Boks need fresh faces
10 Aug 2010
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day column, believes Peter de Villiers should have rewarded Currie Cup form.
Western Province and the Sharks continue to provide national coach Peter de Villiers with a blueprint that emphasises playing the game at pace, offloading in the tackle and using both the ball and the width of the pitch.
Any neutral, having observed the demolition jobs in Kimberley and Durban, would declare the South African game in a healthy state. It was the same when the Bulls and the Stormers thrilled with their skill, intensity and pace in the Super 14 final.
At national level, however, it has looked dire, although there was little acknowledgement of this from De Villiers and his selectors in confirming the squad for the three home Tri-Nations Tests. De Villiers stuck with those who flopped in New Zealand and Australia. Much of it is understandable; some of it confusing.
Why hang onto players who at best are fringe players to the match 22? Why not use the next three weeks to introduce a couple of the form Currie Cup players to the Bok culture?
There was no reward for the standout youthful performers in the first five weeks of the Currie Cup, but there was a recall for Paris-based Frans Steyn, despite the fact that he has not played for two months, is in pre-season training and is battling an injury.
Steyn ordinarily should always be the first-choice fullback for South Africa, but these are not ordinary times for Steyn or De Villiers, who picked Steyn to play against Wales in Cardiff in the season’s first Test, but publicly slammed the player for lacking the necessary match fitness.
Since then Steyn has not played a game because of the French off-season and only recently returned to Paris for pre-season training. Don’t be surprised if Steyn withdraws because he is in no state to play against New Zealand and Australia.
If Steyn does not make it to Johannesburg this week, then De Villiers must invest in the attacking skills of Gio Aplon at fullback and Juan de Jongh at outside centre. The duo has played twice for Western Province since returning from Australasia and they are running hot. De Jongh, comfortable at 12 or 13, offers you more than Wynand Olivier.
Francois Hougaard must start at scrumhalf, although De Villiers’ love affair with Ricky Januarie knows no end and the continued selection is an act of defiance from the battling Bok coach. JP Pietersen’s physicality is also necessary on the wing, so you could be looking at four changes to the backline that played against Australia in Brisbane.
Among the forwards the loose-trio mix will have to change, and a place will have to be found for a flanker who specialises in playing to the ball. The best available loose-trio would be Francois Louw as the openside specialist, Juan Smith to add grunt as a ball carrier and Schalk Burger to play at No 8, with Pierre Spies to provide cover in the match 22.
Burger, the only loose forward who performed overseas, has played No 8 for the Boks before, and done so effectively. He is far more confrontational in contact than Spies and he has the ball-handling skills to match his physicality.
There won’t be any tampering to the tight five, mainly because of injury and suspension. There is no Bakkies Botha or Andries Bekker and Bismarck du Plessis played for just the first time in three months at the weekend, and he was understandably off the pace against the Lions.
The omission of Pat Lambie will be a talking point, but the more he plays the more obvious it is he will be on the end-of-year tour. He is a fantastic talent and he has now excelled playing at fullback, inside centre and flyhalf.
Fullback looks like his best position although his performance at flyhalf will have the selectors thinking that maybe they have found Morne Steyn a World Cup partner.
Sharks hooker Craig Burden is another who is excelling. Burden, converted from wing to hooker three years ago, is the form hooker in South Africa and his athleticism among hookers in this country is unmatched.
Others who have sparkled in recent weeks include Sharks lock Alastair Hargreaves, WP No 8 Duane Vermeulen and Bulls wing Gerhard van den Heever.
The Currie Cup continues to produce outstanding rugby and features wonderful talent. De Villiers has chosen to ignore the talent, but it would be crazy of him to ignore the playing blueprint that shows our players are capable of playing the game at pace.
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310 Comments
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10 Aug 2010, 19:46 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-249: Good wing. I would have him start at 14 before JPP.
10 Aug 2010, 19:51 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-251: He is better 15 than Pietersen as per this years S14.
JPP is still the man – he is performing well for the Sharks at the moment.
In fact I wouldn’t mind a back 3 of 11 Habana 14 JPP 15 Aplon
10 Aug 2010, 20:16 pm
You must be JOKING man!
>> Sharks hooker Craig Burden is another who is excelling. Burden, converted from wing to hooker three years ago, is the form hooker in South Africa and his athleticism among hookers in this country is unmatched.
Others who have sparkled in recent weeks include Sharks lock Alastair Hargreaves, WP No 8 Duane Vermeulen and Bulls wing Gerhard van den Heever.
>>
What the FFFFF about Tian Liebenberg and Deon Fourie??? Deon Fourie has been playing his head off for the last year and no-one seems to be taking any notice. Ok Burden is playing well but what about the above?
Alistair Hargreaves – perhaps but so far I havent seen him doing anything spectacular.
ANTON VAN ZYL ring a friggin bell??? Now there is someone who plays well week in and out for gods sake.
Gerhard van den Heever??????=???????????????????????????????
I guess Lwazi Mvovo has just sucked then? Mvovo is FAR and I repeat FAR more impressive than van den Heever. Ive yet to see some real magic from van den Heever. Running fast and being able to catch the last pass as you jog over the tryline one would expect as the very basics a wing need.
Jeesh – does anyone have a head on their shoulders around here?
FFS i repeat FFS!!
10 Aug 2010, 22:00 pm
Fracois Hougaard is not ready to be the General of No.9 play yet for the boks. It would be another story if he had A good solid season of S14 behind his back. Please Sa why would you want a Matt Burgess when you can play a Will Gineau. My tip use the province no9 Dewald Duvenhager.
10 Aug 2010, 22:02 pm
Patrick Lambie should be on the the bench nio questions asked. The boks should really mix it up. We need the depth for next year.
10 Aug 2010, 22:05 pm
This is the last great no-risk window of opportunity before the RWC to test new talent. The 3N is already a lost campaign. The remaining tests are as meaningless as any test ever can be.
The Grand Slam opportunity is no place to fool about as it is a once a career chance for all the players and a chance for the coaches to earn redemption after 2009′s ridiculous failure of an EOYT. Next year’s 3N will be a momentum-building RWC run-up and then there’s the RWC itself — one slip-up and you’re history.
So, now’s the chance.
10 Aug 2010, 22:06 pm
…..and we all know what the Aussies did to us on our away leg. We should never be caught so off guard again to them. We got the ammunition to bury them let’s just use it.
10 Aug 2010, 22:07 pm
@Wezwp(Wezwp)-254:
I’d prefer Hoffman, but agree about Hougaard as you may have seen in my previous posts.
As for Lambie, let him settle at 10 in the CC and then include him on the EOYT.
10 Aug 2010, 22:08 pm
I get what you saying tackler we should keep our men fit. But just because of rustiness we cant just bury them in conton wool. They need to be managed correctly.
10 Aug 2010, 22:09 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-256:
Rubbish. The Grand Slam is fools gold and a mythical and artificial distraction at the end of a long season.
10 Aug 2010, 22:12 pm
“Managed correctly” really means NOT playing them unless they are absolutely indispensable. Especially now that there’s no silverware at stake any more.
10 Aug 2010, 22:13 pm
@David(David)-260: Any grand slam is a once-a-career opportunity.
10 Aug 2010, 22:16 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-256: Now what is it exactly.
Either one should win all your tests or one should experiment as these tests now have no meaning.
10 Aug 2010, 22:18 pm
Come on Tackler let’s get some psychological advantage before the world cup. The next tri nations or possibly at the eoyt is when we rest them.
10 Aug 2010, 22:22 pm
Still loads of rugby before 2011 RWC, loads
10 Aug 2010, 22:22 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-262:
It might be, but it’s an anachronism based on greed, in the modern era. We’ve already missed winning one under Jake, so it’s not quite that unique for the senior players. I realise the ABs see it as important when it’s organised, but the NH teams don’t treat their EOYT with the same respect or priority.
10 Aug 2010, 22:24 pm
I do not think any team at the moment has depth, 15 quality players but that is it
We have seen an injured Australia lose against England
An injured French team lose against SA
An injured SA team lose against Aus and KIwi
An Injured Kiwi team in 2009 losing 3 times against SA
10 Aug 2010, 22:29 pm
@JL1(JL1)-267:
The difference between us and the ABs, I think, is that they’re developing genuine depth, whilst we’re just exploring it.
10 Aug 2010, 22:38 pm
@David(David)-268: I do not think so
Everytime we all lose players to injury and to other countries we all battle to fill the gaps
Current AB team has over 700 caps and are also a Dads Army like SA
10 Aug 2010, 22:53 pm
@JL1(JL1)-269:
OK, but look at their depth in the backs. McCallister, Cruden, Kahui, Toeava, Dagg, Sivivatu, Ranger. These guys have already played for the ABs and proved themselves.
10 Aug 2010, 23:19 pm
@Wezwp(Wezwp)-264: The 2009 shambles of an EOYT was exactly what lost the Boks all their 3N momentum — and the slide to perdition has simply continued. Another EOYT fiasco in 2010 — following directly on the utter mess of their 3N campaign — would turn their loss of momentum into a full-blown crash-and-burn nosedive. Impact with the ground will be in the pool play stage of RWC2011 in NZ.
And, all the while, the ABs are building rather nicely, aren’t they?
11 Aug 2010, 00:00 am
“The Boks need fresh new faces”
Interesting,,
Read: “The Boks need fresh new *******’ faces”
The Boks’ current players reservoir is good enough to beat anyone on this planet with another full Test team at ready, the root cause is the quota system that rewarded PdV, Januarie, the Beast and other free loaders with a windfall for having drak skins
11 Aug 2010, 00:04 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-271: There is no connection whatsoever between the 2009 EOYT and the 2010 Tri-Nations – apart from the fact that the three stooges oversaw both fiascos. The 2009 EOYT was completely forgotten thanks to the resounding success enjoyed by many of the same players in the 2010 Super 14. The truly amazing thing is that the three stooges couldn’t put together a decent team from the two best teams of the Super 14: the Bulls and the Stormers. That takes real talent.
You are right about one thing though: NOW is the time to experiment. But the three stooges have absolutely no idea.
11 Aug 2010, 00:10 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-273:
“There is no connection whatsoever between the 2009 EOYT and the 2010 Tri-Nations”
Interesting, please explain that bold statement
11 Aug 2010, 00:21 am
At currie Cup and S14 levels, the SA coaches dont have to put up with opposing players that are trained to run obstruction. Big difference.
It was so refreshing watching the ITM cup last weeknd, and seeing kiwi players NOT falling over the ruck, going off their feet and running obstruction. They can actualy play a half decent game without having to cheat. They should try sometime.
11 Aug 2010, 00:22 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-273: the three stooges couldn’t put together a decent team from the two best teams of the Super 14: the Bulls and the Stormers. That takes real talent.
Classic.
Says it all.
11 Aug 2010, 00:42 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-272: Nothing wrong with Beast. There is no real quota system here otherwise Lwazi Mvovo and Lionel Mapoe would be playing. Its all just div favouritism now stop flogging that dead horse
11 Aug 2010, 01:24 am
with all the BS & the need to “proclaim” future talents on this site,the following are going to be the next Pienaar,F.Steyn,Spies etc-All hype,little results
Lambie
Hoffman
Koster
L.Cronje
The following will be successes due to ACTUAL results,mental toughness,BMT:
Mapoe
De Jongh
F.Hougaard
Flo
11 Aug 2010, 01:26 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-278: You forget Mvovo mate and Lambie will be there. Dont be dumb.
11 Aug 2010, 01:34 am
David
Hardly would class “proven” with likes of Cruden,Dagg,Toeava,Ranger.They are no different to Aplon,Hougaard,De Jongh,Basson.
Sivivatu & Kahui,yes but will Kahui ever finish a season??has been injured/MAJOR ones each of last 3 seasons.Has been best thing to hit SH rugby at centre for last 4/5yrs without showing ANYTHING.Instead Conrad Smith has continually overshadowed&proved his value.Sivi will not make starting lineup.
11 Aug 2010, 01:46 am
Slumtown
Mvovo is talented & my view on him has changed but still reserve my judgement on Bok status.likes of Habana,JP,Basson,Hougaard,Mapoe,Aplon-I would all rank above him at this point.Mjekevu will also be in the conversation in months to come but Mvovo would be ahead of him right now.
Lambie has played 1 game at 10 & 2 games at 12 now people are proclaiming him the next Bok saviour? All too premature for me thank you.He has shown his best form at 15 & is an option there in future.But needs to develop further at provincial & Superrugby.Believe he us more suited to 10 role due to his calmness & playmaking ability(the little shown
so far).At 15 he is safe but lacks pace to be a threat on attack enough,at 12 his size as well as he isn’t nippy enough(ala Gits) taking into consideration-size.
He will be a fine 10 with time,can do a solid job at 15.
Relax with the proclaimation of intelligence bud,its a blog.
11 Aug 2010, 02:33 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-273: The S14 is a second-tier competition. Test rugby — even tests against the UK nations — is a large step up. A very good S14 player can often fade into obscurity at this higher level — WO, Gaffie, Bekker, Wendell Sailor, Stephen Donald…
11 Aug 2010, 02:47 am
tackler
Can hardly put Bekker into that category
But u can ADD Toeava,Thompson,Ross,Tu’ali’i,Flavell etc
11 Aug 2010, 03:13 am
Bekker’s test performances have been decidedly mediocre so far.
11 Aug 2010, 04:56 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-282:
Spies…
11 Aug 2010, 05:55 am
256. TheTackler(TheTackler) yes thank-you. Nothing to loose play the laaitjies and f u ck the old boys club.
Lambie, SPretorius, Alberts, Mvovo, De Jongh, Hougaard, Mapoe
Liebenberg,
11 Aug 2010, 07:20 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-174:
That’s a matter of opinion ma’am.
I assume you are a lady going on the tone of your email…
11 Aug 2010, 07:34 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-287:
No, I’m just a gentleman around the ladies. Need some tips?
11 Aug 2010, 07:41 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-288:
That’s another matter of opinion…
11 Aug 2010, 07:51 am
I love the way you guys have been harping on about franz steyn and he has been injured for 2 months!! why didnt anyone mentioned that 3-5 weeks ago!! crictizing P Div on something that he couldnt change!! journalists just trying to get attention, and now you saying chuck in new faces, and if he loses, bang, fire him!!! anyways i hope JZ gets his way so we can muzzle the whole lot of you journalists looking for attention!! oh and P div vindicated, all i heard was conspiracy theory this and that wha wha wha wha wha! then he gets cleared and after having read the exact words its doesnt sound so bad, wow you guys need to check your ethics cause the images you are portraying reak of other agendas!!
11 Aug 2010, 07:54 am
I’m surprised keo has a column in Business Day. Like the Boks, he’s running on reputation. Barring one or two off form or tired players, these are the same guys who whipped the same Oz and NZ players in TN 2009 and the S14. So what’s changed?
1. I reckon the tactics, player conditoning, skilling & rotation have been very poor. No new players have been introduced with any consistency.
2. The referee’s “interpretation” of the rules is vastly different.
3. SA admin and match officials are hopeless. The disciplinary and citing system is inconsistent and has been manipulated to cripple and disrupt the Boks and our admin is powerless against the cunning of Paddy O’ Brain and his cohorts. My latest example is Woodcock against Oz. Penalty, no yeallow or citing. Botha was cited and banned for just the same.
There is no sign of change on any of these points. Simply feeding new players into the mincer won’t change the result. So don’t take Bok rugby too seriously. Watch the game with a few beers and have a giggle; or turn off.
11 Aug 2010, 08:41 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-253: Good post Slummies.
11 Aug 2010, 08:48 am
The bbc guy’s are offline think i’ll spend my KEO$’S here. Did you guy’s ever consider that the all black’s are just to good for us. Sometimes people don’t get that it’s a team game.
11 Aug 2010, 08:52 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-278:
Hey !
wasnt I peddling that same tune recently and you were admonishing me for it ?
Not sure about F.Louw tho.
11 Aug 2010, 08:58 am
It always interests me how the player debate hots up when the Springboks are struggling. I remember the supersport messageboard, and then sarugby how worked up everyone used to get about the inclusion/exclusion of Luke Watson vs. Schalk Burger, Ettiene Botha vs. Jean De Villiers, Adi Jacobs vs. Jacque Fourie….
In my capacity as Sharks & Boks supporter, I dont think Mvovo, Lambie, Burden or Hargreaves should be included, nor do I think Liebenberg, Fourie, Aplon or Van Zyl should be included – I think we need to find the route back to what worked for us less than a year ago !
The answer, I believe is this;
15 – F. Steyn, 14 – Pietersen, 13 – J. Fourie, 12 – De Villiers, 11 – Habana, 10 – M. Steyn, 9 – F. Du Preez, 8 – P. Spies, 7 – J. Smith, 6. H. Brussouw, 5 – Matfield, 4 – Botha, 3 – ?, 2 – Du Plessis, 1 – ?
The reason I mark 3 and 1 as ? is I believe there are many in form props available currently, and this is probably the point that deserves the most discussion.
To get into a silly, provincially biased (very in some cases) little argument here isn’t going to do any good – and is a waste of time. The team above is in my opinion still the best we have. De Villiers has departed from that formula (in his defense, Du Plessis, Du Preez and Brussouw all injured) and hence he is seeing his backside.
And mshiniwami – are you praying for Lambie’s disappearance, or is that your honest opinion ? I know you dont appreciate the Sharks much and so that may be your wish rather than your belief, however I have bad news for you.
Lambie has been around for a while. He was a star at U19 level, then at U21 level, and played brilliantly for the baby Boks. The Springboks have had other players like this – John Smit and Jean De Villiers come to mind. His kicking percentages are around mid 80 % – and is currently South Africa’s next best option at 10 next to Morne Steyn.
If I were the Sharks, I would offer him a 4 Million a year contract right now to try and keep him there as long as possible, because out of the whole team – he is the biggest threat to any Sharks opposition currently. He is a genuine Natal boy – and his daddy’s house is wall papered with Sharks regalia – so, not much chance of him leaving due to loyalty issues.
So – if I were a WP, Bulls or Cheetahs supporter I would probably also be hoping that Lambie is just a flash in the pan.
11 Aug 2010, 09:35 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-286: Nothing to loose play? Actually, loose play is a very skilled part of the game.
(You’re not dumb enough to have meant “nothing to LOSE” — with one O — are you?)
11 Aug 2010, 09:41 am
@husky(husky)-291: “My latest example is Woodcock against Oz. Penalty, no yeallow(sic) or citing. Botha was cited and banned for just the same.”
You DO know, of course, that the ref in question was a South African? And that the citing commissioner was a South African too?
11 Aug 2010, 09:46 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-295:
Bakkies suspended. Bekker injured, Juan on leave, JPP was injured, and Frans and JdeV off the pace. I doubt whether anyone would disagree with your team, the problem has been finding replacements until they’re all match fit again.
11 Aug 2010, 10:04 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-295: for what it’s worth, Mshiniwami is one of the few knowledgeable & fair SHARKS supporters! Provincialism is the last thing i would attribute to his posts on this blog.
11 Aug 2010, 10:15 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-295:
For the record,I am a Sharks fan have been my whole life.Born & raised in KZN.So dont play the provincialism card on me mate.
But I have also been through the ups & downs as a supporter of the Sharks.Have seen all this before thus making me all too aprehensive.Before Lambie,it was the “mercurial” talents of Pienaar,Frans Steyn,Brent Russell etc set to light the world alight & send Sharks rugby & Bok rugby into the promise land.And all we have to show for it is ONE Currie Cup & a host of disgruntled fat lipped/no BMT players with no mental toughness and little results wise.
So excuse me for being apprehensive at annointing Lambie & the like the next best thing since sliced bread.
Let em play a couple of season first at a high consistent level,then we can start speaking in hyperboles.
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