‘Great reward’ for Nel
2 Dec 2009
Os du Randt believes WP Nel deserves the call-up to the Barbarians side who face the All Blacks on Saturday.
Nel enjoyed an impressive Currie Cup campaign as he played a big role at tighthead in the Cheetahs’ front row that was considered the best scrumming force in the competition.
He was, however, overlooked for the Springboks’s recent end-of-year tour, where he would have been an ideal option for midweek teams that struggled in the scrums. But the prop now has some reward with the call-up to the Barbarians squad.
Cheetahs scrum coach Du Randt said Nel will grow from this opportunity, as he will feature alongside Italy stalwart Salvatore Perugini, Boks Beast Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis, and Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore.
‘I’m proud of the guy,’ Du Randt told keo.co.za. ‘I think it’s a huge reward for him after a fantastic Currie Cup. He must just stick to the basics and the rest will follow. There will be enough experience around him there to help him against the All Blacks and plenty of top-class players to learn from.
‘Ever since his appearance against the Stormers in the Super 14, he has excelled. He listens to advice and has developed a lot since then. So he will bring something new back with him to the Cheetahs.’
Du Randt believes his prop apprentice will have a big impact in the exhibition match at Twickenham, with Nel’s scrumming prowess and physicality his main strengths.
‘His best quality is his ability to stabilize the scrum and to counter the opposing loosehead. He is also very physical and opponents find it hard to bring him down,’ he said. ‘WP can also contribute a lot of other things like clearing the ruck, he’s strong in defence and scores a lot of tries for a prop.’
During the tour, coach Peter de De Villiers went against his ‘strict’ overseas policy and selected Ireland-based tightheads BJ Botha and CJ van der Linde because of injuries.
Du Randt said he believes Nel is good enough to be feature for the Boks.
‘I believe he is a future Bok. He has already made his mark as a tighthead, so all he needs is an opportunity in the side,’ Du Randt said. ‘If he can do well against the All Blacks, there is no reason why he can’t do the same for the Boks. Peter de Villiers must surely consider him if he does well and proves himself.’
Nel’s time with the Barbarians, along with team-mates Adriaan Strauss and Wian du Preez’s appearances for the Boks and Du Preez’s two month stint with Munster, will be a big boost for the Cheetahs as their front row will improve a great deal with this international experience heading into next year’s Super 14.
By Gareth Duncan
25 Comments
2 Dec 2009, 11:19 am
Did Nel play for the Cheetahs in the S14 this year?
I cannot remember their scrum being that impressive in that comp.
2 Dec 2009, 11:20 am
Trivia question…
Did Os ever run out for the Baa-baa’s?
2 Dec 2009, 11:32 am
@ pissant : Can’t remember WP getting a mention in the S14 if he did play? Didn’t that other oke Kobus Caldo get more game time
2 Dec 2009, 11:38 am
This is a great opportunity for a young man that has taken his opportunities at the Cheetahs, and he has repaid their faith in him!!
The scrum of the Cheetahs looks very solid for the S14 in 2010, and I can’t wait!!! A couple of concerns in the team, but an allround balanced team!!
1. Wian/Coenie Oosthuizen/Buckle
2. Strauss/Rayno Barnes/Skipper Badenhorst
3. WP Nel/Ruaan du Preez/Calldo
4. Breedt/Rudy Matthee/Brendan Snyman???/Juan Smith
5. David de Villiers/Izak van der Westhuizen
6. Brussow/Floors/Wessells??/Wesley wilkens/Kitshoff
7. Juan Smith/Frans Viljoen/Davon Raubenheimer
8. Francois Uys/Ashley Johnson/Hendro Scholtz
Very solid front row, good lock options, and a very well balanced loose trio… should get good front foot ball, slow down opposition ball, and good ball carriers in Smith, Breedt, Viljoen, and Uys !!!
9. Sarel Pretorius/Tewis de Bruyn/Odendaal
10.Naas Olivier/Louis Strydom
11.Nokwe/Basson/Rocco Jansen
12.Bosman/Ebersohn/Geel
13.Corne Uys/Wilmaure Louw/Phillip Snyman
14.Lionel Mapoe/Danwell Demas
15.Hennie Daniller/ Riaan Viljoen
Good backline, my only concern is the flyhalf position.. fortunately, there is Bosman, and de Bruyn that have played flyhalf, and de Bruyn is an useful goal kicker!! That said, we need a player that can get that pacy backline moving!!
A very good team allround! Let’s hope that they can play to their undoubted potential, and ensure that they stay away from the Spears relegation zone!!!
2 Dec 2009, 11:39 am
Interesting fact on WP Nel.
He played for Western Province in 2008 during the Vodacom Cup and for Boland in the Currie Cup 2008. He played WP U21′s in 2007. He hails from Worcester.
How did you guys let him go?
2 Dec 2009, 11:58 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva: We’ve also got Dumond as back-up flyhalf on loan from the sharks – he is better than Strydom .I believe that Wilton Pietersen might be in the mix . . .
2 Dec 2009, 12:03 pm
@SamM: @6!! Dunno about the Dumond deal, as the Clownfish, have flyhalf problems with Hernandez, and Pienaar out for a while…
It will be good to get Wilton back, just hope his skills haven’t suffered, heard he was battling with co-ordination with catching etc…
Maybe they can bring Sias Ebersohn in, and I know nothing about the other flyhalf they contracted from the Valke, but anybody is an improvement on Louis Strydom in my book
2 Dec 2009, 12:05 pm
@SamM: Maybe not, his move has been put on hold till Sharks management have had a serious chat to Ruan about what position he will be playing in, and JMH is injured, so poor Dumond’s move has been put on hold till all boxes are ticked.
2 Dec 2009, 12:09 pm
@Cheetah 4 Eva: Clownfish
2 Dec 2009, 12:18 pm
@Cheetah 4 Eva: do you know who Jonathan Mokouena signed for Super 14?
Lions or Cheetahs?
2 Dec 2009, 12:31 pm
I am very pleased about his selection in this Barbaa’s team.
It will give us all a good indication whether he is good enough to make the step up into international rugby. Personally I believe he is.
The experience will hold him in good stead for the future.
It is just such a pitty that our rugby selectors were not brave enough to have selected him in the first place on this past tour.
The experience gained would have been hugely beneficial to emerging players like him and we would have blooded a few more rising stars, increasing our depth before the World Cup.
Instead, we selected players who were totally out of their depth which would only have caused them to suffer, severely denting their own confidence and then denying the best players we have to obtain valuable experience at international level.
Players like, Wickus Blaauw, WP Nel, Duanne Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Adriaan strauss, Wian Du Preez, Sarel Pretorius, Deon Stegman, Flip van der Merwe and Riaan Swanepoel all should have been in the initial touring squad.
But no, political intervention again came into play. When will it ever end??????
2 Dec 2009, 12:41 pm
@Papoose: Lions
2 Dec 2009, 12:41 pm
@Cheetah 4 Eva: If Wilton Pieterson is unable to return it will be a real shame as he was a really talented player. Was destined to be a bok.
He had loads of skill and had a real core strength. He reminded me a bit of Sivivatu in his running style.
2 Dec 2009, 12:59 pm
Just curious, JP Nel still wears his arm guard?
2 Dec 2009, 13:00 pm
Ouch, it’s not about him here, my bad.
2 Dec 2009, 13:06 pm
@Oubaas2009:
I’ve read he hails from Loeriesfontein.
WP can’t distinguish a diamond from a piece of granite unless it is already polished.
2 Dec 2009, 13:09 pm
#2 PissAnt – yes: telegraph.co.uk/sport/2389524/Barbarians-look-south.html
2 Dec 2009, 13:52 pm
@Sharksgirl: @ 9 Lol sowy SG, couldn’t resist the temptation lol!!
2 Dec 2009, 13:54 pm
@Cheetah 4 Eva:
2 Dec 2009, 13:58 pm
@nama1: Yeah, you’re right. Born in Louriesfontein (where?) but went to school at Drosty HS in Worcester.
You would think a province battling with their tight 5 would have even seen this piece of granite!
2 Dec 2009, 17:24 pm
@Cheetah 4 Eva: Whats happened to Fabian Juries then?? Surely they couldnt have dropped him?
2 Dec 2009, 21:54 pm
@Oubaas2009:
Northern Cape. Calvinia se omgewing.
3 Dec 2009, 00:36 am
To me this is the team that should have toured.
1st 15 that should have trained together and departed for the UK few days later.
1.Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira
2.John Smit (c)
3.BJ Botha
4.Bakkies Botha
5.Victor Matfield (v/c)
6.Heinrich Brussow
7.Juan Smith* / Schalk Burger
8.Pierre Spies* / Ryan Kankowski
9.Fourie du Preez
10.Morne Steyn
11.Bryan Habana
12.Jean de Villiers
13.Jaque Fourie
14.JP Pietersen
15.Frans Steyn
Dirt Trackers Team:
1.Heinke van der Merwe
2.Bismarck du Plessis
3.Brian Mujati
4.Juandre Kruger•
5.Gerhard Mostert•* / Andries Bekker
6.Keegan Daniel• (c)
7.Jean Deysel
8.Duanne Vermeulen•
9.Ruan Pienaar
10.Peter Grant (v/c)
11.Lionel Mapoe•
12.Brad Barritt•
13.Waylon Murray
14.Alwyn Hollenbach•
15.Zane Kirchner
16.Craig Burden•
17.WP Nel•
18.Flip van der Merwe•
19.Francois Louw•
20.Rory Kockott•
21.Wynand Olivier
22.Louis Ludik•* / Gerhard van den Heever•
What do you guys think? I know we all have our own oppinions but I
defently think my team is a better bet than what was chosen.
3 Dec 2009, 16:55 pm
@JKBridge: Is your name perhaps PDV by any chance? When I read Brian Mujati I stopped taking you seriously already.
So you would have picked the just recovering Heinke too just like PDv? Hmm that didnt work out well did it?
Gerhard Mostert I´m afraid just wasnt anywhere near our next best no5. If you said Anton van Zyl, David de Villiers or even Franco van der Merwe I would agree.
Keegan Daniel though good, is not up to test match level yet and is certainly no Brussouw. I´d say our next best 6 after Heinrich is possibly Stegmann, but will be interesting to see how Francois Louw takes shape this year. I´d prefer to play Dewaldt Potgieter at 6 myself.
8 Duane Vermeulen is a good choice but I think a lot of people have overlooked Willem Alberts. You have a loosie combo of Brussouw, Deysel and Alberts and youre going to get lots of ball.Especially if you include Bakkies, Bismarck and Beast.
At 9 I would have liked Vermaak had he not been injured but someone I´d really like to see at test level in future is Sarel Pretorius. he´s relentless. Pity he´s so small though.
The rest look good, would have put Wp Nel instead of Mujati btw.
6 Dec 2009, 04:57 am
He played awesome in the game….. its time to give him a chance in the Bok jumper.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.