CJ back for Boks
Peter de Villiers has been forced to compromise on his stance of not picking up overseas-based-players by calling up prop CJ van der Linde as a replacement for the injured Jannie du Plessis.
Du Plessis has withdrawn from the European tour with a hand injury sustained against Leicester on Friday. Van der Linde, who plays for Leinster in Ireland, last played for the Springboks in 2008, but has since been overlooked after opting to continue his career outside of the country.
The Free Stater is a solid, experienced scrummager who’ll add great value in a facet of play that is likely to be the talking point ahead of the Test against France on Friday.
‘It’s fantastic that we’re able to call on a player with CJ’s experience to join the squad,’ said Bok coach De Villiers.
‘With such a tight schedule it is also helpful to be able to bring in someone who has been part of the group before, knows the systems and will settle in quickly. CJ is also a specialist tighthead who will provide the type of cover we will need.
‘It is unfortunate that we have lost three players so early in the tour but that is part of the game and we have to be able to manage such setbacks.’
Du Plessis’ injury means that the entire starting front row who were decimated at scrum time against the Tigers have been forced to return home, with hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle and prop Gurthrö Steenkamp suffering with foot and knee knocks respectively.
Van der Linde will travel to France on Wednesday where the rest of the squad, arriving from Johannesburg and London, will converge in Toulouse. The other two replacements Wian du Preez and Adriaan Strauss will join the squad in Johannesburg on Sunday.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Just to clear it up, Munster put out their reserve team shorn of all their Irish internationals. NZ put out their midweek team + Roko, same as the Boks. However unlike the Boks they put insurance All Blacks like Thorn on the bench to steal the result late on.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
#185 JL1: ja…its a complex issue
November 8th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
#193 Puma: Yes:
Ryan made his test match debut in the Springbok’s 34-12 victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium on 24 November 2007, crossing the line for his team’s 5th try to secure a resounding victory to start their reign as World Champions.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
So when three guys get injured we finally pick the logical choice…
November 8th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
#197 grant10: Potgieter is noty an 8th man – not big enough or tall enough. Two traditional strengths of an 8th man.
Rather Vermeulen or Frans Viljoen (or even big Joe). Actually after Ashley Johnsons displayon Friday, I really have not obkjections to him being there either.
/he was teh only player (besides Bekker) that enhanced their reputation.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
#198 Kronung: That would probably be very effective. I would still be tempted to start with Kanko though. Maybe not against the Poms (who we aren’t playing) or the Irish (who we are), but against the French I think he could do well. Still, it is the NH, so Danie would be a banker.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
#205 SjamBok: ashleighs time will come….i look forward to seeing him in super 14 next year….
Anyway…i am over the moon with cj back…
Outta here
Nite all
November 8th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Adams far better scrum half than Kockott. I would also have selected Mapoe ahead of Ndungane but Ndungane like Gurthro and others were seasoned bok’s ahead of him.
I would never have selected Bosman, Le Grange or Grant ahead of him. Viljoen I would play before Kirchner.
Tybilika was Jakes way of avoiding Watson, so was Floors. When Schalk and Bakkies were injured Jake played Danie and Cronje and Joe van Niekerk and Juan Smith and lost 49-0. That was with Os, CJ and Smit in the front row and Matfield cv lock. So every coach has his blind spots. Raubenheimer will get another look in and so will others like Johnson and Adams and Hargreaves. Pity is Adams was never used before because he’s been warming the Bulls bench behind Fdp for 5 seasons already.
If they not prepared to develop the players lower down the order then prepare for a lowering of standards, those are the risks and the parameters at stake. Close your eyes to it all you like, those are the realities in the circumstances.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Cheers Grant. Me too out of here now. Cheers all.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
G’night everyone
November 8th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
#197 grant10: David in the centre is a bit of a monster if selected to go up against Adi, Mermoz showing magic in recent weeks with Perp.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
#210 kaksioek: Cheers Kaksioek.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Potgieter is good but maybe still a bit lightweight at the moment. It doesnt help when he is asked to play openside neither
November 8th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
#191 ali:
Spot on Ali thats why the Cc franchises should be taken to task for not developing these players that are shining in the craven week comp and then fall through the cracks at provincial level. It should not be the national coaches task to develop these players but if the Cc or franchise coaches are not doing it then he has to take the gambles and the risks that go along with the challenge of bringing these players up to int standard.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
#8 skopskiet: So explain to me why PdV must have his arm twisted behind his back every time before he sees the light. If these are his selections then he must stick to coaching and leave talent spotting to those who can. Or call this the Experimental Boks and play them as such. But he is playing with fire if he thinks the Bok supporterss are going to just allow the ******** around with the Bok name like this.
I (and I suspect many other fans) HATE the fact that the Leicester fans can now say that they beat the Trinations and RWC champs. We all know that this was a badly coached 3rd string side, but history books don’t reflect that. F#%$#CK!
Where the Bok name is concerned, there is no room for shoddiness. AT ALL. The Bok means excellence.
How do the coaches think the senior players and ex-players feel about having put in all the work to make the Bok name respected again, so that they can treat it like they just got it in a F@#%$ING lucky packet at the corner cafe?
It is NOT F@#%#$ ACCEPTABLE!!
The coaches expect excellence from the players, but in return, the fans expect the same from the coaches. The excuses about lack of time together and bad slections are just a reflection on a badly planned and badly handled campaign.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
#214 skopskiet: Ultimately it comes down to poor talent identification. not many provinces look past their traditional feeder clubs/schools, mainly because with so many talented players there is no need to go past the status quo. to use WP as an example, almost every local player has come from maties, with universities such as UWC totally ignored. i suspect this may be the case elsewhere as well.
just think, somewhere out there, probably in the EC, is our very own Dan Carter playing in some obscure club. we’ll just never find him because of zero impetus on the part of lazy unions
November 8th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
#122 Sidewinder: This is exactly right.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
#215 SjamBok: well prepare to continually tear your hair out! Coaches have previously cheapened the springbok name by selecting 2nd string teams to go to new zealand & play in the tri-nations & used the world cup as the reason for leaving out some players.
i can’t imagine how you felt when the springboks were belted 49-0, lol…
everyone here always agrees that the coach must build depth going into 2011 but when he does it, they moan & wail like widowed housewives.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
#148 JL1: Eish it’s a good team. All over the park.
WE will do very well to win. Very well.
We need the assassin at 10 to be at his best.
Adi at 12 is a huge worry for me.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
#205 SjamBok: Shimmie – the only thing we can read from a game against a CLUB team without their English internationals is this – the rubbish were diabolical. The good were only good against a CLUB team.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
#218 Transformation: Are you stupid or just an bloody idiot. Whatever happened in the past does not justify wrong doings of the now.
You are such a donkey.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
#221 Balletjies: lol…hayi, i’ve never been called donkey before it’s a first!!
Who said anything about “justifying”? Ungabo khamisa utyhale sibhanxa!!!!!!!
November 8th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
#130 cab:
Victor Matfield…..man of the match, worldcup final 2007.
Not much impact?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:01 am
#214 skopskiet:
you do realize that there are only 15 players in a rugby side?
are cc coaches expected to drop senior players every year to accomodate craven week players?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:07 am
#201 Big Hit:
Yep Thorn came out and saved the day for NZ,dont be a stupid fool.
And of course thanks to Munsters Kiwis they came close in beating NZ
November 9th, 2009 at 12:07 am
#223 Brigadier Van Zyl:
i think he’s probably the most naturally talented lock to ever play, no-one can touch him in the air, he’s got the pace of a wing, great hands, unbeliebavle anticipation and rugby brain and gets through alot of tackles when needs be.
however, he can rest on his laurels at times imo and is more than aware of his own value – which at times, esp in lesser matches, makes him tend to coast a bit when what is required is a full committment from all to the b/d contest.
this is why JW was also relucantant to get his buy-in originally.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:09 am
On the matter of CJ’s inclusion. As far as I can remember PdV always stated that he would select a overseas based player ONLY IF THERE IS NO ONE IN SA that HE FEELS can do the job for him. Now, one might feel a bit sorry for WP Nel, but do we really want the kid to go and play against the French, Ireland and Italy at this stage? In CJ we have someone who played more than 50 tests and who knows the conditions over there. I therefore don’t think that PdV has created a precedent by selecting him. Think back to the selection of Butch James in 2008, who was also an overseas based player at the time when PdV selected him.
As far as calling on other overseas players like F. Steyn and JdV, it is obvious that PdV feels that he has adequate cover in Kirchner and Pienaar (for Steyn)and Adi and Meisiekind (for JdV). Therefore he will not call on them.
What do you guys think will happen to our local game if the likes of F. du Preez, Bismarck, Beast, HB, Spies, Scalk, Habana, Mossie, JPP, and M. Steyn all feel that they are the no. 1 choices in their respective positions and all of them sign overseas contracts with the believe that they must be/will be selected for the Bok team?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:13 am
#224 Brigadier Van Zyl:i think skop was talking about the apparent lack of faith shown by the cc coaches towards some players. For example the limited gametime vulindlu has had @ centre vs numerous opportunities for rubbish like strauss & swannie?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:35 am
#228 Transformation: It is more a case of selecting the better rubbish: Strauss vs. Vulindlu.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Grant must be a happy chappy this morning…!!
Why are people jumping on PdViva? He is not the first coach who said he would not select players playing overseas…
All coaches announce ‘their policies’ and how things will be done under their watch etc… Most coaches have a few players they don’t rate even while the public rates them highly…
What PdV deserves credit for is being mature enough and man to acknowledge mistakes and correct them… unlike most of his predecessors who stuck to their guns bloody-mindedly right until the very end…
Well done PdViva!
Congratulations CJ!!
November 9th, 2009 at 7:29 am
It’s a combo of mumble jumble and confusion
CJ is a LH, he can cover for a TH too but his preferred Test position is the LH
Now, was he called up to be the back up for the Beast? that by itself is a humilation for a great Test prop
And what about Heineke v.d. Merwe, he is a superb LH, where will he slot in this set up?
Or, was CJ called up to be the back up for JS? that’s must be a joke, BJ is the best S African TH.
And then, is Strauss expected to be behind Maku in the pecking order, another humilation.
Wiam Du Preez the only one who plays this game as a pro: he goes to Ireland while saying all the right things
November 9th, 2009 at 7:45 am
#231 Hondo:
under Jake White CJ covered both positions… everyone thought it was cool at the time and proved how good CJ is…
everyone’s been shouting about picking CJ (and BJ)… now that they get their wish… but suddenly PdV’s wrong for picking CJ???
You guys shift the goal-posts quicker than the swirling Cape wind…
November 9th, 2009 at 7:47 am
#231 Hondo: CJ has played tighthead throughout Jake Whites reign so i think he is experienced enough and his ability in the loose has far more impact than BJ – i think this is a good call by Pdivvy
November 9th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Morning all
See arcticle on Superrugby….PDV states categorically that CJ has been chosen as a specialist tighthead.
The end of an era in sight….watch this space gents….
I called the end of schalk as an opensider….
J Smit wont last at 3…his role will be redefined…remember BJ also on record he will be back prior to 2011 to compete for 3 jersey.
It is the right step for our rugby…simply could not let such a fundamental facet of the game be neglected as we have done …..
Last Friday served a healthy reminder of that point.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:19 am
#234 grant10: I saw the predicted French line-up, doesn’t appear to be a very big pack.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Which Northern hemisphere traitor voted that the French would win by 7 ?
November 9th, 2009 at 8:28 am
#234 grant10: So are you suggesting returning Smit to hooker – you need Smit for his captaincy no doubt about it.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:29 am
#236 stew: well it wasn’t me, I haven’t seen the poll yet. I would’ve backed France if they had selected a big pack but it seems they’re going with mobile units, it’s a 50/50 game for me now.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:40 am
#234 grant10:
I don’t know if you missed the report, but SARU had invited CJ to be part of the Bok squad almost 2 months ago. They also stated that he hadn’t responded by the deadline they’d set, and didn’t know whether he was interested in making himself available.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:46 am
#235 Big Hit: Interesting…i thought they would have wanted to attack us in set scrums and bank on the Bok’fatigue’ factor….perhaps they looking at our new midfield and reckon they can run at us as well?
#237 stew: Either that or a supersub type role….remember he can do the 1….2….and 3 jobs…
#239 David: I knew he was in the mix but i think the injury and the contract was a problem
Dont like to spread gossip but i can tell you BJ Botha also left Sharks a bit pi ssed off…leave you to work out the detail…
November 9th, 2009 at 8:48 am
#236 stew: Perhaps that traitor predicting with his head as opposed to his heart??
November 9th, 2009 at 8:55 am
#232 ufo:
He is not wrong
I asked 3 questions and have no answer, did they pick him up as a reserve?
November 9th, 2009 at 8:59 am
#233 stew:
CJ is better than either JS or the Beast at their respective positions
BJ is a better TH than CJ
now, please explain, is CJ called up to be a sub for JS nad the Beast?
That’s a joke, unless CJ was assured of a Test spot he shouldn’t agree to join the Boks, that’s my opinion.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:01 am
#231 Hondo:
CJ is the perfect bench replacement as he can cover both 1 and 3 if needed.
Does anyone know when the new 8 man (mandatory 3 front row replacements) bench rules come into effect?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:01 am
#236 stew:
Too early, we neede to see if the quota lords have their say in the Boks team’s selection, any speculation now is futile
November 9th, 2009 at 9:05 am
#244 David:
Nonsense
he is a far better prop than JS and the Beast will ever be tzusamen, selecting to the bench your A option to be a back up for two C options is a kinky, distorted mind
Or PdV’s mind for that matter.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:10 am
The team that lost on friday lost because they did have enough time to prepare and they were playing together for the 1st time,its got nothing to do with the selections,why do you think the Barbarians struggle all the time?I remember a couple of years back they had Richie McCaw,John Smit,Jerry Collins,Schalk Burger but they still got pasted.Its a fact of life if you dont have enough time to prepare you will fail no matter how good you are.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I don’t understand why WP Nel was not called up with his front-row partners. This makes little sense.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
This should be interesting if CJ starts, Healy(new Irish Prop) apparently was CJ’s understudy until he got injured. Actually Healy attributes most of his skills to Springbok props. He considers Ollie Le Roux his mentor and now CJ. Should be great fun to see them up against each other.