2012 England tour to SA

[Blue]

I suppose their 3 options combination wise if he isn't there would be a 10, 12, 13 of:

Farrell, Flood, Barritt
Hodgson/Goode, Farrell, Barritt
Farrell, Barritt, Turner-Hall

For Lowe to get a run there would probably have to be another exclusion through injury or wholesale changes if England took a bit of a pasting in one of the tests.

Seriously, Hodgson?

 

[Craig Riddington]

Tuilagi will be a big loss if he's out. Can't see any one other than Farrell starting at 10 for the tests.

 

[Bardon]

Not the guy I would pick but England have a history of picking him when they want to move the first choice 10 out 1. The fact he's even in the squad says to me that Lancaster thinks that's an option too.

 

[PaarlBok]

Come one Paarl. Spit it out. Cat bit your tongue?

To be honest, have no idea which road Meyer will go. Probably
Lambie, Habana, JdV, Steyn, Basson, Steyn, FdP, Spies, Alberts, Brussouw, Bekker, Kruger, Jannie, Bismarck, Beast.

 

[Bardon]

Matt Stevens has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.

England's Matt Stevens to miss South Africa tour with injury
Matt Stevens has pulled out of England's upcoming tour to South Africa.

The Saracens prop picked up a shoulder injury in England's win against the Barbarians on Sunday.

Gloucester's Rupert Harden, who has yet to win a cap, has been called up to replace Stevens.

Stuart Lancaster's side take on the Springboks in a three-match series beginning on 9 June in Durban.

England will also face South Africa in Johannesburg on 16 June before the final game on 23 June in Port Elizabeth.

Lancaster said: "Firstly, it's really tough on Matt but he has been assessed by the medics and he wouldn't be able to train or play for some time.

"We wish him all the best but it's a great opportunity for Rupert, who has been the first-choice tight head for Gloucester this season and also involved with the Saxons during the Six Nations."

 

[Blue]

Pity because Stevens really is shite.

 

[Bardon]

Tuilagi was cleared by the disciplinary panel so he's good to go on tour.

 

[Blue]

Tuilagi was cleared by the disciplinary panel so he's good to go on tour.

Now there's a surprise.

 

[PaarlBok]

Bok team will be announce straight after the Bull Ring battle.

 

[Blue]

Bok team will be announce straight after the Bull Ring battle.

With what's left standing at that point.

 

[PaarlBok]

With what's left standing at that point.

Its a big worry Boet. Dunno if Meyer had a talk to them on the weekend. Its going to be a brutal battle in front of a sold out crowd.

 

[Craig Riddington]

Now there's a surprise.

To be fair, it wasn't bad enough for him to miss the tour. It started off as a tip tackle but he did back off enough to prevent Danny Care from landing on his head and shoulders. No worse than Hooper's on Vito in my view. Right decision.

To be honest, I don't think England has got a hope of winning any of the three tests. We will need to be at our very best to keep it close.

 

[PaarlBok]

Keo

Quote:
Springbok lock Andries Bekker has been ruled out of the north-south derby and will also miss the coming Tests against England.
Bekker has succumbed to the same lower back injury that has troubled him for the past few seasons. Stormers coach Allister Coetzee confirmed on Wednesday that Bekker would be out for five weeks. And that time frame is conservative.

 

[Blue]

Ouch.

 

[whatty]

Dam that's not good!

 

[tigerland12]

Bit short on locks without Bekker now.

So Etzebeth, J.Kruger and probably Flip van der Merwe will be three of the locks for this series. Who else is there? Maybe one of the Sharks second rowers may get a gig?

 

[Blue]

Thin on the ground. Problem is neither of the Sharks locks fill me with much confidence. Either of the Steenkamps look a better option.

My bigger concern is that this will force Meyer to go with Spies to shore up the lineout. Word was out that Daniel is considered a real option at 8 but now probably less so.

 

[PaarlBok]

Thin on the ground. Problem is neither of the Sharks locks fill me with much confidence. Either of the Steenkamps look a better option.

My bigger concern is that this will force Meyer to go with Spies to shore up the lineout. Word was out that Daniel is considered a real option at 8 but now probably less so.

Ja I dont like that surferboy locks from the Sharks. Etsebeth/Flippie and Kruger will be fine. Steenkamp the aerial type and hopefull the next one in. Elstadt also an option and should backup 7 and lock if necessary.

 

[PaarlBok]

Bekker played like shite anyway in his last few outings since the Stormers returned.

 

[Brisbok]

Interesting opinion from Nick Mallet below on a number of the current Springboks. Mallett has been hired by SuperSport to provide analysis on the upcoming tour. Whether his opinion is right or wrong, it is refreshing to see a so called 'expert', hired by the local broadcaster, constructively criticising the current players rather than just constantly singing their praises. If only the team at Fox Sports could learn from this.

Bekker no Matfield, says Mallett
by Brenden Nel 31 May 2012, 12:49

Andries Bekker has a long way to go before he can be talked about in the same breath as South Africa’s greatest lineout specialist, Victor Matfield.
This is the view of former Springbok and Italian coach Nick Mallett, who has joined SuperSport as an analyst ahead of the test series against England.
While Bekker has been touted as the heir apparent for Matfield’s position in the national team, he and other top Boks came under sharp criticism from Mallett, who is regarded as one of the top coaches in world rugby.
Talking about the team he believed current Bok coach Heyneke Meyer would select for the England series, Mallett said he believed Bekker had a lot of work to do to be a top international forward.
“Bekker is nowhere near as good as Matfield in the lineouts. Bekker needs to listen to Matfield -- then he will become better,” Mallett explained.
“Because he is big, he thinks he can win every ball whereas Matfield thinks about the lineouts. Matfield will not throw one ball to himself if there is a danger of losing it or if there is a blocker there. He will call a ball everywhere else except for himself if it means his team winning the game.
“Bekker, however, will call on himself and if he loses one, he will call another one because he is upset he lost one. Then if it happens again he will blame the hooker for not throwing into the lineout high enough.
“Teams can only put two blocks and you as the lineout reader need to see where they are and that’s where Matfield was absolutely unbelievable.”
Matfield has since retired from rugby and is expected to help the Bok lineout out as a consultant while working as an analyst for SuperSport.

FLAT-TRACK BULLY
Mallett also had criticism for captaincy candidates Pierre Spies, Jean de Villiers and Bismarck du Plessis, pointing out factors in their games that worried him ahead of the England tests.
“At outside centre Jean is a really poor defender,” Mallett said about the Stormers captain, “So he is going to have to sharpen up because (Manu) Tuilagi is going to run rings around him. Tuilagi is very physical, big and strong.
“That’s the problem at outside centre, but then again we never pass the ball in SA Rugby so it might not be necessary to select a centre,” Mallett joked. “If he can’t chase up and unders and tackle, then what is he doing there…?”
The former Bok mentor also called Spies, the Bulls captain, “a flat-track bully” who had never impressed him.
“Loose forwards are a big issue. I don't rate Spies as a defender, he is poor on defence and his close ball skills at the back of the scrum are also poor,” Mallett said. “He is only good against weak teams. A flat-track bully who will run in three tries. We are missing out on someone who is good from the base of the scrum.
“I know Heyneke likes Willem Alberts, but it is also worrying that he is in the top five in Super Rugby in terms of missed tackles. He’s missed 24 tackles in six games, and that’s bloody high. Marcel Coetzee is the guy I would pick, he is in the top five in terms of tackle stats and in ball carries.”
Mallett also called for an increase in discipline for the two Bok front row brothers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis.
“We have to be very careful with the Du Plessis brothers -- they are a five penalty package for opposition teams. Bismarck does turn over ball, but he gives two to three penalties away at the breakdown. Jannie gets pinned at scrumtime and there’s always something, a stiff arm or going over the top. In terms of discipline they need to be spoken to but the Sharks front row, when they are on song, are formidable.”

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/springboks/news/120531/Bekker_no_Matfield_says_Mallett