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Dear Heyneke

May 20, 2013 in Rugby, Springboks

Tags: 2013, heyneke meyer, springboks, tri nations

Dear Heyneke

You know when you were named as the chosen one for the Springbok Rugby Coach job, I was very happy. Ja, I felt sorry for ou Divvy, but he was the maker of his own destiny, like Morgan Mandela said in that Invictus Movie.

So, last year, when you started picking Bulls players like Jaques Potgieter and JJ Engelbrecht, and gave them Springbok caps ahead of players who have shown their worth in the past and were much better in their positions, I started wondering what’s in your head. Are you a zombie? Then we see poor Lambie on the bench every single game, while Zane Kirchner keeps running on as full back. I wondered, is Heyneke the only one who sees value in NikNaks other than Simba?

Last year ended pretty okayish for you, with some nice wins in the Northern Hemisphere. But now, we are in a new year, and as much as we love beating the Brits, we love nothing more than beating the All Blacks and the Aussies. We hate nothing more than losing to Argentina or some other third tier side. We want you to win. Like that song goes, We wanna win. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Bok Exodus: Good or Bad?

April 22, 2013 in International, Rugby

18 Comments »

Tags: andries bekker, bryan habana, cj stander, dewalt duvenhage, exodus, jaque fourie, jp petersen, juandre kruger, morne steyn, overseas, springboks, zane kirchner

Bye Bye Bokkie….

I am losing count of the number of Springboks who have signed overseas contracts since Heyneke Meyer has become the Springbok coach. Up to last year still, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Louw and Frans Steyn was the only real candidates for overseas based selection while one or two other not so noteworthy players were also selected as stop gaps during the Northern Hemisphere tour.

News has now broken that JP Petersen and Zane Kirchner will also be leaving. Two key roles in the Springboks squad. I am left wondering what we have left. Very recently Andries Bekker has signed for Japan, Juandre Kruger also signed for somewhere in Europe, leaving our lock stocks a little bare, and Bekker was not even being considered for the Springboks, having been one of the top locks in SA this season so far. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Only 6 places left!

April 17, 2013 in Rugby, Springboks

4 Comments »

Tags: italy, mbombela, mob2013, samoa, scotland, springboks, stadium

The Mbombela Test Double Header tickets will go on Sale at 12:00 Today, 17 April 2013. Many tickets have already been booked by various unions, sponsors and the like, while SARU have taken blocks of tickets which will not be available for sale on Computicket.

Which is unfortunate, because if you live in the Nelspruit area and want to get tickets through Computicket to see the Springboks play in your home town for the first time ever, you might struggle to get through on their systems, and may be left empty handed, while the white collars of SARU will come from Cape Town and the like to fill up our stadium. Sorry for you. it upsets me quite a bit that many local folks won’t manage to get tickets to the game in their home town. But alas, SARU is SARU….

If you act quickly, however, and from whereever you are, you may still be part of this epic event! Only 6 spots left at the MOB accommodation, and I may still be able to get more test tickets. So please let me know soon!

Time is running out!

Clink on the Image Below to read more about the MOB!

by Met uysh

MO(m)Bela Stadium to Rock!

April 10, 2013 in International, Rugby, Springboks

3 Comments »

Tags: 15 june, 2013, heyneke meyer, italy, kruger national park, lowveld, mbombela stadium, mob, nelspruit, samoa, scotland, springboks, test rugby

MOB 2013 is only 2 months away. “2 months is still long!” You say, but when you consider accommodation to be arranged and tickets to be purchased to have the best possible seats in the house, 2 months is not alot of time at all! Heyneke Meyer has already started with his preliminary training squad, a squad on which I am sure you all have lots to say…

Be that as it may, coming to the MOB is going to be about much more than watching Stampkar rugby by Heyneke’s boys. It your chance to meet some fellow bloggers, or if you don’t blog, to meet some sports lovers. Its your chance to be part of a historic event which is the first time ever that Nelspruit will host a Rugby Test Match, and not just one, but two! Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

The 2013 MOB, don’t miss out!

March 25, 2013 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship

16 Comments »

Tags: italy, mbombela, mob, samoa, scotland, sport24, springboks, test rugby, uysh

I am sure there are many of you who regret not having been to the inaugural MOB last year in Durban, where some of the bloggers met up for the weekend and watched the Sharks thrash the Stormers.

This year, the MOB has been set for the weekend of 15 June. It’s a long weekend, so if you don’t have any plans yet, you do now! And if you do have plans already, well, cancel them, cause you don’t want to miss this one!

Zebra and Giraffe, the picturesque Mbombela Stadium

They key attraction for this year’s MOB will be the first ever Test Match the be played in Nelspruit. Not only will one be played, but two! The Springboks, Italy, Scotland and Samoa will be at the Mbombela stadium in which you will get two tests for the price of one! Tickets are set to sell between R350 and R500 and unofficial reports are that it WILL BE SOLD OUT!

We need numbers. Phone numbers, number of people, number of nights, medical aid and Swiss Bank Account numbers! (Ok, not those last two). Tickets need to be bought, accommodation needs to be arranged and depending on how the group feels, a trip to the Kruger National Park will also be arranged.

Meet the King of the beasts!

So, Baylion, step away a bit from your PC for a bit and live a little by coming to meet up with us in the sLowveld. De La Rey, Sheriff, LeeuBok, Darwinia, Hanjo, Bloues, Dutchman, LT, REM and all the other guys and gals, come on over!

Only 80 days until the MOB 2013! Are you guys ready to have a blast?

by Met uysh

The battle for number 8 is on!

March 11, 2013 in International, Rugby, Springboks, Super Rugby

26 Comments »

Tags: blues, bulls, chiefs, duane vermeulem, heyneke meyer, pierre spies, springboks, stormers, super 15, super rugby, superxv

With Pierre Spies’ performance this past weekend against the Blues, Heyneke Meyer will have taken note and may even be having a wry grin on his face. Spies’ performances over the past few years were short of satisfactory, and along with his hand injury last year, allowed for Duane Vermeulen to step up and take his place in the Springbok camp.

Many viewers will regard Spies as the better player, but it is often the non-flashy players who are doing the hard graft around the park and goes unnoticed because they do not rely on open space to ply their trade as does Pierre Spies. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Springbok Flyhalve: A 3 Horse race!

February 25, 2013 in Rugby, Springboks, Super Rugby

52 Comments »

Tags: blues, brumbies, bulls, catrakilis, chiefs, crusaders, elton jantjies, force, heyneke meyer, highlanders, hurricanes, jake white, Johan goosen, Kings, morne steyn, patrick lambie, peter grant, sharks, springboks, stormers

Well well! What a weekend of Super Rugby! Apart from the dull encounter up North in Bulls country and the snooze inducing encounter down under in Brisbane, this weekend’s “kick off” of the Super Rugby season really provided some much needed quenching of thirsts accross continents!

One thing is for sure, and that is the South African teams have a lot of work to do to match the intensity and raw speed of the New Zealand teams. In Australia, only one team really stand out and that’s the Brumbies. Sorry Quade, either go back to boxing, or get Genia back on your inside. Frankly, you are perhaps better at boxing than at Rugby without him!

And how about those Kings, hey? Love them or hate them, for me (with egg in my face) they earned a certain amount of respect for the way they played and kudo’s to the supporters filling a stadium, where Ellis Park would most probably have been as quiet as a….well, come to think of it, is there anything as quiet as Ellis Park right now? I still believe the venue is at the root of the Lions troubles…and perhaps a lesson to be learnt by some that perhaps encapsulating the festive vibes from what the 2010 Soccer World Cup stadiums provided may in fact assist with the longevity of the unions. Traditions unfortunately do not fill the pockets nor pay the bills. Feet do. And pardon the little stab, Luke supporters, but what does he do on the field while someone like that Jacques Engelbrecht chappie is warming the bench? Does he still think he is a quota player or what? Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Boerseun is Back!

January 31, 2013 in Rugby, Super Rugby

2 Comments »

Tags: bulls, cheetahs, duane vermeulen, heyneke meyer, juan smith, lions, marcell coetzee, springboks, stormers, willem alberts

At last! We can see some Rugby again!

Ja, ok. Last year we saw way too much rugby. But to go “cold turkey” for nearly three months is just agonising to say the least, and neither the Heineken Cup, Top 14 or Aviva Premiership can fill the void that’s been left.

It’s not SupeRugby yet. But it’s almost as good. It could have been better though. If the Bulls were playing the Stormers and the Ceetahs were playing the Sharks, the rivalry between the sides alone would have been worth the admission price. But I will take the Bulls vs Lions and the Cheetahs vs Stormers any day of the week over Bordoux vs Northampton on a lily white pitch of snow.

Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Rugby: Not for dummies anymore

January 29, 2013 in International, Rugby, Super Rugby

11 Comments »

Tags: blues, brumbies, bulls, cheetahs, chiefs, crusaders, force, highlanders, hurricanes, irb, Kings, laws, lions, rebels, reds, sanzar, sharks, springboks, stormers, super rugby, waratahs

You know the stereotype. Rugby players are dumb. They are the fat overweight props that won’t amount to anything in life, and then the fast 100m athletes who become wings, but cannot catch a ball, and then the only smart guy on the field is the flyhalf or scrumhalf who decides where the ball must go. The rest are dumbasses that barely scraped through matric, don’t study at varsity, and spends all their time playing with balls.

Almost as dumb as boxers who get their brains bashed in all day long. Rugby players are just a bit smarter cause they let their bodies take the beating. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Allez les Green?

January 15, 2013 in Rugby, Springboks

7 Comments »

Tags: bakkies, bryan habana, exodus, france, joe van niekerk, john smit, juandre kruger, morne steyn, players, springboks, toulon

It is a real blessing that the IRB have established the regulations which makes it impossible for a Springbok, or other national rugby player, to play for another National team. If not, we may as well have had to face some serious contenders when we play France next.

With their cheque books wide open, they already signed Juandre Kruger and Bryan Habana this season, and if reports are to be believed, Morne Steyn, John Smit and Danie Rossouw are also on their way to France.

Sticking with Pink, Morne Steyn might be off to Stade France who are well know for their bright pink jerseys

This made me wonder just how strong a Springbok squad can we make up just from our players in France, if above rumours are said to be true. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Highs and lows of 2012 ~ in pictures

December 12, 2012 in Cricket, Currie Cup, International, International, London 2012, Other sports, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks, Super Rugby

14 Comments »

Tags: blitzbokke, chad le clos, currie cup, doping, eben etzebeth, ernie else, graeme smith, heyneke meyer, icc mace, Johan goosen, lance armostrong, lions, llondon 2012, marcel coetzee, mbombela, mob, morne steyn, patrick lambie, pumas, richie mccaw, rowing team, rugby, rugby championship, sa gold medalist, southern kings, springboks, test cricket, western province, zane kirchner

As we come to the final few weeks of the year, and with absolutely buggerall to watch anymore, except for some Heineken Cup, where you can see old Southern Hemisphere has-beens in action against the best of Europe, it’s perhaps a time to reflect on the year which is past…a year that flew by quicker than Rickie Ponting’s last test innings…

Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Springbok’s forward approach smothering the game?

November 20, 2012 in International, Rugby, Springboks

35 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, australia, currie cup, Dan Carter, duane vermeulen, heyneke meyer, ireland, kurtley beale, morne steyn, new zealand, northern hemisphere, patrick lambie, pierre spies, piri weepu, rugby, rugby championship, scotland, sports, springboks, statistics

20 more phases then Ruan will pass the ball to us….

Heyneke Meyer has done very little this year to confirm the belief the Springbok supporters had in him, when he was announced to take over from Peter de Villiers as Springbok coach.

The record shows that to date, the Springboks won 6 matches from the 11 tests to date, a success rate of 54.5%. It seems quite average, in fact, poor, for someone who stated publicly that he believes in only one kind of Rugby: Winning Rugby. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Jean still not rested

November 14, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

8 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, england, fatigue, heyneke meyer, jean de villiers, new zealand, northerm hemisphere, patrick lambie, rugby championship, scotland, scotland vs springboks 2012, springboks, squad

It seems as if Heyneke announced the squad with only two changes from the side that beat Ireland.

Battered, bruised, but still going on…

While I am happy that De Jongh comes into the outside centre role and that Gurthro Steenkamp comes on as loosehead, I am a little bit concerned for Jean who seems to have been struggling with injury and still not being rested. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

SARU at centre of Bok inexperience

November 12, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

21 Comments »

Tags: 2012, all blacks, australia, championship, Dan Carter, england, experience, fatigue, heyneke meyer, ireland, jean de villiers, Johan goosen, john smit, june tests, morne steyn, patrick lambie, peter de viliiers, richie mccaw, rugby, scotland, springboks, super rugby, victor matfield, world cup, world cup 2011

The Springboks are still being haunted by SARU’s inability to create stability and consistency within the Springbok Management ranks.

This is what one can conclude when looking at the current lack of depth available in the Springbok squad as compared to arch rivals, New Zealand.

Lack of experience was the major excuse ringing in our ears like a broken record when Meyer’s troops failed to deliver during the Rugby Championship, and New Zealand who seemed to have lost lots of experience too in some key positions stormed to an undefeated victory of the Rugby Championship, winning all their matches. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Why should Mujati get a passport?

November 9, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

15 Comments »

Tags: beast, brian mujati, eligibility, england, government, heyneke meyer, irb, ireland, lions, mtwarirra, mujati, northampton saints, passport, south africa, springboks, stormers, tour

Guys, wanna catch a Mujati Beer?

I haven’t blogged for a while. Been quite busy (yes, I actually DO have a job!) and nothing really inspired me to write something…until now.

I will say from the onset that I have always been pro-Mujati coming back to SA for the Springboks. He is a great talent and it was a wry pity that he left and the circumstances under which he left was just as pitiful. Read the rest of this entry →