Springboks Squad named

[Gnostic]

Full squad: Backs: Zane Kirchner (Bulls), JP Pietersen (Sharks), JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), Jean de Villiers (Stormers), Wynand Olivier (Bulls), Francois Steyn (Racing Metro/FRA), Bryan Habana (Stormers), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Bjorn Basson (Bulls), Morne Steyn (Bulls), Patrick Lambie (Sharks), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Jano Vermaak (Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster/IRL). Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Werner Kruger (Bulls), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Flip van der Merwe (Bulls), Franco van der Merwe (Lions), Juandre Kruger (Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Pierre Spies (Bulls), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Keegan Daniel (Sharks), Jacques Potgieter (Bulls)

Very surprised to see no Brussow.

 

[tigerland12]

That is a pretty good squad. Looks stronger than NZand Australia's to be honest.

No Brussouw or de Jong are massive omissions.

 

[qwerty51]

I see no Bekker as well, I assume injured, is that for the entire June tests?

 

[Blue]

Bekker out for 5 weeks, conservatively. Probably longer.

On the whole I am reasonably happy with the squad. The Stormers fans will be bleating like mad. Not without reason mind.

There will be outcry because of too many Bulls players. Truth is that three certain Stormers players are injured. Having said that he could have picked more Stormers players as backups if anything to close the door on the bias issue.

Unlucky to be left out:

KOLISI. WHAT. THE. FUCK. Meyer picks Daniel, Potgieter and a crock Kankowski ahead of Siya. WHAT. THE. FUCK? There is no explantion for this.

Brussow. He has had a poor season and leads the comp in penalty count. Problem for him is that Marcel Coetzee has been playing like a machine and makes much more of an impact on the game. Brussow is not playing to standard. HE could still have been picked ahead of at least three other guys.

Juan de Jongh. Stormers fans will be bleating but the truth of the matter is that the lack of inventiveness in the Stormers backline has done him no favors. His defense has been good though. To have Olivier ahead of de Jongh is a complete joke.

Aplon. Neither here nor there. Would have had him ahead of Kirchner any day but Meyer has goen for the bigger bloke.

Steenkamp + Steenkamp. Thought bot these guys offer more than Franco vd Merwe as backup no 5 lock.

Lucky to get a gig:

Kankowski. Injured until 2 weeks ago. Never has been physical enough.

Daniel. Ahead of Kolisi? WHAT. THE . FUCK.

Jacques Potgieter. Ahead of Kolisi. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Jano Vermaak. Third scrummie. Meh. Duvenhage or the Cheetahs bloke are much better.

What thinks you other Saffer lurkers?

KOLISI! WHAT. THE.... right now he is the best Super Rugby player in South Africa. End of story.

 

[Jiggles]

I have been watching a lot of RSA games lately, due to the time zone I am currently in. My observations of how they play the game and the squad picked above, I am not to concerned about the Boks come the 4 nations.

The front row is probably going to be the sharks front row. BDP is very dynamic around the park, but all three of them are pretty poor come scrum time. The Boks pack, and there front row have not been a concern for the Wallabies for a long time, and I dont expect this to change this year.

I really, really rate Etzebeth. I think he has a big future ahead of himself. However I am wondering who will partner with him, and how he will go in test match rugby with no established lock to guide him.

As with Blue I am shocked Kolisi isn't in the team. Blue rates him as the best super rugby player in South Africa right now. I'd go further, I think he is the best forward in the competition right now. His work rate and impact for such a young kid is freakish.

Spies hasn't shown me anything to suggest he will be a better test player this year, and the other back row options dont inspire me much.

The problem with the backlines running around in South Africa is they play the ball, and make their movements, behind the gainline and not at it. this puts the pack under pressure who have to move backwards from the preceding break down, before they move forward again, and thats if the gain line is made. I think you can get away with this at Super level but better organised test defensive systems are going to move up and slide to the ball. It will be easy for them. For all the criticisms thrown at the Wallabies over the past years, you cannot bag their defense. its probably the best in the world.

 

[Brisbok]

Very unfortunate for Kolisi not to be included in the Bok squad. Although he will be one of the few extras who train with the Boks. Unfortunately for Kolisi, he is not really a fetcher-type openside flank as he doesn't really play to the ball, but in a Bok context, he is too short to be a blindside flank. He doesn't provide any options come lineout time. At this stage, Keegan Daniel offers a lineout option and also the versatility to cover at flank or no. 8.

How Kankowski was picked in this squad....I will never know. He has done nothing this year at Super Rugby level and he has NEVER done anything in a Bok jersey!

JJ Engelbrecht....how can he be picked over de Jongh/Aplon? Perhaps versatility over de Jongh, but not over Aplon! JJ is still a liability at 13 on defence. It was his error/mis-read in defence that lead to Habana's try last night. He is not ready for test rugby and if Meyer thinks he has big potential, he should have included him with the players who train with the squad, who are 'not quite there yet'.

Very interested to see who Meyer's 9 is - Hougaard or Pienaar. Surely JdV for captain?

 

[qwerty51]

Some good comments there Jiggles, I agree with most of them and Kolisi is a freak of a player.

The Wallabies defense over the part years hasn't been great. It was outstanding last year but the year before it was pathetic.

Hougaard/Pienaar wil come down to game plan won't it? I would also go with Jantjies - he's the future.

 

[Jiggles]

I'm still undecided on Janties. He just doesn't scream test player. thats probably because he plays for the Lions though.

 

[Brisbok]

Some good comments there Jiggles, I agree with most of them and Kolisi is a freak of a player.

The Wallabies defense over the part years hasn't been great. It was outstanding last year but the year before it was pathetic.

Hougaard/Pienaar wil come down to game plan won't it? I would also go with Jantjies - he's the future.

Not quite sure? I think it will simply come down to Meyer's preference. I don't think either player is 100% suited to the 'du Preez type' role. Perhaps Pienaar more so than Hougaard, but Hougaard seems to be gradually improving in this aspect (tactical kicking). He also has the advantage of his combination with Spies at 8 and Steyn at 10 for the Bulls.

Steyn is a certainty at 10. I also think Meyer see's Goosen as the long term 10 and not Jantjies. In that case he will persist with Steyn while he grooms Goosen for the starting role.

Very interested to see what happens to Jantjies if the Lions fall out of Super Rugby next year. He needs to be playing for one of the 'bigger' unions if he wants to increase his chances of becoming the Bok 10.

 

[RedsHappy]

.....The Wallabies defense over the part years hasn't been great. It was outstanding last year but the year before it was pathetic.

100%. And a side comment: the Wallabies Asst Coach who contributed most to your correct assessment - P Blake - has been sacked for 2012. Not entirely clear if Totality or Blades will be responsible for defence in 2012.

 

[Blue]

I'm still undecided on Janties. He just doesn't scream test player. thats probably because he plays for the Lions though.

So I'll turn that aournd and ask you what Jantjes can't do that Morne Stey can?

Not a hell of a lot.

And Jantjes can tackle.

And besides that was have to have a backup ten in the squad, ready to go. Investing in Jantjes now makes way more sense than any other option. He will be damn good if he playes with better people around him. Can't show much if all you do is go backwards.

PS I'd bet a lazy ten that Elton will be in Cape Town next year. Probably even more. I think he would be bloody excellent behind that Stormers pack.

 

[Brisbok]

So I'll turn that aournd and ask you what Jantjes can't do that Morne Stey can?

Not a hell of a lot.

And Jantjes can tackle.

And besides that was have to have a backup ten in the squad, ready to go. Investing in Jantjes now makes way more sense than any other option. He will be damn good if he playes with better people around him. Can't show much if all you do is go backwards.

PS I'd bet a lazy ten that Elton will be in Cape Town next year. Probably even more. I think he would be bloody excellent behind that Stormers pack.

Yeah very much a possibility. Although I seem to remember reading in the last couple of weeks that Peter Grant has extended his contract?

Grant is a player whose contributions (particularly this year) seem to fly under the radar.

The competition may bring the best out of both of them if Elton moved down there, but not sure it would be in the best interests of SA rugby to have one of them potentially sitting on the bench all season...

 

[Brisbok]

How about Elton at the Sharks? A backline of 9-McLeod, 10-Jantjies, 11-JPP, 12-F. Steyn, 13-Jordaan/Whitehead, 14-Mvovo, 15-Lambie wouldn't do too badly...

 

[Blue]

How about Elton at the Sharks? A backline of 9-McLeod, 10-Jantjies, 11-JPP, 12-F. Steyn, 13-Jordaan/Whitehead, 14-Mvovo, 15-Lambie wouldn't do too badly...

Yes. Like. Lots.

Maybe he can bring the Guppies some composure. God knows they need it. Leadership lost the game for them yesterday. They needed to play more controlled instead they started flinging it around like crazy. A flyhalf that was able to kick to the corners and direct play would have gone a long way. Fred went missing in a haze of speculative passes.

 

[RedsHappy]

Meyer sets out his selection (and game) strategy with almost brutal clarity:

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_7793374,00.html

 

[Troy]

Yes. Like. Lots.

Maybe he can bring the Guppies some composure. God knows they need it. Leadership lost the game for them yesterday. They needed to play more controlled instead they started flinging it around like crazy. A flyhalf that was able to kick to the corners and direct play would have gone a long way. Fred went missing in a haze of speculative passes.

Was talking about the Shorks backline today with my brother, I think it will be Lambie at 10 and Frans at 15. Not sure how long Freds contrat is though!

 

[Blue]

Nope. Frans Steyn must play 12 from now until he retired unless there is an emergency at 15.

It is his best position, where Meyer believes he should be and where he wants to play.

No 12 suits the way SA play better.

Fred is on a one year deal if memory serves.

 

[Brisbok]

Meyer's reasons for his selections and lack of Stormers in the Bok squad:

Meyer defends Stormers snub
2012-06-03 22:53
Pretoria - Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer defended his selection after he stuck with a tried and tested crop of players for the upcoming three-Test series against England.
While many of his selections were expected, he surprised by including only three Stormers players in his group for the first series of his tenure.
The Stormers cemented their place at the top of the SA conference in the Super Rugby competition when they beat the Bulls 19-14 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
“I don’t count which guys are in which teams. I just pick the guys I believe are the best,” Meyer said after the brutal north-south derby in the capital city.
“There are a lot of their great players injured, like Duane Vermeulen, who is a great player, Schalk Burger and Andries Bekker, who is also not around.
“If I pick a team I need to pick the team that I believe is the right one.”
Meyer said the Stormers had a number of talented youngsters coming through the ranks and it was only a matter of time before more players in the side earned their Springbok colours.
He added that the match between the Bulls and the Stormers was a window into the kind of game plan the Springboks would adopt.
“I think it was great spectacle in typical Test match rugby [style] and that is how I want the Boks to play,” Meyer said.
“Obviously you want to score tries and get the people on their feet, but for me it is all about playing tactically well and playing winning rugby.
"England are a tough team and they’ve been together for quite some time so it’s not going to be easy.
“We need to play a type of rugby typical to South African strengths.”
A direct, physical approach also fitted into the Bok mentor’s fondness for big, strong, athletic players, which did not bode well for the likes of Stormers backline players Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh, who did not get a call-up, despite their skill and individual attacking brilliance.
Another notable omission was that of scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, who was reported to be the favoured candidate to captain the side.
“I’ve had a few meetings with him [Du Preez] and I discussed the situation of him coming back to play,” Meyer said.
“He always believes that the team comes first and when we had a conversation he said he wasn’t 100 percent sure if he could do his best because he hasn’t played for two-and-a-half months.”
Meyer complimented Du Preez for his honesty and opting to step aside to give new blood a chance to take ownership of the No 9 jersey.
“I’ve said from the start I want these guys to go in there and know they are 100 percent right and each guy tries to give 100 percent for his country,” he said.
Meyer did not announce the new Springbok skipper, and said he would select his captain in the next few days after discussions with players.
“We are going to have a team meeting on Sunday with the senior players, then I will name the captain for the short term against England," he said.
"Going forward, after the England series, we’ll relook the situation and choose a captain for the long term."

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Meyer-defends-Stormers-snub-20120603

 

[Brisbok]

I think the main positive that we can take out of all of this is that Meyer seems to know exactly what he wants from the team and which players fit into this game plan. I also like that he is prepared to communicate these reasons with the rugby public. We may not agree with all of his selections, but at least we know why he has selected the players that he has.

 

[RedsHappy]

I think the main positive that we can take out of all of this is that Meyer seems to know exactly what he wants from the team and which players fit into this game plan. I also like that he is prepared to communicate these reasons with the rugby public. We may not agree with all of his selections, but at least we know why he has selected the players that he has.

Indeed, and a major virtue as head coach. Now all I ask is that J White and H Meyer have a quiet coffee with our Robbie and coach him a bit on this simple art of plain explanations for coaching and selection decisions. Aus rugby fans would be jubilant to see improvements in this area of Robbie's total skill set.