Kolisi and Jean deserve more

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Saturday’s game against the Scots was definitely not something to write home about, but one thing that is was the fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude the Boks bounced back with. It was admirable and worthy of the shirt they wear.

It was a tough game with the Scots using spoiling tactics quite well with a ref who was obviously not to clued up on the game. Kudos to them… they played the ref well.

Not many players shone in the match for SA. Strauss had a good game but not his best. Etzebeth was by far the best tight five on the field. Kolisi was a monster, on defence and attack. Jean in my opinion the best back of the night.

I find it interesting that Jean is getting nailed by the media. I wouldn’t go so far as saying the public. Yes he has his doubters but so far this year he has been playing his best rugby. A lot of the public agree which is why I find it strange that the media keep on harping on about him. Has the Serfontein bug gotten that bad?

I know Serfontein is good, hell he’ll be great! But at the moment I wouldn’t drop De Villiers for him. Maybe move De Villiers to 13 because JJ showed his lack of defensive acumen during the Scotland game. He did improve in the second half but still, maybe wing is where he belongs.

The surprise of the Jean media frenzy too me though is overshadowed by the lack of media coverage surrounding Kolisi. The man had a brilliant game against the Scots. He was man of the match and it was well deserved. He won the collisions in the tackles and in his carries. He made more meters in that game than Spies has done in his career! Yet hardly anything is being said.

The week before Arno Botha had a great game. It was in the media. There were ooo’s and aah’s about his game. They were well deserved. Yet here comes Kolisi and almost eclipses Botha’s performance (he eclipsed his loosie partners by a few miles) and Meyer only makes passing mention of his good game. He said more about Serfontein’s 8 minutes on the field than Kolisi’s 76 minutes. He even managed to praise JJ for coming right in the second half.

Now I know race is a contentious issue in this country and to me it has nothing to do with race. But Kolisi played one hell of a game and got the man of the match award. The other day in an article I read (think Rob Houwing) he was talking about ball bashing forwards needed for the Samoa game and says in that department Botha outshines Kolisi. Rubbish… to me they are on par. Kolisi is extremely strong and wins collisions just like Botha but Kolisi can also run around defenders and not just through them.

There was so much hype about Kolisi before the game. So much media coverage. Yet when he did perform it became nothing more than a mention and the Jean debate took centre stage.

I feel Kolisi deserved more and he will be getting it from me. Mr Kolisi, to you sir I raise my glass for a game well played. Your future looks bright and I hope you get another chance to showcase your talent. If Meyer doesn’t pick you at 6 or 7 then I hope to high Heaven that he drops Spies and plays you at 8!

Schreuder Pick Makes Little Sense

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Last year Meyer made some crazy calls on player selection for the Boks. This year he seemed to have his head screwed on better. Well maybe it just looks like he is awarding form because most of the players he picked out of form last year are in form this year. But just as it seems Meyer is normal, he calls a certain Louis Schreuder as his third scrumhalf choice after the departure of Vermaak and Hougaard to injuries.

Kudos to Schreuder. Meyer obviously sees something in him, so do I, but I do have to question his selection. All the Stormers scrumhalves have been playing rather mediocre rugby this year, which is why I am not too surprised at the poor backline play of the Stormers. My question though is why pick Schreuder above more in form choices like Sarel Pretorius or Charl McLeod?

Meyer seemed intent on picking players based on form yet with Schreuder’s selection he seems to be backing away from that trend. Pretorius, when he has had the chance to play, has been a dangerous player for the Cheetahs. His sniping runs and constantly keeping the opposition guessing are his strongest attributes. He kicks well from the base and his service is crisp. The only blot on his CV would be his lack of tackling ability. But he offers so much more at times that that can be overlooked with comfort.

Charl McLeod may not be as dynamic as Pretorius but he certainly has a sense of the unexpected about him. He also keeps opposition guessing, his service is crisp, his kicking is exemplary and he can defend against bigger players. His only blot is age, but in my opinion he is still young enough to play for the Boks.

So picking Schreuder ahead of these guys begs a question. Why? I saw Meyer’s response is that he has helped out at raining sessions, but again I have to ask why? Who knows, maybe Meyer would have gone the Reinach route instead if he wasn’t injured. One thing is for sure though, Meyer is looking towards the future by picking young players as backup in his squad.

I just hope the Schreuder choice doesn’t back fire, for Meyer as well as the player in question!

Happy to a man… almost

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The Bok game against Italy was quite literally a game of opposites. Brilliant for 20 minutes, crap for 30 minutes and then brilliant again for 30 minutes. The Boks looked a much better attacking force and it was easy to see why.

We had quick ball even though Vermaak could have been better protected and our forwards were generally in command in lose play. However, scrum time, the lineouts in the second half and the absolute shambles of restarts was what kept the Boks back from ammasing more points.

In the front row it is clear to see that Beast and Jannie need rest… it really looks like they are playing on almost depleted fuel reserves. No amount of Red Bull will help. Strauss on the other hand is improving with every game… they his perfect lineout record was shot to pieces in the second half.

Our second row of Juandré and Eben looked solid… when Flip came on there seemed to be a massive communication gap. Think the guys weren’t sure of who was calling the lineout shots but in the lose they still did well.

In our loosies play Arno Botha and Flouw stood head and shoulders above Spies. I see on Keo that Keohane said we should get off the backs of Morné Steyn and Pierre Spies… I agree on Steyn but totally disagree on Spies. He was mediocre at best against the Italians and Parisse showed him up in a losing team. Spies doesn’t even play that well when the Boks are on the back foot! Can’t help but feel that Meyer missed a trick in not picking Philip van der Walt. I can even imagine a Flouw, Lappies, Arno combo that would seem to be able to do what should be done… destroy opposition!

I was more than happy with our halfback pairing and Steyn has played every critic, including the staunch ones like me to complete and utter silence… hell I even praise him now. He is taking tha ball flatter and reads a game beautifully. He once again illustrates why sportsman should getting married until after their playing days!! Hahaha. Vermaak played well and deserved more protection… pity about the hamstring though.

Our centres looked well oiled. Jean is playing some of his best rugby this year and JJ has blossomed bloody well for someone who looked like absolute crap last year. I don’t think Juan will get a sniff at the green-and-gold again soon unless it’s off the bench or JJ gets injured.

Our back three where outstanding. Habana showed class throughout the game and even though Willie had a nervous start he provided some much needed thrust from the back. Basson started quietly and after his yellow card produced some very good touches.

All in all I was happy with the reserve play though Coenie is going to need a lot more time at tighthead to develop… wouldn’t mind seeing Adriaanse get a start. Pienaar slotted in seamlessly when replacing Vermaak and Lambie and Serfontein were not on long enough to make a telling contribution.

The only blot in the team for me is Spies. He should be offering so much more but yet again doesn’t play to his potential. He didn’t play badly… but he didn’t play well either.

Balanced Bok Team… almost

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Well Meyer has definitely picked a well balanced team to take on Italy this weekend. I was reading Tank Lanning’s column and he seems a bit worried about centre and a lot worried about tighthead. I can understand that and it is probably true, but I do not quite agree.

I do like the look of the back three. Habana and Basson should be great under the high ball. Not sure about Willie because he has never really played at fullback but I am pretty sure he can handle it.

If Jean is fit then great for the Boks. If not then it isn’t a train smash either, as I am pretty sure that if Serfontein takes his place we won’t be the worse for wear. Sure we lose a lot of experience in Jean but Serfontein will have Morné on his inside and the fact that Serfontein and JJ having been gelling very well at the Bulls can only be a boon for the Boks. Added to that is the fact that we do have an inform Ebersohn that will be on the bench as well as Lambie that can cover the inside channel effectively. So at centre I am not as worried as Tank.

Our halfback combo is my real concern when it comes to depth. Jano has been playing well and kudos for the start. Hopefully he’ll grow and he also offers a better kicking game than Hougaard. Pienaar should be a shoe-in for the Rugby Championship so I am happy that Meyer is giving Jano a start before Hougaard. Hougaard is however my concern. His rugby hasn’t been the best in a while now. He is more consistent but not his usual expressive self. Someone like Piet van Zyl or even McLeod would have been a better backup at this stage. But then again Hougaard does offer versatility as a wing, however I feel that those bases are covered in the squad.

My other concern is Spies. Yes he has been playing some decent rugby but when games get tight he still has a tendency to disappear. So against Italy, Samoa and maybe Scotland he should flourish but he is still vulnerable in tighter games. I would have liked to see Arno Botha get a go from the back for this game because at 8 we don’t seem well stocked.

With the flanks I have no real complaints except maybe that besides Louw, no-one else plays to the ball as much and isn’t all that effective. Maybe Brussow or even someone like Deon Fourie would not have been bad back up. But then who do you drop to accommodate another fetcher?

At lock we also seem a little thin. With Bekker’s departure there now seems to be a big void at 5. I am not a big supporter of Juandré but hopefully he comes good but I would have preferred Franco above Juandré. And Steph-du Toit is a great player but my verdict is still out on whether he is our answer at 5. For this game and future tests I would have loved to see Etzebeth and van den Merwe as Lock partners with Etzebeth taking over at 5.

Tank feels we are a bit short on proper tightheads. I feel Adriaanse will be up for the challenge but Tanks’ main concern is for Saturday’s bench against Italy. Meyer has picked two looseheads basically in Nyakane and Oosthuizen. Tank feels Oosthuizen isn’t cut out for tighthead. I disagree and I’m sure he could become world class if given time.

At hooker the Boks are blessed. Strauss and Chiliboy have been playing great rugby and Bismarck is almost back from injury. Add to that a Tiaan Liebenberg as backup (though not in the squad) and we should have enough quality depth.

So all in all my biggest concern is Spies, followed by a real lack of depth at lock.

The Bok team:

Starting XV:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.

Reserves: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.

Bok Selection makes me feel warm inside

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Well the Bok squad has been announced and I must admit, for the first time in a long time, I am actually quite happy with the selection. One or two individuals can count themselves darn unlucky though.

The only true big surprise sprung on us couch-coaches was the inclusion of Lourens Adriaanse as backup tighthead. I was surprised by his inclusion above Wiehan Herbst since he got invited to trials and Adriaanse not. But it just goes to show that good form can still get you places.

Last year Meyer selected favourites. This year he seems content to acknowledge form (though when it comes to scrumhalf he still seems to play favourites). One form player that has been overlooked is Robert Ebersohn. Picking JJ Engelbrecht above him doesn’t make much sense. JJ has been playing very good rugby, but Ebersohn has been playing exquisite rugby. He has vision and great hands, something JJ doesn’t have yet. We can also say that Juan de Jongh has been a lucky inclusion. Yes probably but then again Stormers rugby hasn’t helped his cause. He has the ability to break a line better than the other two so if I was Meyer I would have stuck with him too.

I’m happy for a guy like Trevor but I don’t think he is better than Kitshoff. Kitshoff has been playing some good rugby of late for the Stormers. He has been scrumming very strongly and his play in the lose I also feel is superior. But take nothing away from Nyakane, he has been playing some solid rugby himself.

One inclusion I feel should never have happened and should never be allowed to happen is the continued inclusion of Zane Kirchner. Side-show Bob was solid last year, but he will never ignite a team or change a game. How he continues to make the squad only Meyer will know. I feel someone like Jürgen Visser has even been playing better rugby. Anyway…

All in all not a bad squad selection bar one or two picks. Hopefully the Boks can play some good rugby this year and actually be able to take on the likes of the All Blacks and Australia, and hopefully not draw to Argentina again… ever!

Couch-coach Bok pick

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Well it’s almost International time with the June Test Series almost upon us. What every rugby enthusiast likes to do at a stage like this is analyse the potential candidates for Bok colours and the try and pick there starting XV (15 for you non-Romans). Guess what? I will be doing exactly that right now. Why change a couch-coach tradition?

It has been an interesting Super XV. Bulls who were not favourites at the start of the year are now leading the conference. The Cheetahs have finally found consistency and some depth to place second. The Sharks are sort of imploding. The Stormers have imploded and the Kings have won over many fans with some enterprising play. Basically everything in this tourney from a South African perspective is ass backwards. I’m happy for the Cheetahs. They deserve it and have been the most entertaining team by some distance for a long while. The Bulls’ young acquisitions are finding there feet and playing well, especially Serfontein.

So this year we have good and bad. Players in sublime form still seem to be an overlooked theme from Heyneke. He does so love his favourites but all in all his squad of 38 that he picked for training have not been too badly picked… bar one or two exceptions.

So out of that squad he has to pick 30… that should be an interesting subject when he finally does. I’m pretty sure we’ll see a surprise or two. His Brussow issue still leaves a bad taste in almost every supporter’s mouth but that’s should be an entirely different topic of conversation.

So here would be my starting XV followed by my reserve VII (7 for you non-Romans).

Starting XV:

1. Beast Mtwarira: Given his experience and his resurgence from bad form under Heyneke last year he should be an obvious pick again.

2. Adriaan Strauss: I pick him above a returning Bismarck only because Bismarck has been out for soooooo long. Plus Strauss has been in good form.

3. Coenie Oosthuizen: I pick him above Jannie because it will be a great training ground for Coenie to pick up some much needed tighthead exposure if he is to become one.

4. Flip van der Merwe: I used to be very critical of Flip. But ever since concentrating more on his rugby instead of just being a bully he has really won me over.

5. Eben Etzebeth: With Bekker departing and Juandré not one of my favourites and SA in general being so short of quality 5’s I’d pick Etzebeth here since we have an abundance of quality 4’s. Plus he did a damn good job at 5 against the Reds.

6. Francois Louw: We need a “fetcher” and Brussow isn’t in the squad, plus Deon Fourie should also not be overlooked as a “specialist”. Plus Flouw played bloody well last year!

7. Lappies Labuschagne: What?! I hear a few say… I’d pick him above Alberts because A: He has been playing better rugby and B: He has been playing better rugby

8. Arno Botha: He has been playing some good rugby for the Bull and yes at 7. The reason I don’t pick Spies is because I wouldn’t even have him in the squad. Yes he is a superb athlete but always disappears when games get tight. He will do well against these teams because they do not offer the same resistance as an Aussie or All Black side. I like Arno and he can play 8 and will probably not go for coffee in tight games.

9. Francois Hougaard: Heyneke has missed a trick here. No Piet van Zyl? Seriously? He has been the form 9 this whole tourney for SA teams. Hougie has been mediocre and Vermaak better but because there is no other choice I would pick Hougie… mainly to try gain some confidence for the Rugby Championship. But come then and Hougie still struggles then I’d drop him completely and pick Vermaak. Mind you Ruan Pienaar should be in the picture then.

10. Morné Steyn: I hate to admit this but he has been the form flyhalf so far. Enough said!

11. Bryan Habana: Even though he will be leaving he is still an automatic first choice. He has such a high work rate and all out commitment. Something a few other players can learn.

12. Jean de Villiers (C): We need a captain. Yes we have Serfontein and he could some good exposure for this little tourney. Who knows… maybe a sub with de Villiers moving to 13? That’s how I would grow him.

13. Robert Ebersohn: He has been playing some of his best rugby ever… and at 12. I pick him at outside because Juan de Jongh has only been consistent and Ebersohn has been brilliant. Plus he has a bit more experience than Serfontein and has played 13 before.

14. Willie le Roux: I’m sorry but this should basically be a no brainer. He has been sublime, phenomenal, extra-ordinary… pick an adjective! He can turn a game on its head given ¼ of a chance!

15. Pat Lambie: Mr Cool, Mr Calm… he would be perfect at 15. Has exceptional awareness and is great under the high ball. Plus I think he would link up great with Willie and Bryan.

Reserves:

16. Chiliboy Ralepelle: Just because he has been performing and Bismarck has been out sooooo long.

17. Jannie du Plessis: He can’t be left out completely. He has been a rock the last few years.

18. Pieter-Steph du Toit: I pick him above Juandré because I feel he has way more to offer than Juandré. I don’t feel like Juandré is a committed Bok… and not because he is leaving. I just don’t feel he is grounded. I could be wrong…

19. Willem Alberts: He pips Kolisi because I feel Alberts will have a bigger impact off the bench.

20. Jano Vermaak: Because we have no other choice!

21. Jan Serfontein: This kid is going to be a big superstar for SA. Hope he keeps his head on his shoulders with feet on the ground! He has been playing some very good rugby and can’t help but feel the Bulls owe him for their success thus far.

22. Bjorn Basson: Because he is quick, can defend and is awesome under a high ball. Plus he knows how to sniff out a tryline.

23. Wiehan Herbst: Maybe Coenie can stay at loosehead with Wiehan and Frans Malherbe looking promising.

That would be my 22 for the up coming June tour.

Enjoy the rugby.

WP and Stormers future looks bleak

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I consider myself a staunch Province and Stormers supporter and I will most probably be for the rest of my life. Recent developments at the Province however begs me to question their sanity however. I do this out of love for them… and because I’m cheesed off and not shutting up about it. I know they won’t read this blog and if they do they will most definitely not give a horses arse to what I’m writing either.

First up let’s start at the beginning. The Stormers season started with a hell of a lot of promise. They had squad depth and players who ended the year on pretty good form. A few diamonds were uncovered last year too: Kitshoff, Kolisi, Malherbe, Etzebeth too name a few. And kudos to the Stormers to being able to hold on to them. But when last have they unearthed a gem of a player in the backline and managed to hold on to his service. Juan de Jongh is the only player that has shined in the back and that they managed to keep.

What happened to that attacking approach? Why is it gone? Blame Fleck all you like but I don’t feel it is his fault. I feel it is the system that has been put in place that is at a loss. With Fleck and Dobson at UCT they played an extremely exciting brand of rugby. However at the Stormers the adventurous spirit employed at UCT seems to have been blunted for the sake of winning at all costs.

Last year Province won the Currie Cup playing a more enterprising style of rugby. This year the Stormers seem hell bent on making sure they won’t play that kind of rugby again. It started off like they would but the very rapidly backtracked into their defensive shell… which hasn’t been as strong as of late. Why the backward step only the coaches and players will know. But as a supporter it is disheartening to watch. What really makes the pill a bitter one to swallow is that we had and have the players to play the game. We just keep on letting them go to other provinces.

We lost the likes of JJ Engelbrecht, Jürgen Visser, Johan Sadie, Dimitri Catrakilis and so on in recent years. We have unearthed some great talent yet the Province seems to not give a crap if we loose them. We couldn’t even hold on to Handré Pollard which in itself is very sad.

I just read that we have now also lost the services of another player I rated very highly, JP du Plessis. The lad could step, run and pass. He has vision and can attack like Aplon from anywhere. Yet he has been overlooked. Instead Province stuck to players like Burton Klaasen and Marcel Braché. Braché is a good player but not great, Klaasen I don’t rate at all, yet they get kept and someone like JP has to go. And if the rumour mill is to be believed the Tim Swiel will be leaving at the end of the year to. Here is a kid with container ships worth of potential but player like Coleman and Van Aswegen are rated better… in what union besides WP would this be possible?

I can’t help but feel politics is ruining Cape rugby. The administration has never been great but as of late it is like they are trying to prove they suck worse than can be believed. They are trying to out do their own ineptitude.

It is for this reason that for the foreseeable future I do not believe that WP or Stormers will ever be able to win a title again. Not unless the administration gets overhauled and some competent buggers get put in place.

I’ll still support my franchise but I won’t be expecting miracles and if we lose a game I won’t be angry as I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that it is becoming inevitable

Joy and Heartache… All In One Day

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Two things struck me as interesting topics to talk about on the rugby news front. First is the news of John Smit as the new Sharks CEO and the second is Heinrich Brussow not being considered in the Springbok training group due to a perceived high penalty count (absolute bullocks!).

Let’s start with the good news first and that is the appointment of John Smit as the new Sharks CEO. The reason I say that this is good news is that for a change rugby will be run by someone who actually knows the game.

For a number of years now we have had, mainly, a bunch of narrow minded business personnel running this beautiful game of ours. Mostly not well. Case in point being the palookas that are ruining rugby in the Western Province (Rassie Erasmus débâcle comes to mind). Administrative decisions are being made on a business level and in the end has adverse effects on the game we all love.

Having a person like Smit in charge is a master stroke by the Sharks board… well in my opinion it is. Smit is no moron even after years of banging his head in a rugby game. He is highly intelligent and commands respect from his fellows. He definitely has the business acumen needed but more importantly his decisions SHOULD be to the benefit of the game as he KNOWS the game (almost like why I regard Glen Jackson as the best ref so far in the Super 15 because he blows like someone who knows the game intimately).

So kudos to the Sharks who seem to, as usual, lead from the front in innovation.

The bad news. Springbok management have made a pathetic attempt to point out to Brussow why he does not get picked, that being his penalty count. Rubbish!!!! If you read Front Row Grunt you will have seen the stats that points out Brussow as having a low penalty count compared to others. In 6 games he has only had 7 penalties against him.

What does count against him however is his low turn-over rate of only 2 in 6 games. A guy like Brussow should be doing about 2 to 3 a game at minimum.

What pains me is that the Springbok management actually try and point out that his count is high when it obviously isn’t! Just tell Brussow, like a man, that you won’t pick him because he is not your favourite. Don’t lie to him… that’s just cowardly. But then again everything SARU does these days is cowardly…. they have no backbone.

I do however like Brussow’s response, “I’ll just have to work harder to prove that I deserve to be in the Springbok squad. It’s frustrating sometimes because penalties will happen as referees are so strict at the breakdowns. But I’ll do whatever it takes to earn my spot. I’m even working hard on becoming bigger.”Can’t help but feel that last little bit is a dig at Meyer’s selection policies!

So kudos to Brussow on his reply (and slight retort)

Meyer’s Breakdown Blues

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One can’t help but comment on Meyer’s speech about the breakdown “blues” of this country. Meyer is of the opinion that if we can sort out the breakdown of South African teams we can win matches. Truer words have never been spoken but then one would have to look at why we are having breakdown issues.

Meyer likes to say we have breakdown problems but then why does he not pick the players who can resolve that issue in his squad. Why is their no Brussow? Hell I’d even go as far as picking someone like Deon Fourie at 6 because on the ground he is devastating.

To me the problem doesn’t really lie in the fact that we are “behind” other teams in the pecking order come breakdown time but in the players we pick to win the breakdown game! Meyer is also a culprit in this regard.

When Meyer took over as Bok coach he believed that to win matches you need to boss the collisions. Fair enough, but without any ball to play with the only way you’ll win a match is tackling a team into submission.

I believe that this philosophy of big players has filtered down into our Super Rugby thinking. Of all the teams out their only the Cheetahs play a true fetcher in Brussow. The Stormers are playing a “big” loose trio but none of them really play to the ball. The only person who can is Duane Vermuelen but he is an 8th man and “fetching” is not part of his criteria. The Sharks have Keegan Daniel and Jacques Botes. Botes doesn’t make the starting team often and Daniel is fair on the ground but no where near the likes of Francois Louw or Brussow. The Kings have Watson but he is injured and way past his best and the Bulls have Stegmann who has never ever ever been anywhere near class… never mind international class on the ground.

Our team selections these last few years has been based on a Meyer philosophy of size wins games. Now Meyer is singing the breakdown blues. It makes no sense. I feel we have the talent and I believe to sort out our new Meyer issue we should pick the appropriate players for the role. Being great at the breakdown is a talent and not something that can be coached. The top three for this country, in my opinion, at the moment are Francois Louw, Heinrich Brussow and Deon Fourie. Of course when Bismarck comes back we have an extra “fetcher” and Adriaan Strauss and Coenie Oosthuizen are also not bad on the ground come ruck time.

So I do not agree with Meyer in saying that we are not good at the breakdown. If anything team choices make us bad at the breakdown. We look bad because we don’t pick a specialist. Looking at Meyer’s training squad selection it looks no better and I foresee a loss at the breakdown if Louw gets injured.

This would have been my Bok squad also without international players, based on current form in the Super XV:

Loosehead: Tendai Mtwarira (I know he is out of sorts but won’t play without him), Steven Kitshoff

Hooker: Adriaan Strauss, Kyle Cooper, Chiliboy Ralepelle

Tighthead: Coenie Oosthuizen, Wiehan Herbst, Frans Malherbe

4 Lock: Flip van der Merwe, Steven Sykes

5 Lock: Franco van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit

6 Flank: Heinrich Brussow, Deon Fourie

7 Flank: Lappies Labuschagne, Rynardt Elstadt, Siya Kolisi

8th Man: Duane Vermuelen, Phillip van der Walt, Jacques Engelbrecht

Scrumhalf: Cobus Reinach, Shaun Venter, Francois Hougaard

Flyhalf: Morné Steyn (as much as it pains me), Pat Lambie, Dimitri Catrakilis

Left Wing: Bryan Habana, Raymond Rhule

Inside Centre: Jean de Villiers, Robert Ebersohn

Outside Centre: Juan de Jongh, Lionel Mapoe (for lack of a better option)

Right Wing: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen

Fullback: Frans Steyn, Joe Pietersen (for lack of a better option)

Note: I did not select current major injuries

So all in all I feel we are not behind when it comes to breakdown play… we just aren’t picking the right people for the job.

Looking forward to the new Super XV

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Pretty soon it’s going to be the time when most South African men’s time will be dominated by red meat and fire, alcohol and rugby. The Super XV is almost upon us and the rugby starved nation is gearing up towards a plethora of matches under murderous conditions.

This is going to be a long season. It will not be a season for sissies and one where only the strong and extremely lucky will escaped unscathed. All the South African teams look good bar the Kings. All-in-all player depth seems strong bar the Kings.

Having a look at the teams, playing what would probably be their last warm up game, it seems like the strongest available sides have been picked. It makes sense. Build some momentum now to take into the competition. With that in mind I want to have a look at the teams and see how they might approach this new season.

Kings:

First XV:

15 Elric van Vuuren, 14 Marcello Sampson, 13 Wayne Stevens, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Siyanda Grey, 10 Wesley Dunlop, 9 Johan Herbst, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Mpho Mbiyozo, 6 Rynier Bernado, 5 Darron Nell (captain), 4 Tomas Leonardi, 3 Grant Kemp, 2 Boetie Britz, 1 Lizo Gqoboko.

Bench:

16 Dane van der Westhuizen, 17 Khwezi Mkhafu, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Daniel Adongo, 20 Thabo Mamojelle, 21 Scott Mathie, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Scott van Breda.

Alan Solomons has picked a young team (in experience terms)… and a number of players I have never heard of. Let’s face it, the Kings will be the Wooden Spoon winners and by a long way. Even the Lions are very likely to give them a thrashing this weekend. They might play with everything they have but it just is not enough. They will probably try be enterprising, and kudos to them, but in the end they will only serve as a very likely bonus point team for all the others. They have no real depth and injuries will only really see them get worse as the weeks drag on. The only positive I see is that the players will have had some valuable life lessons along the way.

Cheetahs:

First XV:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Rayno Benjamin, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain) 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Bench:

16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Ligtoring Landman, 19 Juan Smith, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Hennie Daniller, 23 Hansie Graaff.

The team picked by Naka is almost a definite run-on team for their first Super XV match of the tourney. I’m sure a tweak will be made here and an adjustment there but in the end this will almost certainly be their first choice. One thing that I like about this squad is the return of some much needed experience and the acquisition of some much needed players. I’m not talking about Sadie so much but with the acquisitions that Griquas have made it has certainly helped the Cheetahs franchise’s depth for this tournament. They are still light in certain areas but at least the team has more depth than it has ever had before. Expect very enterprising play from them. With Ebersohn and Sadie as a centre pairing expect a lot of running rugby. Juan Smith is back and that is a huge boost for the Cheetahs and SA rugby in general. I don’t expect them to be as hot as a house on fire but they should come close in a lot of games and actually win more than usual.

Bulls:

First XV:

15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Morné Mellett.

Bench:

16 Callie Visagie, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Ulrich Beyers, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Wynand Olivier.

I’m sure Ludeke has also almost picked his first XV. I’m sure players like Mapoe, and Olivier will be first choice players but the team picked is a very good indication of who Ludeke favours. I’m sure now that the youngsters have settled after last year, the Bulls should be a stronger team. However I don’t see a big deviation in game plan with the boys up north. But then again with Morné seeing what is required besides kicks at post he might try and be a bit more expansive this year. All-in-all the Bulls have a strong squad with lots of youngsters coming through. Should be a very interesting opener for them when they face their nemesis in the form of the men down south, the Stormers. Should also give them a good indication of where they are.

Sharks:

First XV:

15. Riaan Viljoen 14. Odwa Ndungane 13. Tim Whitehead 12. Francois Steyn (Captain) 11. Lwazi Mvovo 10. Patrick Lambie 9. Charl McLeod 8. Lubabalo Mtembu 7. Jean Deysel 6. Jacques Botes 5. Franco van der Merwe 4. Pieter-Steph du Toit 3. Wiehahn Herbst 2. Kyle Cooper 1. Allan Dell.

Bench:

16. Craig Burden 17. Tendai Mtawarira 18. Jandré Marais 19. Anton Bressler 20. Keegan Daniel 21. Cobus Reinach 22. Meyer Bosman 23. Paul Jordaan 24. Louis Ludik.

In my opinion, Plumtree’s boys are the team to beat this year. They showed what they were capable of in the latter stages of the competition and with the players they have they should easily be able to maintain that style. Even with some new and young faces coming through there is still enough “old hands” on deck to keep the ship tip-top. Bar the Bulls, the Sharks have probably got some of the best centres in the tourney for SA teams. Having Frans Steyn back and with the likes of Whitehead and Jordaan I expect to see a lot of New Zealand style play. My only concern is Meyer Bosman. I have never rated him highly. Other than that the Sharks have a formidable squad and once again the team picked by Plumtree is a good indication of what his starting XV will probably look like.

Stormers:

First XV:

15 Jaco Taute, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Bench:

16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Brok Harris, 19 De Kock Steenkamp, 20 Don Armand, 21 Nizaam Carr, 22 Nic Groom, 23 Louis Schreuder, 24 Pat Howard, 25 Gerhard van den Heever, 26 Joe Pietersen.

For all intense purposes this will most probably be the run on team for their first Super XV game against the Bulls. Schalk will probably be picked before Elstadt and Jantjies before Coleman but it is pretty much Coetzee’s final team. Last year they were conference winners but this year is a new year with new challenges. Stormers defence has always been great and I expect no different this year. Coetzee has called for more emphasis on attack but in picking his centre pairing for this game I feel he is going conservative. We all no Jean is no 13 and De Allende is an up and coming young player but they are both big strong ball carries that can’t step to beat a player. Sure there were slim pickings because De Jongh and JP du Plessis (who I rate very highly) are injured but I would rather have seen Pat Howard on Jean’s outside than Jean on Damian’s outside. Jean’s defence is suspect at 13 and rightly so. Plus he is the wrong side of 30. However the stormers do have a pretty good squad with lots of depth but I fear they might be light on the loose forwards.

All in all the I feel the conference will be won by the Sharks this year with a battle between the Bulls and the Stormers for second. I see the Cheetahs causing more upsets than ever before and the Kings being no more than canon fodder.

Here is to an interesting Super XV ahead… may it be full of fun!