vendetta

Hey there blogland!

So my hangover has resided and the celebrations of the Bulls victory are over. The time has come to don our Green and Gold again and all stand together.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love watching the Boks play as much as possible, but this test is just another money making scheme by SARU. I truly believe having a test a week after the S14 final is stupid. The guys need rest, have we learnt nothing from the end of year tour last year.

Fine, PdV has selected a B team for this test, but why on earth are there still Stormers and Bulls in the side. I can at least think of 2 or 3 players that could have replaced the Stormers/Bulls in this side. Not only was Bekker who had a massive S14 campaign in the squad, now he gets replaced by Victor due to injury. WTF are you doing PdV???

Anyhow, here is the team that has been selected for the Wales test, with some comments of course

1. CJ van der Linde

Great, the big man is coming back to the “States” and hopefully he has learnt some things in the Northern Hemisphere that will make him an even better player. Haven’t seen him play much this year so far so can’t comment on his form or fitness.

2. John Smit (captain)

I really think the powers that be missed a trick here. We have an abundance of very capable hookers in this country and this would have been a perfect opportunity to give one of them a chance in the starting line-up.

3. BJ Botha

Good to see this guys back propping up John, they caused some chaos last year when they scrummed together.

4. Danie Russouw

What? Are you kidding me? This guy has played his heart out for 15 weeks! Does he not deserve a week off? If they were hellbent on sending a Bulls Nr 4 in the mould of Bakkies, they could have sent Flip vd Merwe. Anton van Zyl also comes to mind as him and Fondse rotated during the season.

5. Victor Matfield

Again, what?!? Rather send Muller from the Sharks to do duty for this test. He has the neccesarry experience, and was part of a pack that destroyed the Stormers in DBN.

6. Francois Louw

Again, this guy needs rest, he might be young and this was his first real season at 14 level, but do we really want to burn our players out before the reach their peak? Jacque Botes from the Sharks or Derrick Kuun (Also did not play as much) from the Bulls could have done duty here.

7. Dewald Potgieter

Two words. Juan Deysel!

8. Joe Van Niekerk

Other than Spies and Vermeulen there aren’t really high quality Number 8′s in the country currently. Maybe Kanko or Willem Alberts.

9. Ricky Januarie

Please can someone send this wannabe prop to Siberia where there is no rugby. Really PdV, if you can play this oke at 9, why not play Earl at 10. Ruan Pienaar, Jarno Vermaak, Kockot and Sarel Pretorius are all better than this “one-try” hero.

10. Ruan Pienaar

Eish, I really feel for this man, pillar to post from week to week. I don’t really have a problem with giving him another go at 10, but we really need to think hard about who the backup for Steyn will be.

11. Odwa Ndungane

Akona has always been the better of the twins (even though it’s very slightly better) but surely we have better wings in the country. I think Gerhard vd Heever could have been an option (seeing that he had a 2 week breather before the final) but he has some hamstring problem. What happened to the Freestate flyers Mapoe, Nokwe and the guy that scored that brilliant try against the Bulls last year. I think he moved to Province and never played a game…….

12. Frans Steyn

No problem here. We are a bit thin at 12. Even though I prefer Steyn at 15.

13. Jaque Fourie

Is there nobody else? We need this guy to be at his best during the Tri-Nations, he needs a rest. Can’t even think of another 13 worth mentioning……

14. Gio Aplon

Firstly, I hope this guy proves me wrong cos he can be devastating if he finds some space, but having watched a lot of international rugby, those gaps don’t often present themeself easily. I personally think he is not strong enough as proven when Francois Hougaardt manhandled him in the S14 Final. Also don’t really know of anybody staking a major claim for this position other than Gerhard vd Heever.

15. Zane Kirchner

Give Patrick Lambie a chance!

Well that’s my take on the starting 15.

I really hope that the team selected do us proud. Don’t think I will survive if I have to watch another game where a bok team get hammered by a mediocre side at best.

So it dawned on me this morning that the Bulls will have a chance to bag a treble this year. The Vodacom Cup and the Super 14 are already in the bag. Now for the BIG one (For me anyway), the Currie Cup!

This could possibly be the toughest assignment of the three. I say this because the Vodacom Cup is made up of B teams essentially and the Super 14 of A teams essentially. The Currie Cup however, sometimes you have an A team vs a B team because of the Boks that are gone.

As far as I understand, the Boks will have no part in the Currie Cup this year, which I totally agree with. The guys are playing a lot of rugby and we saw at the end of last year what happens when the guys do not get enough rest. This is why I say that the Currie Cup will be their toughest assignment this year.

Let us look at the players that each team will loose in the Currie Cup:

Lions: Maybe 2, well maybe Earl Rose but let us hope not and hopefully Jarno Vermaak gets an opportunity this year.

Cheetahs: 2-4, with Heinrich Brussow out, they will probably lose Juan Smith, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez.

Sharks: 6 or 7, John Smit, Bismarckand Jannie Du Plessis, Beast, Jean Deysel, Ryan Kankowski and Ruan Pienaar.  

WeePee:8 or 9  , Tiaan Liebenberg, Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Ricky Januarie, Jaque Fourie, Brian Habanna, Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh.

Bulls: Between 10 and 13, Guthro Steenkamp, Gary Botha, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Dewald Potgieter, Pierre Spies, Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Wynand Olivier, Zane Kirchner, Danie Rossouw, Chilliboy (Bandise Maku).

The above names are only names that I believe have a chance of making PdV side during the year, or guys that have made the squad before so don’t crucify me for leaving out guys like Duane Vermeulen, Joe Peterson, Deon Stegman and Rory Kockot.

It becomes rather clear that the Bulls will lose the bulk of their starting line-up as well as some of the guys of the bench. The Bulls and Province will have to fill the most gaps and looking at the performance of the Province Vodacom side, I don’t think that they will be as strong oposition as they were during the Super 14. The Sharks will also lose the bulk of their pack which might cause some headaches to Plum.

My second favorite team, the Cheetahs will always cause problems in the Currie Cup as they have played in the most finals with the Bulls in the last ten years or so.

The Bulls with allready winning the Vodacom Cup this year, and giving some of their “B team” guys a run against the Stormers, will have some quality replacements for the guys on Bok duty. Whichever hooker stays behind will be a quality one, be it Gary Botha, Bandise Maku or even Chilliboy. Jaco Engels is experienced enough to come in for Guthro so that will leave the front row in quite a solid position. With Flip vd Merwe (Who I rate very highly) and Fuge Mabeta (And Juandre Kruger coming back) the locks will still provide formidable opposition to any other lock pair in SA. In the loosies we will still have Derrick Kuun, Pedrie Wannenburg, Gerrit Jan Van Velze and I’m sure there are more quality loosies that played in the Vodacom Cup. This just shows that the Bulls have got their structures right, cos I can think of a couple of Super 14 teams that would kill to have a pack of forwards like this.

In the backs I’m a bit worried, Heinie Adams I do not rate very highly. The scrumhalf of the Vodacom Cup side will probaly be a better choice (Ruan Snyman). At flyhalf we can call on JL Potgieter as well as Francois Brummer. In the centres we have Jaco Pretorius, Stephan Dippenaar, and Stephan Watermeyer. And in the back three we have Tiger Mangweni, Gerhard vd Heever,John Mametsa and Deon Helberg.

Now I don’t know about you guys but I think those replacements still make up quite a strong squad!

Looking forward to an awesome Currie Cup!

Nou die Blou!