Smit set for No 2 jersey?
22 Nov 2009
Peter de Villiers has hinted John Smit could return to hooker against Ireland next Saturday.
The Springbok captain has made the move to tighthead with mixed results, but in the last quarter of their win against Italy, Smit packed down in his favoured hooker position. With a specialist tighthead and the other positions in the front-row filled by players playing in their preferred positions, it was no surprise that the South African scrum looked at its strongest this year.
It would be the logical decision to start Smit at No 2 with Bismarck du Plessis returning from injury off the bench, and the Bok coach suggested this could be the case.
‘Maybe next week I’ll use John [Smit] and Bismarck [du Plessis] as hookers against Ireland,’ said De Villiers.
‘It’s a nice problem to have, knowing that we can change things around,’ he said in reference to their front-row options now that Botha and fellow overseas tighthead CJ van der Linde are in the squad. ‘I will have to make some important decisions in this regard.’
De Villiers also admitted he was worried about the Bok scrum in the build-up to the Italy Test, and he conceded they looked strongest in the final 20 minutes.
‘I was a bit afraid coming into this game that psychologically [last week's scrummaging problems] would give more to the players than anything else. I know the ability of our scrums, I know that our players are world class, I know they can stand up for themselves under all circumstances and I think the last 20 minutes instilled that kind of confidence that we tried to bring to them in practice.’
The Boks reverted to a physical pack in the closing stages that has the ability to dominate Ireland at Croke Park next week. The Irish struggled against Australia at scrum-time last week, and if the Boks select their best unit, they could use it to disrupt the hosts’ dangerous backline and loose forwards.
‘Our boys regrouped pretty well and again we fell back on that experience of battling behind the things that worked for us,’ said Smit. ‘We stuck to a lot of those things that worked for us today and it ended up becoming a good result.’
In other team news, worryingly Fourie du Preez is reportedly in danger of missing the final tour match with a hand injury. News will be released at Monday’s press conference, but if he is injured, out of form Ruan Pienaar or Francois Hougaard could start at scrumhalf.
215 Comments
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22 Nov 2009, 16:51 pm
Do we really have to give him a jersey?
22 Nov 2009, 16:57 pm
always just a matter of time.
22 Nov 2009, 16:58 pm
#2 grant10: what’s always just a matter of time?
22 Nov 2009, 16:58 pm
Ruan at 9 please if FDP out…..Croke Park…we will need experience.
22 Nov 2009, 16:59 pm
#3 SpringbokSarah: Smit back to 2…
22 Nov 2009, 16:59 pm
beach time….cheers
22 Nov 2009, 17:03 pm
Doesn’t Bismarck have a higher work rate in the loose though?
22 Nov 2009, 17:07 pm
#7 Partizan: Smit to start at 2….Bissy on for last 30….if Smit is needed for entire duration for captaincy, then Smit to 1 for last 30 minutes….
Far easier than 3….
wave calling
22 Nov 2009, 17:26 pm
My bench would be CJ…BISSY AND WIAAN DU PREEZ
22 Nov 2009, 17:36 pm
oh dear, now we will have quota hougaard playing against ireland, i forsee k@k…
22 Nov 2009, 17:49 pm
With Bismarck not there and with all the other front row injuries it makes sense to move Smit back to hooker for this last game of the season.
Next year is a different question however.
Smit’s move was to make space for Bismarck.
Bismarck has now had a full season for the Boks and for the Sharks. Maybe it’s time that he and Smit compete for the no.2 jersey again.
22 Nov 2009, 18:25 pm
What worries me is that it has again taken something like this to prove to the coach what a lot of us have been saying for a very long time. Your scrum strength is determined by your tighthead and John Smit is not an international tighthead. Can Div really now still claim to have enough technical knowledge to coach a national side?
22 Nov 2009, 18:47 pm
‘It’s a nice problem to have, knowing that we can change things around,’ he said
Its not so nice if you create many of the ‘problems’ yourself!!
22 Nov 2009, 18:50 pm
The Smit to tighthead move was stillborn….a train accident waiting to happen
Almost as bad as moving Gerrie Sonnekus to 8 th man vs B Lions in 1974.
Personally i pray PDV got the nuts to admit it and shelve it for all time….
The sight of the retreating Bok scrum will haunt me for years!
22 Nov 2009, 18:50 pm
sorry…gerrie to scrumhalf!
22 Nov 2009, 19:02 pm
ah yes, let the games begin, the wee maestro is hatching a plan…
22 Nov 2009, 19:04 pm
#14 grant10:
crickey you;ve obviously never been to twickenham from the years 2000-2005 – i’ll show you bok packs that were frognmarched back into the carpark and then we can share our nightmares.
22 Nov 2009, 19:05 pm
#12 kwas: Your arrogance is breathtaking. Who are you and what is your experience in international rugby? Managers make judgement calls all the time having assessed the risks and trade-offs involved in a decision using the best information available to them at the time. In moving Smit permanently to TH, Peter de Villiers made a judgement call the full details of which you have not been privy to. If coaches were not prepared to experiment and take risks the game would remain static; this in an environment where rugby is competing with numerous other sporting codes for the attention of fans. The springbok coach has undoubtedly learnt from the performance of the front row on this tour and I bet that the insights he has made are a bit more nuanced than the speculative observations of the average rugby supporter.
22 Nov 2009, 19:06 pm
#17 cab: Difference is i want it fixed….you find it acceptable.
22 Nov 2009, 19:07 pm
#18 radiohead: More nuanced?
What the devil does that mean….we not blind…this is not science…its bloody obvious man!
22 Nov 2009, 19:09 pm
till later
22 Nov 2009, 19:10 pm
Grant. Stop shrieking please, you’re tiresome.
22 Nov 2009, 19:17 pm
Apparently, what happens in the front row is entirely obvious to grant. Wow, there are many rugby minds of far greater pedigree who would be wary of making such a bold assertion.
22 Nov 2009, 19:41 pm
and so the seeds of doubt have germinated and are now desperate for more light in which to grow.
22 Nov 2009, 19:48 pm
So, it’s quite clear Smitty has reached the end of a pretty illustrious road. There’s a marginally better hooker in town and he’s never ever in 1000 years going to hack it as a real test prop. So it’s “ride off into the sunset” time for the hardy yeoman of the Bok front row. Times change.
22 Nov 2009, 20:19 pm
Smit needs go nowhere yet and should keep training.
i gotta a feeling the youngsters in SA still got a long way to go to prove themselves, and who knows, perhaps the all be calling for smit to return like what happened in 2008 after losing a few.
he’s been in outstanding form this year. and can go all the way to 2011 as a senior player, which is essential in any team to have these.
22 Nov 2009, 20:22 pm
#14 grant10: the funny thing about it is that, just two months ago the same Os Durant that everyone hails as a scrum miracle maker, commended smit on how he has made the “very dificult” adjustment. Os said smit only needed to get “mentally tough” so that he can handle the latter stages of a game. He revealed that smit spent a weekend @ his farm and he gave him advice.
Now all of a sudden smit’s conversion to tighthead is “stillborn”, a year after he has been playing there. Hhmmm?
22 Nov 2009, 20:23 pm
#19 grant10:
obviously i would prefer our scrum to be strong, but that is not the way its panned out, there’d prob be no-one to touch SA. our lineout and maul are the best tho and i would say on average we have the most intense and athletic forwards at the breakdown – tho france;s display seemed to blow us off the park here – but one wonders if the Bokke were blown away b4 even touching down.
22 Nov 2009, 20:48 pm
Smit is ok on the harder fields down SH way.
Up North where the set phases are crucial he has been found out.
Didn’t make the grade, a luxury we no longer can afford. His replacement at hooker has already been blooded. Fact of life.
22 Nov 2009, 20:53 pm
Something tells me Smit will be 1 st choice hooker at the lions competing for a spot come 2011 against Bissy
Just feel he will need to go head to head with Bissy….and the Sharks is not the place to do it….
I bet some interesting chats going down between Muir, BJ, Cj and Smit…..
Just got a feeling in the bones somethings cooking
22 Nov 2009, 20:55 pm
#30 grant10: I wish.
22 Nov 2009, 20:56 pm
And so he should be…
Ruan to start at 9 if needed
22 Nov 2009, 20:57 pm
#31 SodaJoe: Bob Skinstad reckons BJ keen on a return to SA….somethings gonna give Soda….watch this space!
Remember Alberts and Ludick…..i smell a deal….
22 Nov 2009, 20:58 pm
Smit best captain by a country mile.
But 3rd best hooker on offer.
I rather back the best hooker over the best captain any time.
His importance is overstated.
22 Nov 2009, 20:59 pm
Spurs beat Wolves 9-1 !!!!!!
22 Nov 2009, 20:59 pm
#34 Kronung: name the 2 better hookers??
22 Nov 2009, 21:00 pm
#35 justrugby: Jeepers!!
How did the golf go??
22 Nov 2009, 21:01 pm
#33 grant10: I hope so. We need a lot to set up 2010 and follow through to 2011.
Nice to see a stable scrum for once.
Spies coming off a strong scrum will be very dangerous.
On Saturday I would play Brussow, Deysel, Oom Danie at 8.
I thought Bekker had his best tight game in a green jersey on Saturday.
22 Nov 2009, 21:02 pm
#37 grant10:
Job done and dusted, get Blazer and trophy at our prize giving on Fri night !!!!
22 Nov 2009, 21:02 pm
#35 justrugby: Boet. Leeds 3 Brighton 1. 6 points clear, game in hand. That’s all that counts.
22 Nov 2009, 21:03 pm
#36 grant10: Biz & Strauss?
22 Nov 2009, 21:03 pm
#33 grant10:
but grantie are you talking out of your ring again, or do you actually get this info from a reliable source, not sauce?
22 Nov 2009, 21:03 pm
cheers guys.
22 Nov 2009, 21:04 pm
#36 grant10: Biz and Strauss, and Smit distant 3rd. Hooker needs to be mobile in the modern game, defence and breakdown, and with BJ, Beast, Bakkies and Victor packed around them the extra scrumming power of Smit is debatable.
Great gladiator, but time to go.
22 Nov 2009, 21:05 pm
#38 SodaJoe: Agree with those sentiments Soda…..
Last 20 minutes showed us the road forward i reckon….personally i would play Smit at 2, the leadership and extra scrumming oomph he gives is enough for me to play Bissy off the bench….
With a proper rotation policy Smit may still get to 2011 intact….as a 2…
A Bekker really has come on in leaps and bounds…great to know we will ‘survive’ should VM not be around.
Brussow….what a beauty!
22 Nov 2009, 21:05 pm
#35 justrugby:
think it was wigan, not wolves
22 Nov 2009, 21:05 pm
#40 SodaJoe:
LOl……about blady time…….we need them in the top flight !!!!!
22 Nov 2009, 21:06 pm
#39 justrugby: Congratulations!!!!
Fantastic…you biscuit….you the man!! We must celebrate soon!! Well done champ!
22 Nov 2009, 21:08 pm
#46 charo:
My aplogies , you right !!!
22 Nov 2009, 21:08 pm
#41 SodaJoe: I believe Smit better than them….close with Bissy …but his scrumming is a cut above them both. Smit for me…
#42 cab: speculating….but admit i heard something….but not substantiated.
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