Smit starts at hooker
John Smit will revert to his strongest position this Saturday while the uncapped Dewald Potgieter has been named on the bench.
Smit played down the shift when probed on the matter. On a tour marred by poor scrumming and front-row injuries, the Springboks have lost Gurthro Steenkamp, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis and most recently Adriaan Strauss. Bismarck du Plessis has had a rib concern, while CJ van der Linde has just recovered from a hamstring ailment.
The string of injuries sees Smit reverting to the position where many experts, including former team-mate Os du Randt, feel he’s best.
‘It’s been awhile since I’ve played hooker – I think my last start was in the Super 14. Hopefully it’s just like riding a bicycle,’ Smit told keo.co.za.
‘It’s going to be an epic Test. They’re the Six Nations champions and we’ve enjoyed a good year, so it’s going to be tough.’
Peter de Villiers has also selected BJ Botha at tighthead and Beast Mtawarira at loosehead after this front-row combination impressed in the closing stages of the Italy Test. De Villiers, however, refused to say whether this combination would be retained in future matches.
‘We now have a lot of options and can opt for a horse for courses approach,’ the Bok coach said. ‘The front row we’ve selected is perfect for how we want to play against Ireland.’
Botha (Ulster), Van der Linde (Leinster) and Jean de Villiers (Munster) all play their club rugby in Ireland, and are included despite the policy that frowns on the selection of overseas-based players.
Peter de Villiers said this stance was relaxed given the number of injuries and the fact that the trio were playing in Ireland.
‘We will always look inside our own country first. If we can’t find someone good enough, only then will we look outside.
‘We are fortunate that Jean was here and thought it would be stupid to fly a replacement out from South Africa. He knows the system and it’s not even three months since he last played for South Africa.’
Other changes to the pack see Danie Rossouw shifted to No 8 in place of Ryan Kankowski while Schalk Burger returns from a rib injury. Bakkies Botha is still battling a back injury but is named in the starting side.
De Villiers said the change at No 8 is down to injury and not because of the physicality Rossouw can bring to the contest.
‘Kanko got a bump against Italy and we’ve decided to manage him,’ said De Villiers, even though Kankowski trained with the Boks on Thursday. ‘It’s going to be a tough Super 14 so we have to think of the player as well.’
Wynand Olivier is preferred in the centres with Jean de Villiers warming the bench. De Villiers was a late replacement for injured centre Adi Jacobs.
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Dewald Potgieter, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Jean de Villiers.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Dublin
November 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
pdv shows again he isn’t stubborn.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Good news – pack looks quite strong.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
At least Smit is back to hooker, and Jean Dragons is on the bench
November 26th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Poor Ratel will have to play both 6 and 7, untill Deysel comes on to help him!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Huh?
November 26th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
good team though, I see no reason for Potgieter to be on the bench instead on kanko. And i’m not a big fan of Dannie the cart horse at 8, but from all accounts the weather is going to suit the cart horse. I have a feeling the 2 back backup might be a little thin. we might see Bekker playing at 13 before the end of the game… ahem i mean intentionally.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
5-2 split kind of sells the gameplan
November 26th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Excellent team.
Finally sanity prevails. What makes this team so great is its bench.
For the first time this year, we have a bench that can actually STRENGTHEN the team in the last 20 minutes.
Imagine if you can bring on Bismark, Jean Deysel, and Jean de Villiers as impact players, rather than having to bring on Ricky january, Chilliboy Rallapele and Adi Jacobs.
Of course, the quota brigade won’t be happy with this team, but it is absolutely the best one available.
What a strong forward bench, in particular.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Good team
November 26th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
@Observer:
For one, Potgieter doesn’t cough the ball up each time he is tackled.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Was always going to be a tight game, they may have to try and keep the ball a lot more than they have been due to the strong winds that are apparently predicted. So go with the big pack, just make sure they hit the breakdowns better than they have been doing…
November 26th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
huge amount of respect to PdV
as i’ve always contended grant10..in Pdv we trust
November 26th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
@Tacitus: Good point!!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
@Tacitus: u dont even deserve a informed response
transformation,please dont fall for it
November 26th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
What a great bench!! much better!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Weaknesses are Zane Kirchner, CJ vd Linde and Andries Bekker.
The rest of the 22 are very solid. Definitely the best team available.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
G10 will be happy.
The Smit story wont finish here tho. For my money, Bismarck has been the best no2 in the World this year.
Maybe this is Smits personal choice for his retirement match ?
Cant believe how much the Boks, and fans here, rate Roussow. He’s a plodder no less. Surely this was the perfect opportunity to get Potgeiter or Deysel in there, testing them at the coalface. Shuffle the loosies to put Burger at 8 and Potgeiter in to the mix, he looks excellent.
Still cant see the Paddys getting past this Bok team, esp knowing its their final match before hitting the beach. Boks by 9.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
gotto feel for a player like Kanko though
November 26th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
@Tacitus: Hhahaahah GOOD ONE
A great team from 1-22. I like Danie at 8, he will do the Business on Saturday.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
@Tacitus: Bulls would give there left horn to have CJ in there squad!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
:@ #4 & #8
Why can’t you guys just be positive about the team with remarks like this. I, and I believe many others, would not prefer WO in the team ahead of JdV. The coach had other ideas. Let’s respect them without all this negativity that you portray here.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
@Papoose: yes…i am thrilled with team
November 26th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
@Papoose:
Why? He had his chance and he played like ****.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Interesting front row permutations.
Bismark and CJ will probably come on for Beast and BJ, with Smit shifting to tighthead.
Potentially the best front row options the Springboks have going into the next world cup.
With Strauss, Du Preez, Nel, Blaauw and Van Der Merwe entering the mix more frequently thereafter.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@WakaNathan: i am ecstatic….and you may be close to the mark with the smit retirement hint….wouldnt surprise me in the least.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Let’s see how Wynand Olivier does.
I think this tour hasn’t been great for Kanko and he may well lose his regular place in the mix to the likes of Deysel or Potgieter.
The problem is, if WO doesn’t step up, who do the Boks replace him with?
Bosman?
Ebershon?
De Jongh?
November 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@nama1:
with=without
November 26th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Great team, best available.
Watch us take the Paddy scrum for a walk, and humiliate the second best lock pair in world rugby at lineout time.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@Observer: Danie was our WC rugby final winner, maybe you forgot that he made the most important tackle of the whole world cup! So dont’t dis Danie, he’s a hero.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@Tacitus: A few too many Bulls players in the backline hey …
Otherwise … all good.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
@WakaNathan: Waka, Rossouw is an excellent player in those conditions plus he is a great option at the back of the lineout. Means the Paddy;s are going to have to shuffle their lineout around a lot to get decent ball.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
@nama1: That’s because underneath it all Tacitus is a big fat, KKK, white robe wearing racist who cannot just be happy that SA (the whole of SA, even the one’s Tac wants to whip and burn crosses at), have a great solid team representing them for the fixture against Ireland. He is like those plantation masters back in the day who feel incomplete unless he has used the N – word.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Weather report 28/11/09: Cold to very cold day for Ireland with a strong north westerly smack from the springboks, there is a 80% chance that Ireland might not even come close with isolated instances where they will be a thread, 8 inces of irish **** is expected on the field that might make traveling difficult
November 26th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Best of luck boks….and Schalk….the bullet proof vest….dont forget…..
Fark me 82000 at Croke Park….Schalk is as brave as Luke facing down the Loftus faithful!!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
@grant10:
Sticks out like dogs b*ll*x.
and if it is his retirement match……and you can quote me on this……..(and I’ll ignore that horrendous JUSTICE4 righteous preaching humiliation just this once)…..so if it IS his last match…….then
I really hope he goes out with a win. He deserves it.
and he should. Because he’s no TH-prop (albeit better than you care to admit). And because by shifting him back to no2, replacing the best no2 on the Planet, then that would potentially cause real problems for selections going fwd (and admit that pushing Smit to TH was a mistake in the 1st place).
November 26th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
@Breakdown Boy: #29
Danie’s heroics in the WC two years ago will mean nothing come Saturday. Why do you guys keep bringing that up?
November 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
@puff:
If by stepping up you mean stop his opposite number EVERY time with rock solid defense, you won’t be disappointed.
Not even O’ Driscoll will get past him. He is our top defending centre.
If you mean dazzle us with intercepts and solo tries, then probably not. He will carry the ball up strongly many times in the game. Probably get over the advantage line each time, or take two defenders down with him. He might get his arms through the tackle a number of times.
And maybe even hit a clean gap once or twice in the game. Whether they result in tries or not, depends on the situation. In a tight game, they probably won’t.
That’s more than you can ask from a centre at this level of the game.
Wynand will do what he does best. In a tight, physical game, he is the guy you want at number 12. He is no twinkle toes, but he does his job solidly.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I hate that “more to follow…” part cos of :
1 – they might have gotten the team wrong yet again
2 – listen to the k@k remarks again regarding PDV! how he succumed to pressure and ****! mark my words!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Mtawarira
Smit
Botha
Botha
Matfield
Brussow
Smith
Spies
Van Der Merwe
Du Plessis
Van Der Linde
Rossouw
Bekker
Burger
Deysel
Potgieter
I can live with these forwards being in the Bok mix leading up to and during the RWC 2011.
Any other country, this list of fourteen players would be a virtual shoo-in.
But not sunny SA.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Deysel is like the fat chick who you keep telling your friends is hot. When they finally meet her it’s a bitter disappointment.
Deysel is real big and looks like he should make a real impact. Once on the field he’s about as useful as a tub of butter. He loses the ball in the tackle and falls down at the first sign of making contact. They may as well have included Francois Hougaard as a forwards reserve because I think he’s more difficult to pin down.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
this is the best bok squad that has been fielded on tour.
I still would have preferred Bismarck and Deysel to start, with Schalk only coming on as a replacement for this particular match.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
if the irish beat this bok team, then they doing bladdy well.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
@WakaNathan: Ja…well lets see….but the sharks going to be an interesting place ….Plumtree will need to juggle carefully.
Just read on Bob Skinstads blogg that both CJ and BJ will come home if Provincial and Bok contracts are negotiated….interesting times…
November 26th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
My team for 2011 RWC – What you peeps think?
1.BJ Botha
2.Smit
3.Beast
4.Bakkies
5.Matfield
6.Brussouw
7.Burger
8.Vermeulen
9.Du Preez
10.Steyn
11.Spies
12.Jean Div
13.Fourie
14.Nick Koster
15.Steyn
16.Bismark
17.CJ
18.Bekker
19.Deysel
20.Potgieter
21.Juan de Jongh
22.Ruaan Pienaar
November 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
@ratel: Harsh….
November 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
@rossoneri: dude forget Tacticus
dont give him the platform he’s looking for
November 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
@dr dre: your props the wrong way round
November 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
@ratel:
Couldn’t agree more with you.
Its all borne from the South African obsession with size in its rugby players. Deysel is totally overrated.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
@dr dre: If you don’t know the differnce between 1 an 3, you should not post teams for everyone to consider.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
John should take up hooker till the end of the world cup, sub him for Bussi each game at the 65min mark and then use the opportunity to bleed new leaders, like FDP, Smith, Bekker, Spies, Schalk? It won’t help if Matfield is interm captain as he will most likely leave come 2012.
But John should stay till the end of 2011 if we have any chance of the retaining the WC!