein to visit family at the hospital, which is near us, are not finding accommodation.”
The Bulls will be sending a large contingent of players and officials to Bloemfontein as the province has no fewer than four teams contesting finals this weekend.
The women have already led the way in collecting the first silverware of the year by winning the national women’s rugby title – and the Blue Bulls Under-21 team will face the Lions in their age group final, while the Under-19 team face Western Province in their age-group final and the Bulls amateur side, who finished unbeaten in their pool games, face the Leopards.
All these games are also set to be played in the Free State capital, which faces an invasion of blue.
But the main focus is on the senior Bulls, who will be intent on setting the record straight against the Cheetahs.
On Sunday, Bulls coach Pote Human said: “I haven’t really had time to enjoy what we achieved on Saturday. I’m already worried about the final.
“We did very well but we haven’t won yet; we still have a very tough match on Saturday.
“If you think that five weeks ago we were almost out of the competition… now to be in a final; it’s wonderful and an indescribable feeling.”
The match is likely to capture the imagination of the entire country.
“We have accepted that the whole of Bloemfontein will be covered with orange and we will face not just the Cheetahs but the entire city.”
This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on October 09, 2006
9 Oct 2006, 11:14 am
Quinny
For sure. We always have these useless guys that ok on attack but suck in defense. Deon Kayser, Jacobs, Ricardo Loubser….
9 Oct 2006, 11:14 am
gblou
Die enigste manier hoe om kaartjies te kry van hier is by Checkers – ek is ernstig! Dit staan so by die bulls website. Ek het vroeer die jaar vir die s14 by checkers gekoop.
9 Oct 2006, 11:14 am
Quinny the Sharks will struggle period. They have no chance of winning in NZ or Aus. They did not even deserve to be the Currie Cup semis. Should have been the Lions… I love watching the Sharks get fucked up…
9 Oct 2006, 11:14 am
Carla Jane, gaan speel eerder pop. Die grootmense gesels hier.
9 Oct 2006, 11:15 am
finmaster
You sure you not a Lions supporter?
9 Oct 2006, 11:15 am
Luke wouldn’t even be able to steal a ball if her name was on the ball and her neck chained to it…
9 Oct 2006, 11:16 am
C-arla
J-ane
they don’t call me detective kir for nothing
9 Oct 2006, 11:16 am
thehef,
Man, ek wil sommer online bestel, betaal, klaarkry…..kan nie in toue gaan staan nie, ken ook nie iemand so goed in Bloem om vir ure vir my in toue te staan nie!
As ons daar is vir die game drink ons verseker iets op Castle deck!
9 Oct 2006, 11:16 am
gbs, stuur vir my jou mailadres – kan jou dalk help
9 Oct 2006, 11:17 am
Carla jane
The Watson subject was half an hour ago
9 Oct 2006, 11:17 am
Again, this weekend I realised something about Luke; she’s too slow for this level of rugby, how did Spies and Kie not beat her to the breakdown? Also, she runs sideways just like Bolla
9 Oct 2006, 11:18 am
576
LOL KIR – I was about to also suggest that Carla Jane’s surname is Venter!
9 Oct 2006, 11:19 am
KIR, you sharp one. Old CJ doing the Luke-thing again…
9 Oct 2006, 11:19 am
I am a LIONS supporter…LIONS BO!
9 Oct 2006, 11:19 am
…besides, Spies is really cute and is a man, or do we pick Luke only to make up our quota of females?
9 Oct 2006, 11:19 am
More Supa
Baie geluk met julle oorwinning. Julle was beslis
die beter span. Het Saterdag op Loftus tot die slotsom gekom dat ek nooit teen my geliefde WP sal kan skree nie. Van nou af as daar n wedstryd
tussen Bulle en WP is, bly ek by die huis!
9 Oct 2006, 11:20 am
the hef
Yawn
9 Oct 2006, 11:20 am
wats up quinny, do the think the sharks are gonna get some overseas guys for the super14? tony brown had quite an impact last year
9 Oct 2006, 11:20 am
Bluebarb, yeah, yeah I have better ways to spend a monday morning than trying to take the piss out of you, anyway anything I would have to say probably only sound like sour grapes.
9 Oct 2006, 11:21 am
#586 – ?
9 Oct 2006, 11:22 am
Yes, my surname is Venter, as in AJ and Andre. I could not handle our green and gold jersey being besmirched by the greasy attitude of fLuke (watermelon farmer) Whatson… Let’s just Keo gets over his crush on her…
9 Oct 2006, 11:22 am
the hef
Yes CJ is boring us all..
9 Oct 2006, 11:22 am
572
Replace “Sharks” with Western Province in your post & you have my feelings…
9 Oct 2006, 11:23 am
thehef,
legaleasy@xsinet.co.za
9 Oct 2006, 11:23 am
carla why on earth do you think Luke is useless? Did you maybe once ask for his autograph and he said no??? Sour grapes?
9 Oct 2006, 11:24 am
My predictions came true: Luke was outplayed in all departments on Saturday, and WP lost because they have him as player and captain.
My prediction is that within a year, she won’t make the WP squad and even Keo will realise that she was just a puppet of the media.
9 Oct 2006, 11:24 am
587
No news about Tony Brown. I dunno if perhaps that’s maybe not a blessing? Why spend millions on these guys if we only have them for part of the season. Although their is a case for the Sharks requiring experience – especially in the backline!
9 Oct 2006, 11:25 am
CJ
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – and i am not speaking about luke…
9 Oct 2006, 11:25 am
GBS,
ek sal verseker belang stel in daai trippie bloem toe,
hoe kan ek jou kontak?
9 Oct 2006, 11:25 am
I think Carla had a one night stand with Watson and he never called
9 Oct 2006, 11:25 am
Bolla must be the biggest idiot playing rugby today.
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