Jannie best bet for Twickers
17 Nov 2008
Jannie du Plessis must start at Twickenham if the Springboks are to have any hope of besting the English scrum.
Multiple front-row injuries have cut short the John Smit-tighthead experiment, and now there is talk of Brian Mujati having a sore shoulder. Du Plessis was recently called to London as his brother Bismarck and prop Gurthro Steenkamp were simultaneously released from the Bok camp. Du Plessis is likely to face one of the world’s premier looseheads in Andrew Sheridan this Saturday, and from the vibe gathered at Monday’s press conference, the Boks are feeling confident about the match up.
A World Cup winner in 2007, Du Plessis was deemed surplus to Bok requirements in 2008. He received a recall against Australia for the Ellis Park Test when CJ van der Linde was suspended and BJ Botha had left for Ireland, and did a solid job. This was on the back of a strong showing with his new Super 14 franchise, the Sharks. Many felt he was an unfortunate omission when the Boks’ UK touring squad was announced given the nature of the game up north and how Du Plessis’s strengths would be valuable.
If the Bok management pick Du Plessis to start this Saturday, it’s a sure acknowledgment of his value in northern conditions. Mujati has battled for the better part of the year, and does not boast the technical experience that comes with winning three Currie Cups and a World Cup winners medal. Mujati may be more mobile than Du Plessis, but it is the latter who will make the greater impact at the tight-phases. Up north, you need to favour set-phase proficiency over athleticism. Jake White applied this logic when playing Danie Rossouw at No 8 in last year’s World Cup, and look what came from that decision.
The question will be raised that if Mujati is fit enough to warm the bench this weekend, why isn’t he fit enough to start? The troubling answer may also point to another question as to whether he deserved a squad place ahead of seasoned specialists like Van der Linde, Botha and Du Plessis.
The same applies for Bulls hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle. If your first-choice hooker is injured, surely you’d back your second choice to slot in. It’s become accepted that Smit fulfills the hooking duties in the event of injury as he did last week, but if Smit is really supposed to concentrating on prop and Ralepelle is truly the understudy to Bismarck du Plessis, then why shouldn’t Ralepelle start this weekend? Smit’s covering for Du Plessis is only supposed to be in emergencies, as his own development at 3 was a priority on this tour.
Ralepelle has had little game time in the past two years and won his place on this tour ahead of more deserving players such as Adriaan Strauss. Strauss joined the Bok side when Smit was ruled him out of the Tri-Nations, and started for the Boks when Bismarck broke down. How Ralepelle has leapfrogged him in the hooking queue is anybody’s guess.
While calling up Jannie du Plessis is the right short-term solution, it speaks volumes for De Villiers’s lack of confidence in Mujati and Ralepelle. It may also say something about the move of Smit to tighthead, a move De Villiers promised was a long-term initiative with a view to the British & Irish Lions series and the 2011 World Cup. Either play Ralepelle at No 2 with Smit at 3, or call up Strauss to fill the hooking void. That would suggest continuity and a long-term plan.
But it’s become clear there is no plan, or at least there is little confidence in the fringe players already in the squad. Du Plessis is the best bet to scrum against Sheridan this weekend, and the Boks have a realistic chance of winning this battle. If one remembers that Mujati and Ralepelle are likely to remain in the set-up come the Lions series, then one has to ask why they aren’t being pushed through in what will be the ultimate acid Test at Twickenham. The Boks may win this Saturday, but they won’t learn anything new.
589 Comments
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17 Nov 2008, 20:59 pm
A frontrow of Heinke, Wepener and BJ will murder anything that the bokke can put on the park this weekend!!!!! Finish en klaar!!!
17 Nov 2008, 20:59 pm
#291 rooijan: agree with you…we will miss them sat and against the lions in 2009!
17 Nov 2008, 21:00 pm
#221 shark bok: PdeV said on tonight’s SABC news that Jannie duP is still fresh and wants to play – maybe he provides the x-factor. The other guys want to go home according to PdeV. By saying that he wants Jannie to play in stead of Mujati. He could at least see that Mujati wasn’t up to standard.Mujati needs a couple more seasons to develop into a class tight head. I’m, not saying Jannie is the real thing, but he is the best we have ( excluding BJ, CJ, Cobus Visagie ). Chilliboy should have stayed at home. He is talented but needs a decent run in the Super 14, after which he could be selected. It surely doesn’t help his confidence if he is there but isn’t selected. By the way, Bismarck had to do a lot of srumming ( helping Smit against Jenkins and was therefore not too visible in the loose as usual). If Adriaan Strauss was in England, he could have played with JS at 3, with Jannie to fall back on in case it didn’t work. Jaque Fourie has to play – even if it is at 11. Habana so out of form
17 Nov 2008, 21:00 pm
#292 tjokvol:
I’d rather have less talented players 100% committed that a whole lot of super stars that are only giving 60-70% or only playing out of pride but not from inner conviction.
Ever consider supporting Scotland?
Do agree with most of your sentiments though
17 Nov 2008, 21:00 pm
#286 justrugby: Usually 30-35 hounds!!
Are you saving to come over to watch rugby at Twickenham, Milennium Stadium and footie at Man U as well? You, Grant, Angelina and blonde can come and stay at the farm!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:01 pm
#300 K9_BaasPatrolliehond: thats a decent front row! they can take on and beat any front row in the world today.
17 Nov 2008, 21:01 pm
#288 grant10:
Now that’s good news !!!! Well done to all involved !!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:02 pm
#287 scar: North of the south west is just fine thanks, how is the wet old west country today?
17 Nov 2008, 21:02 pm
#297 SodaJoe: Happy with that too…we need to be more bold and trusting though…we are killingour players…no trust and faith…
17 Nov 2008, 21:02 pm
#299 grootblousmile: Hot cheeks go for it and 10 out of 10 for effort……………X
17 Nov 2008, 21:03 pm
Cheers all,
have Aus vs Eng and NZ vs Ireland recorded and ready to be watch over some cold Macaroni & Cheese and Tangle Foot ale!
17 Nov 2008, 21:03 pm
#307 carol: misrable, hence my plan as outlined in #310
17 Nov 2008, 21:04 pm
#304 carol:
For sure, have had the pleasure of going to Old Trafford, did the tour brilliant…., Grant 10 just said there’s a cheque in the post so yeah, will start saving !!!!!!!
Love to see the farm
17 Nov 2008, 21:04 pm
#253 ruggalover:
I don’t dislike JdV. Think he seems like a nice guy. However, nice guys don’t always make good sportsmen.
the point of JdV being ‘preffered’ is a moot one. JW was going nowhere with his squad. Come Jones and he makes some changes (the RWC team was not JW’s preffered bunch based on his previous selections). I think Jones would have had FS in the starting line up before JdV and that JdV’s injury removed the problem anyway.
there is no evidence that the Boks would have won without Steyn or vice versa. The reality is that the FS/JF combo was the ‘incumbent’ one.
PdV changed the team and we have been losing or scrapping by since. that’s fact. there was no reason to leave FS out. That’s another fact.
In all the years that JdV has played for the Boks they have not done well – another fact. FS had much better stats than JdV in the S14. Another fact. Head to head FS was miles better than JdV – another fact. JdV was less than ordinary against his last two International opponents, another fact. JdV is not rated highly internationally but FS is – another fact. JdV with all his captaincy and line breaking ability could not beat the Lions to get into the last 4 in either the S14 or CC – another fact.
The list goes on. JdV is not as good as some would like to think. I’ve watched him from the day of international debut and have not been impressed. he had a good S14 this year but his success there has not been realised in internationals.
17 Nov 2008, 21:04 pm
# K9_BaasPatrolliehond: for sure…no doubts on that one!
17 Nov 2008, 21:04 pm
#222 scar: Have just seen “comedy underpants”….you are right, NEVER a good idea!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:04 pm
#293 grant10: All your reply numbers don’t relate to mine by the way. The Atlantic Ocean & North American continent are ******** things up.
17 Nov 2008, 21:05 pm
#300 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Now you cooking with gas, but Beast is not a bad option off bench when Heinke runs out of steam. I’m not so sold on BJ, but Heinke and Wepener are best 1 and 2 for an arm wrestle against England. Better than Smit at 2 or 3.
17 Nov 2008, 21:06 pm
JC….”How Ralepelle has leapfrogged him [Strauss] in the hooking queue is anybody’s guess.” Hmmmm… I don’t have a PhD in astro-physics, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that Snor schemes that quota frogs push much harder than white frogs???
COME NOW WHO HAS THE B*LLS TO OBJECTIVELY DENY THIS?
17 Nov 2008, 21:06 pm
#313 OCO: What are you implying?? :0
17 Nov 2008, 21:07 pm
#302 CharlesM:
Are you saying PdV said that he is banking on the Doc to inject some life into them.
That is also a bit frightening to hear that the others want to go home. It could be another long Saturday then.
17 Nov 2008, 21:07 pm
#294 grant10: Italian and brunette your list goes on. Any poms yet?
17 Nov 2008, 21:08 pm
#313 OCO: Skopocoskiet. Do you think that it might be a WP conspiracy?
17 Nov 2008, 21:09 pm
#317 SodaJoe: same my side my man!
17 Nov 2008, 21:09 pm
#310 scar: Put it in the aga/microwave it’s not difficult! Nice to catch up.
17 Nov 2008, 21:10 pm
#317 tjokvol: That Wepener is a big boy that’s for sure. If he liked sheep enough the Kiwi’s might take him.
17 Nov 2008, 21:10 pm
#318 Trafulha: Ralepelle came from no where after not playing for about 2 years, straight into the CC final, single handedly costing the bulls the game and from there on almost into the bok squad.
makes no sense at all!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:10 pm
#312 justrugby: That would be great. Grant has some pictures of the farm. I told him how to Google earth us, but that was a bit too complicated for him!! You know what he is like with computers!! LOL
17 Nov 2008, 21:11 pm
#318 Trafulha: Me.
Chili is bigger, faster and stronger than Strauss. Who had his chance and proved that he was the Morne Steyn of hookers. Good but not good enough.
17 Nov 2008, 21:12 pm
#322 carol: i dated , believe it or not, the daughter of an ex Manchester City Centre Forward…..wonderful blonde…hilarious time…justrugby involved for a while with her best friend!! Loved her name ZOE….loved the accent…mmm
17 Nov 2008, 21:12 pm
#326 rooijan: Rubbish. Looked strong and dynamic.
17 Nov 2008, 21:12 pm
#323 grant10: So do you?
17 Nov 2008, 21:13 pm
#324 carol: same here!
17 Nov 2008, 21:14 pm
#319 scar:
I’m not implying anything. Just stating truths. I leave it to the jury to decide.
17 Nov 2008, 21:14 pm
#329 SodaJoe: morne steyn almost as pedestrian as peter Grant!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:14 pm
#317 tjokvol: Wished we had the following on tour: Beast, Heinke, JS, Wepener, Cobus Visagie and BJ.
17 Nov 2008, 21:14 pm
#329 grant10: I don’t know whether to be amused or astonished by your prievious love life!!! Never dull though!
17 Nov 2008, 21:14 pm
#292 tjokvol: Yes I agree, but PDV is the owner of his own destiny, he made all of the calls
SA do not have quality coaches, the Kiwis have many and they are coaching all over the world, we need to get coaches out best was Christie/Mallet and I would say PDV and JW will be on par at the end of the day-hardly something to write home about
The players are also to blame to a ceratin degree, but the biggest load of blame has to be on PDV and his selections
No tighthead, and many other strange selections
17 Nov 2008, 21:15 pm
#326 rooijan:
Chilli Boy’s 10 minutes in the CC was head and shoulders superior than anything Kuun produced the entire 70 minutes before, in fact the entire season before, Chilliboy was on fire, and Smit or Bismark could not keep up with him for that 10 minutes he was on the field, I reckon you white boys should perhaps change your spectacles.
17 Nov 2008, 21:17 pm
#317 tjokvol: Skop, I can’t keep up with you! You ok today?
17 Nov 2008, 21:17 pm
#270 grant10: Before I retire to my book, evening girls. If I were the coach for saturday’s game against the Poms I’d do the following, first thing tomorrow morning :
1. Call Sarasens and tell them to put Visagie in a taxi with instructions to head to the Bok training camp with learning aid to reaquaint himself with the national anthem.
2. Tell Schalk to take measurements for the No7 and Juan the No8.
3. Cap a new Springbok and chuck the No6 in his direction.
4. Capt John is told to stay put in No1 and continue to mentor his benchman, Chilli. Chilli to get 10 at the end for the experience.
5. The rest of the pack pretty much picks itself but Danie will warm my bench with the intention of using him for fresh legs.
6. FdP first but if unavailable, Januarie, after he’s done 5 circuits of Hyde Park with a recording of “I must learn to execute a decent pass to Ruan or he’s going to donner me into losing another 10kg’s” in repeat form, on his ipod.
7. JdV at 12. If you want to lose this one, pick FS for F’sS.
8. AD @ 13. Not Jacques, because he’s needed at 14.
9. Jantjes at 15 to be repaced by Steyn if a spark in half 2 is required.
10. JP at 11 goes without saying.
11. Spies on the bench as wing cover.
Then girls, I would feel better about placing my hard earned moolah on a small bet on the Boks bashing the Poms come saturday. But that wont happen so my moolah is going to stay in my piggy bank for this one, out of harms way.
17 Nov 2008, 21:18 pm
#334 grant10:
Hi Mr Grant,
Are you related to Peter? There are also some people in my family that I detest (and vice versa to be fair) so I was just wondering?
17 Nov 2008, 21:19 pm
sorry No1 = No2. Biiiig difference.
17 Nov 2008, 21:19 pm
#336 K9_BaasPatrolliehond: absolutely!!! Thats true sa front row forwards!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:20 pm
313 oco: i am almost 100% certain that fourie and jdv would have continued the centre pairing in the rwc if jdv wasn’t injured.they really were a great combination.you can’t really judge the few games fourie and steyn combo played in the tight rwc games which mostly revolved around defense against all the games that jdv and fourie played together.steyn has proven to not be a great distributor and you can’t argue that fact..that could change if he is given chance at 12 because he is good enough to learn.its ridiculous to say that the team has lost because steyn and fourie have not been centre pairing and why jdv stats might be poorer than steyn in s14.steyn was playing behind sharks pack and jdv was playing behind stormers pack..jdv played really well considering that alone.steyn also did not play at 12 for the majority of s14.you are entitled to your opinion just as i am.no use stating facts that are not relevant.
17 Nov 2008, 21:20 pm
#322 SodaJoe:
Just call me ‘backfire’ as an antithisis.
Nah, no Wp conspiracy. How would anyone believe that? A WP coach, 2 WP assistants and hand all the WP players Bok jerseys? Take only 6 WP players on tour and have them all in the match 22 every time.
or otherwise one couldn’t say that history repeats itself (Carel 2+3 had exactly the same mind-set).
Never blame a WP player for not performing or one’s own inadequacies, rather blame the RWC winners.
It’s just called coincidence
Nah, not conspiracy, just good old fashioned Provincialism.
17 Nov 2008, 21:20 pm
#338 tjokvol: Skops why bring race in to it? Completely decimates a (almost) rational position, which I agree with.
17 Nov 2008, 21:20 pm
Strauss is another Gary Botha, will never amount to all that much, Chilli Boy can fire if he can stay uninjured.
Wepener is a 1000 times better hooker than Strauss, and probably at this stage better than Chilli Boy too.
#335 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
That is a whole lot of fire power up front,
Cobus was hooked in by Jake at the death and then did his elbow in, I reckon he’s cooked his long term goose though he’s been doing it since late 90′s week in and week out, strong bugger that one.
17 Nov 2008, 21:20 pm
#337 carol: will write a book…justrugby will have to help me type though….technically challenged!!
17 Nov 2008, 21:21 pm
#340 TASSIES: Agree 100%. Would perhaps play JF at 13, Adi on the bench and Nokwe at wing. Looseforwards…agree. Brussouw, Schalla and Juan at no8.
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