ADFSL

Well unlike many people believe I think the Boks played pretty good in the end to stave off an very motivated Scotish side. Yes the Scots might have been bordering on offside most of the time. They slowed down our ball the whole night and not all of it was legal but still give credit where it is due. They played bloody well.

For HM he has gotten some answers.
One is Flo has no equal in SA and he should probably wrap that boy in cotton. The Scots bossed the brakedown and he was missed.
The other is that Bismark is the best hooker in SA. He was immense in his little stint on the field stealing ball and bringing parity to breakdown.

But there were a lot more questions.
Where did Spies go again in a tight game?
Will the Pienaar and Steyn combo work. Morne did not look the same player with out Vermaak.
Is JJ’s and Willie’s defense and positional play good enough for international rugby?
To name a few.

Samoa has been good in this competition and will test the Boks. But their first phase play and brakedown play should not be good enough for boks.

Cheers.

So there is a lot of debate on twitter and on news sites about HM’s desire to change Coenie into a tighthead in the long run.
Coenie himself and the Cheetah coaches all agree with HM that it is a wise move in the long run. Thus giving Coenie more and more game time at tighthead. Unfortunately up until now Coenie have not mastered the tighthead position especially this season. Post neck injury. Coenie is big and very strong but looks to struggle with the technicalities of thighthead play at the moment.

Former tighthead props like Cobus Visagie and Tank Lanning think it is a big mistake to try and convert Coenie back into a tighthead.

Well we all can see why Os, Naka and HM would want to do so as Coenie is a good ball poacher and a strong carrier of the ball not things you normally associate with a tighthead. And it will thus be a big bonus if he can scrum on the right hand side of the scrum. Add to that that we are really short stocked when it comes to the no 3 spot it all does makes sense if it works.

The other tighthead in the squad is Adriaanse he is an adequate scrummer and has done well for the Cheetahs but as with Herbst the fact that their on field work rate and skills is not the best HM is not convinced that they are the long term answer. (oddly the same reason Plum dropped Jannie)

But many are arguing with the new laws allowing for an entire front row on the bench a coach should have a specialist tighthead and loosehead on the bench. And thus guys like CJ, Pat and Coenie’s all round abilities will become absolute.  Because even though a guy like Coenie can make a huge impact on the field and we can get away with him in the last few scrums of a game. What if Doc Jannie gets injured early and Coenie has to scrum come the 5 min of the game?

HM did however earmarked young Malherbe as his young gun and preferred successor to Doc Jannie. He is of coarse injured after surgery to his toe. And maybe if he was uninjured we might not have had this post.

Next season we will do away with the hit and according to the people in the know this will benefit the more technically correct scrummager a tad more than the guys relying on brute strength and force alone. Will be interesting to see who it really benefits?

Me personally feel if Coenie is game and the Cheetahs is game it might not be a bad move to relocate the man if it is done right. I believe he should first build his confidence in club rugby and CC and then take it to SR and International rugby. At the moment they seem to do it the wrong way round.

Cheers

So HM went with continuity rather than resting some overplayed players. His only unforced change is Bismark on the bench for Chili. I for one will be very interested to see how he goes post knee opp.

I would have liked if he rested some key players as this was probably the only test to do so the whole season. But then there is nothing wrong with building combinations and growing in team confidence. As many will say test level is not the place to rest your stars that should be done at SR and CC level. That is all nice and idle but with the contracting system we have its not going to happen and it is no use to the players being overplayed.

That said again a very good team which is pretty well balanced with maybe the exception of a fetcher. Of coarse with Bismark in the mix (he is a real fetcher) one might get away with it.

I am very excited to see what young Piet and Kolisi can do off the bench  HM should not just give him 3 min in the end. That is a waste of everybodies time. Give them atleast 10 min to see what they got its only Scotland in South Africa.

Cheers

With all the good news coming out of the Sharks camp with Smit and Venter set to take over from CC on wards. And not to many players leaving as of yet it can only mean big things for the union going forward.

With Venter and Smit both ex-players at the highest level they will be able to lure a lot of young talent to Durban. I must say I am a bit envious of them.

As I said a 100 times before the Stormers really need a few things changed at management level. For one they need a director of rugby someone to fly around South Africa to spot young talent and convince them that Campsbay is a lot nicer than Hatfield. It should not be difficult. Lol

But seriously since Rassie left not a lot of new talent have surfaced. Kolisi, Kitshoff, Malherbe, Carr, Scarra ect ect all was still signed during the Erasmus era. Now I know the cape has a abundance of talent and they are probably the union that least have to search far and wide for talent but still we are missing some new blood for next season.

One positive point is at least there isn’t a abundance of players leaving the union yet. Unlike the Bulls where they have over signed young players and now do not have money to retain the older players. Offering them half their current salaries. Mind you the young talent they signed are top of the pops. But to sign the whole baby bok team of 0’12 (nearly) might have been overkill.

I just hope Rob Wagner can see that AC is a coach and needs to concentrate on coaching not signing new players!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

With the Boks not yet firing on all cylinders and not all the new combinations gelling 100% yet HM has to make the hard choice whether to keep with continuity and build up combinations or to give some more players chances and rest some of the more overplayed Boks.

WIth Scotland (with the team in SA) not being the hardest opponents in the world it does give HM the best opportunity he will have all season to rest some of his fringe players and rest some of his veterans.

We all know what we have in Doc Jannie, Beast, Strauss, Flo, Steyn, JdV, Habana ect they have been part of the Bok systems for a while now and there is not much to be learned about them they are all the best in their respective positions. All have been over played a bit this season and might well deserve a rest.

We still have a 3rd test where Mr Meyer can again select his first 15. But it would be nice for these players to get some rest and will also mean invaluable game time for some of the fringe players.

A team like: Le Roux, Mvovo, JJ, Jan, Basson, Lambie, Pienaar, Botha, Alberts, Coetzee, Kruger, Eben, Adrianse/Coenie, Chili(c), Trevor could be just what the doctor ordered against the Scots that struggled against Samoa.

Of coarse their is always the chance HM would want to build on combo’s and the team as a unit.
But this is his only game before the RC that he will get to rest those players and to see what he have in some of his fringe players.

Cheers

The Boks really impressed in their first 20 mins against Italy. Every facet of the game was clinical and passing was crisp. But as the game wore on they started to lose concentration and if it wasn’t from some individual brilliance from Habana and Basson the score might have been a lot closer.

The kick-off receiving was diabolical and the line-out and scrums were getting worse as the game progressed. But if you take into account that the team have only trained as a unit for 3 days it was probably expected.

As most feared Coenie struggled at tighthead and HM and co will really have to work hard with the boy if they want to turn him into a prop that can truly play both sides. Trevor really impressed in the 2 scrums he had not taking a step backward against Castro.

Vermaak also impressed and I have to feel for the man having made his debut at 31 and now being injured.

Willie is really exciting at 15 and brings another dimension to the bok backline play even though not everything he tried came off one must give it time as none of the other backline players have ever played with him. He was solid on defense and under the high ball two of his perceived weaknesses. I would love to see him get an extended run.

JJ had a good game but stuffing up 2 tries was a bit of a negative against his name. The first try he basically shoved Basson out of the way only to screw up himself and the second he forgot to dive for the try line and thus dropping the ball. He is big strong and committed just a bit more brain to his game is needed for him to become a bok regular.

Flo and Arno also really impressed me but Spies again did not overly impressed. Both should be destined to take over at 8 and the sooner HM realizes it the better for SA rugby.

HM’s tendency to give players a 4 or 5 min game in the end just to build the number of caps the players have is a bit pointless. If you want to bring a sub on at least give him 10 – 15 mins. OK so Jan’s sub was a forced change as Habana was bleeding but the rest was pointless.

All in all not the worst start to a season but with a lot to improve.

Cheers.

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 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

Substitutes: 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

So HM did pick Le Roux at 15 and I am very surprised but very excited the man is an attacking threat with ball in hand anywhere on the field.

The rest of the team pretty close to what we would expect except maybe for Jan on bench and JJ to start but with Jan still o/20 it is maybe the right call to bring him of the bench.

One thing that is worrying is that there is no tighthead replacement with Coenie set to cover but he has been struggling at 3 all season.

Still a nice side and against Italy they should win.

Cheers

So with the news that last years winner Bradley Wiggins is injured and won’t be able to defend his title the tour shapes up to be a very interesting tour.
Last season Bradley was just in to good form and his team just to strong for any rider to compete which made the tour a bit less exciting.

This season is stacked up to be very exciting as Kenyan born and SA schooled Chris Froome is set to take over the mantel for team Sky. He ended second last season and many believed if he was allowed to race Wiggins he might have pushed him to the end.

Then there is of coarse Alberto Contador who last year missed out due to a ban. He rides for team Saxo Tinkoff. He will be out to proof a point and regain the title he lost due to the ban. His might not be as strong as team sky but he is a very talented rider.

Other pretenders might be Evans the 2011 champion has not been able to match his form of that season though and he might end up working for young TJ van Garderen. Andy Schleck the now official 2010 champ will want to stake his claim and win it out right on the road but he will have to overcome his time trail difficulties and without brother Frank he will have his work cut out for him.

Fresh out of winning the Giro Nibali has opted not to ride the tour as his work load would have been to much rather opting to ride lesser races later in the year. He finished 3rd last season.

Cycling has been through a very dark place last year and I believe the riders would want to set things right again and I can’t wait.

Cheers

So Schalk has broke his media silence yesterday to reveal the state of his health and his planned route to recovery.

He has been out of rugby for 15 plus months now and many have argued that he will go the same route Juan Smith had by retiring before he ever made it to a competitive game again.

Burger had a cyst removed in close proximity to his spinal cord and contracted a hospital borne virus and got meningitis. According to Burger his back (and calf) is not giving him any discomfort anymore but he now still have to recover from meningitis.
Currently he is regaining his health and getting fit after a 6 week hospital stay and a 8 week home isolation.

He is scheduled for a check-up in 7 weeks time by which a more precise time frame for his actual return to the rugby field can be given.

He intends playing some CC at the end of the season. This could only be good news for WP and their chances of retaining the CC trophy. As their squad will be one of the least effected by bok call ups of the bigger unions.

The Stormers really missed him this season as their loose trio almost always lacked balance.

I for one is glad that Burger will be making a return to try and end his career on a bit of a high.

Cheers

With the squad known and the test on Saturday I will take a stab at who I think HM will pick.

Here goes:

15 Zane Kirchner
14 Habana
13 JdV
12 Jan Serfontein
11 Basson
10 Steyn
9 Pienaar
8 Spies
7 WA
6 Flo
5 Kruger
4 Eben
3 Doc
2 Strauss
1 Beast

16 Chili
17 Coenie
18 Lourens
19 Flip
20 Coetzee
21 Hougaard
22. Lambie
23 Le Roux

Most of the side picks themselves the only really interesting spots are wing and the backline reserves. Maybe FB as well as Zane might not be properly fit but with most of a game behind him I believe HM will stick with Zane if at all possible.

What do you think ??

Cheers