2012 England tour to SA

WOW that was some harsh comments, particularly about Bekker and Spies..but true though.

Yeah harsh but true in most instances. He has picked out 4 of the biggest players (not physically) currently playing in South Africa - Bekker, Spies, de Villiers and Bismarck and harshly pointed out some of their weaknesses. As I said, right or wrong, it's good to read opinions like that.

All 100% true

They are allowed to get away with these shortcomings under their Super Rugby coaches and were allowed to under PdV.

Meyer won't be as forgiving.

Jean is poor at 13, that much we have seen (and Munster tried him there are dropped him because of poor showings)

Spies is a pussy.

The Doep brothers often lose their heads.

I hope that with Meyer there is nowhere to hide and he doesn't pick people on reputation.

Mallet have it spot on but I have a huge problem regarding Meyer. Cant understand his hunger to bring back has beens for England. Fuck knows, our top 3 S15 franchises should put them away at home and the perfect oppertunity to think a bit longer term. Pretty sure the Wallabies and All Blacks coaches will use this NH tests to prepare their teams for the big tests coming up. Make absolute no sense getting two has been 9s back, appoint your captain for 3 tests and leave out the form 9 in the S15 competition. First he try to lure a has been like Matfield & Bakkies and it look more to me he is try to reward his Bulls players back from 2007 to reward them. Its vokken 2012 and time to start a brand new cycle of Bokkie from a full cupboard of young and upcoming SA talent. Wake up Heyneke, you are heading to another Bok disaster.

Some more truth coming from Mallet
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Mallett-wont-pick-overseas-Boks-20120531

At least you're not playing Argentina on the Tuesday.

Why is Mallet coming out with these comments now? Does he want a role with the team or something?

Mallet has always been straight forward and he played a huge role in developing Heyneke as a coach, in fact he is one of Meyers rolemodels as a coach. I dont think he want any role in the team, he is doing commentary for SS these days.

Nothing malicious.

Like Paarl says he shoots straight. That's also what got him fired.

If he things a player is shit he'll tell him so.

He has been specifically hired by SuperSport for expert analysis on this series. His comments would have been taken from some discussion on a possible starting XV no doubt.

As Brisbok says, because he's been asked for his opinion.

The only reasoning I can find for the FdP pick as captain and as player is that he wants either Schalk Burger as captain or he wants to see the way JdV adabt to the 13 position before giving him the captaincy. Hougaard dont have a good kicking game and he probably wants the high kick and charge gameplan against the Poms.

That's the truth!
He won 17 in a row then lost one to NZ and got fired if I remember correctly?

Andy Farrell has quit his job at Saracens. There's a slim possibility he'll be part of the England set up for this tour but more likely he'll join up with them after the tour.

I think you are right. Remember Meyer said this captaincy appointment is only for the Pom tests. I have no doubt Burger is the man to get the job for the Rugby Champs and beyond.

Hougaard is great at running at the opposition but his kicking game easily goes to shit. He also makes too many bad decisions and doesn't control the game. I can see why Meyer would be reluctant. He is the type of guy who could own a game tomorrow and blow it open and turn to shit the next week when the game is tight. I think he is developing well but he is not the finished article. Bring him off the bench like in the World Cup.

Teams for the First test
South Africa:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Wynand Olivier

England
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins)
14 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
12 Brad Barritt (Saracens)
11 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1 Joe Marler (Harlequins)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4 Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
5 Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
6 Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
7 Chris Robshaw (capt, Harlequins)
8 Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
Replacements

16 Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
17 Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
18 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
19 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
20 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
21 Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
22 Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)

Marler will destroy Jannie.

We'll see. I did not watched any 6 nation tests and all these Pom players bar the Saffer chicken runners I know sweet nothing about. Going one eyed into these tests and hoping they wear their cross over on the jersey. Thats where the boere aimed in the Boer War.

Jannie is our weak link but destroy? That's a bit dramatic.

Marler sure looks good but hasn't struck me as that good and I have seen him play numerous times this year.

Somehow for the last ten years every single year the Pom or Lions scrum is going to kill us and it doesn't happen.

Time and time again Sheridan, Vickery etc were going to kill Jannie and whoever else was at 3 and it hasn't really happened.

Look there is no way we'll dominate them but I think we'll be okay.

I am more worried about the lineouts. How is Calvinia's Botha?

Not the most athletic. Normally jumps at the front. Hits the rucks hard and a good defender. Solid player.

England's locks have few test caps between them so I am not too worried.