We all have opinions on players that should or should not be chosen. It’s natural, since we all like different styles of play and we do tend to be a bit biased towards our chosen team. But one thing that has become more of an outcry from all over is our style that should be more attacking. People are clamouring for the like of a Lambie, Goosen, Jantjies and Taute. Exciting young players that play a more “open” style.
One thing is sure is that when it comes to our younger crop of player at the moment, is that their attacking ability is a hell of a lot better than our older crop. Ball skills seem to be more pronounced. Our young flyhalves can all run, kick and pass and are also excellent defenders.
Our centres seem to be agile, strong, fast and with an excellent ability to step. This is shown in the way Juan de Jongh, Sadie, Paul Jordaan and Jan Serfontein play. Even our young wings are proving to be dangerous finishers when given half a chance. Mvovo, Basson, Rhule, Sithole and JJ, they all have some form of x-factor about them.
My only worry presently is scrumhalf and tighthead. We seem to be lacking a well rounded scrumhalf like a Fourie du Preez and a Ruan Pienaar. Hougaard can become it, Piet van Zyl looks good and I rate someone like Nic Groom, maybe even this Jacques Coetzee from Griquas, but they are still a far cry from the class that is Du Preez and Pienaar. Tighthead will need to be addressed soon… real soon
If you had to give me ANY player I wanted for the Boks and let me pick a match day 22, it would probably look like this:
First XV:
15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermuelen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Schalk Burger (C), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etsebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtwarira
Reserves:
16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Juandré Kruger, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Bjorn Basson
If I had to pick out of what we currently have available it would look like this:
First XV:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Keegan Daniel (C), 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etsebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtwarira
Reserves:
16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Juandré Kruger, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Gio Aplon
And if I had to pick a side for the future, the guys to take the next world cup it would probably look like this:
First XV:
15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Eben Etsebeth, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Reserves:
16 Deon Fourie, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Anton Bressler, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
I know I didn’t pick Beast who will be 31 by then or Bismarck who will be 32 but the young guys will probably be better than they will be by then.
I like the way you think good sir. I like it a lot.
Good team, but would still prefer Super Sarel @ 9 with a pienaar backup. Hougaard is a wing/impact player, bit slow at mauls and delivery not as crisp and direct as Sarel/Pienaar.
Super Sarel is great on attack… his defence is suspect though
like i said before good thing your not the coach then
*you’re
Really good options, give those players a gap – HM, do you know that you have just under four years to get ready for the world cup. Dont wait until next year or the year after that. Give those youngsters a gap.
We have fantastic talent – look after the players:
15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Eben Etsebeth, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Reserves:
16 Deon Fourie, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Anton Bressler, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute
Thx
I like your trend of thought. Lambie at flyhalf gives many more options than Morne Steyn who suddenly has become the Messiah after he has done the very basics against the Pumas.
I fully agree that HM should start showing his hand for the future. In the end Lambie will be remembered as talented and vesatile. What a waste! Why mess around with Potgieter on the flank when Kolisi is the future?
Lambie might become the next Brent Russell… and that is never a good thing
Brent Russel was magic. I have never seen a rugby player with his acceleration. Lambie doesn’t bring the same magic to the last 20 minutes of a match so I doubt he will ever only be used as an impact player. His best quality is how cool and calm he can stay under pressure with is more usefull throughout a match and not just a last 20min thing. Hougaard is far more likely to end up being a Brent Russel in my opinion.
Not the comparison I was trying to make. What i was pointing to is that Brent Russell was messed around to the degree that he almost dropped of the face of rugby. If they keep shunting Lambie around like they are at the moment it could backfire and we could loose one hell of a player.
Agreed!
those are some great squads. maybe you suggest them to meyer!!?? lol.. or rather dont, the man got blinkers on..
ps: who would be your captain for your RWC team?? I’d go for Vermeulen or Strauss..
Great post!!
I’d find it difficult to decide between Strauss, Goosen and Lambie… I’d probably make Strauss captain and Lambie vice
I am a WP supporter, but one has to give credit where it is due. HM has proven himself @ all level except international. Currie Cup and Super. Give him a chance. He is qualified for the job. And he gas pulled together a good coaching team to support(with exception of Ricardo, lets see.). Rassie is probably one of the best technical guys around.
Agree but you can’t pick people who haven’t performed! It smacks of favouritism
You say ..”Agree but you can’t pick people who haven’t performed! It smacks of favoritism” .. and just how has Vermeulen, Burger, de Jongh, Bekker performed?? Vermeulen and Burger have not played rugby this season, de Jongh has not made much of an impact as an attacking player with the Stormers, Bekker cannot last 80 minutes in a test. Elton is not an international flyhalf … his temperament is not proven and his channel will become a target for attacking teams since he will not be able to defend it — to small. So your team selection really sux … and I am very glad you are not the coach. HM is qualified for the job … you are no more than just an armchair amateur. In the place of Vermeulen @8 I would pick Coetzee, @6 Brussow, @13 Ebersohn, @5 Kruger (he is no worse a jumper than soft Bekker and can last a whole match) … @10 Goosen with Lambie as understudy Tuate as @15, 12 reserve on bench.
If ever this team was to play together, they would cream everyone. Nice mix of exciting youth and brilliance. There is enough experience in key positions. If I was HM, I would start drafting them together slowly.
15- Fran’s Steyn 14- JP Pietersen 13- Paul Jordaan 12- Jan Serfontein 11- Bryan Habana 10- Johan Goosen 9- Francois Hougaard 8- Willem Alberts 7- Siya Kolisi 6- Marcell Coetzee 5- Andries Bekker 4- Eben Etzebeth 3- beast 2- Bismarck 1- Coenie
16- Chilliboy / Strauss 17- Heinke VDMerwe 18- Paul Willemse 19- Vermeulen 20- Vian Du Toit 21- Henre Pollard 22- William Small Smith
Unfortunately no space for Tshotsho Mbovane, Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute amongst the backs.
Beast isn’t technically as strong at a scrum so wouldn’t shift him to tighthead. Rather move Coeni there as he has played tighthead before.
I would also keep Alberts at 7 and play Marcell at 8 with Siya moving to 6. My reasoning is that Albert is too slow to be as effective at 8 as he is at 7 and Marcell could be South Africa’s answer to our #8 problem. No people Vermeulen is not an option because he plays a style of rugby that we are trying to move away from. If he were to fit anywhere into this team he would be competing for the 7 jersey with Alberts. But all this is IMHO of course.
I don’t know… I think leave Marcell at 6 and move Kolisi to 8. He has the skills and the power and is very explosive in his own regard. He is actually a very attacking player, just think that the Stormers game plan forced him to focus more on his defence, so he couldn’t show case his attack much
The thing is there is space for guys like Mbovane, Jantjies and Taute. The rugby season is becoming very long and the attrition rate is high. One cannot simply bank on 22 players anymore. One has to create a squad of 40 players. Because if number one gets injured then number 2 should almost be as good.
15. JJP
14. J du Jongh/JJ engelb
13. Jean/ Jordaan
12. Frans
11. Hougaard
10. Goosen/Lambie
9. Pienaar
8. Schalk/Coetzee
7. Alberts
6. Brussow
5. Etsebeth
4. Andries
3. WP Nel
2. Bismark
1. Beast
Would this be your future or at the moment team? Who is JJP? And totally forgot about Paul Jordaan… looks like an amazing prospect
Sorry meant JPP.
Almost current
JPP and Bismark currently out I know
You do realize Adriaan Strauss was born in ’85 and Bismarck du Plessis in ’84, right?
thus – AS next WC 30, BDP 31….?
And by the way…Beast will also only be 30 then. So, all 3 of them will still be young enough at the next WC. Front rows tend to peak at an older age. 31 is definitely not over the wall for a front ranker. Especially these 3…BDP in particular is in better shape than most (although being injured). BDP, if he recovers properly, will have prolonged his career effectively by a year by sitting out 9 months (note again, if he manages to recover properly).
True, but with the seasons only getting longer one would have to start thinking along the lines of a rotational squad. If Bismarck and Beast play the amount of rugby that is going to be dished out over the next few years they will probably be burned out way before their time…
I agree with the first two teams you posted with the exception of Vermeulen, however I disagree with your selection of a world cup team. You need experience at a world cup and you are selecting 2 youngers in the front row purely based on “the young guys will probably be better than they will be by then.” That is such a load of BS unfortunately. Otherwise not a bad article.
true but if you bring those guys through now you could get the necessary experience. And OutOfTheBoks might be right and they can manage Beast and Bismarck up to the next WC. I just hope the amount of play doesn’t do them in before then
They could gain the necessary experience to be the backup to beast and bismark not replace them. Lots of experience (world cup experience) in the front row is extremely important. I actually think we could have an extremely experienced and yet still relatively young team at the next world cup. (Frans Steyn 2 world cups, Ruan Pienaar 2 world cups, Bismark n Jannie 2 world cups, Frans Hougaard 1 world cup, JPP 2 world cups and thats just to name the most obvious ones)
NIce post bru. Pity HM doesn’t see the light. Wasn’t he quoted as saying he is not here to “build a squad” and that he will only pick the best at any time? Think that is a very dumb approach, you HAVE to build your depth cause injuries are part of the game and if, come world cup final day , your nr 1 is injured, your number 2 can slot in with ease….not as if Meyer’s numbers 1′s are the number 1′s, a few of them are nr 3′s….
Thats true, but remember, if HM’s No1′s (that is actually SA’a No3′s) gets injured we would actually be better off because then the real No1′s will be chosen! ” J “
It is actually a real pity the Kanko went to japan now. He has never been given an extended run at 8 and this was he one opportunity to play 6 or 7 matches in a row at 8 and given time to settle down with the RC & EOYT. He has basically screwed his opportunity to claim the 8 jersey for some extra cash. Sad indeed when money comes before national pride.
The call was made before he knew HM wanted him so badly so contractually he was screwed. I think if he had a choice he would play in the green-and-gold. But HM did say that Kanko might be available for the leg to Australasia
That just shows HM’s short sightedness! Kanko was an option way before his contract with the Japanese. It just a lame copout from HM to avoid more queries over his selection of his blue eyed boys!
Bwhahahahaha… erm… Amen!
But in all fairness to HM kanko’s form was hardly something to write home about before he signed the contract.
His form was actually very good since his return from injury near the end of the SR for the Sharks. I think most didn’t notice him cause they didn’t realise he was injured in the first leg of the SR.
Would we blame Lambie if he were to push off eventually when he gets dead-alleyed more ‘n more? We know what Morne Steyn/Zane Kirchener brings to the party and likewise does the opposition. How much time do they spend on strategy to outwit us? I thought that Lambie would have been given serious game time against the Pumas, but he is seriously not part of the planning. However, if Lambie were to play because of injury, they would heap him with praise re all his wonderful attributes, but unfortunately our motto is: BFI [Brute Force and Ignorance] and our management love it.
You have the blinkers on: Only Stormers and Sharks…
Too many Stormers in there and as such no bmt. They will CHOKE everytime they have a must win or play off game.
i dont see…any young talent…s kisshoff,kolisi, sv/d merwe, f malherbe, adendorf, a botha, j serfontein, h pollard, j taute….to many to mention… stop reading the blogs and watch rugby…all youre doing is mixing players that u have read off.
No Heinrich? looks like you guys have got the no fetcher thing like HM, just wait and see how big of an influence it will be without him against the AB’s and Aussies. We are losing the breakdowns against Argentina! now you want to play without a fetcher against the AB’s and win? Don’t think so mate!
Team
Lambie, Habana, JP, Frans, Mvovo, Pienaar, Hougaard, Burger, Alberts, Brussow, Kruger, Etzabeth, Jannie, Bismarc & Beast
Bench
Chilliboy, Coenie, Bekker, Cotzee, Goosen, de Jongh and Basson