Bokke vs France

[PaarlBok]

The 3 Nations vs 6 Nations champs coming up. We sure have an account to settle with the French. After a good but not excellent display on the weekend , myself looking forward to this Newlands test.

The Bok team will only be announce on teusday and some difficult pixks to be made. Do we go with what worked this weekend or do we pick the stars.

Myself obvious biased but we can expect the likes of Habana, Meisiekind, Morne Steyn, Spies, Schal & Guthro to be add to the Bokke mix.

Think we'll get a
Steyn, Habana, Fourie, Meisiekind, Aplon, M Steyn, Pienaar, Spies, Louw, Schalk, Rossouw, Matfield, BJ, Smit & CJ team.

 

[Newb]

that's a pretty handly team PB. is juan smith in the mix for 7? he had a very good year.

 

[Blue]

Juan back in August. Compassionate leave and struggling with groin injury.

 

[Blue]

CJ was pretty average. Was nowhere to be seen except scrum time. Steenkamp will probably get a start.

 

[sudrugby]

It might be Barcella-Szarzewski-Mas / Millo Chluski-Nallet / Dusautoir-Bonnaire-Picamoles / Parra-Trinh Duc / Malzieu-Mermoz-Fritz-Clerc / Poitrenaud for France

 

[PaarlBok]

Ok so we already know Joe (vok know why Snor even wants to have a look at him in the first place) and Frans Steyn wont figure in the test. BJ arrived in Cape Town , so he'll probably feature. B Lawrense will handle this one and Newlands already a sold out.

 

[Blue]

Why no Steyn? Not invited to squad?

 

[PaarlBok]

Why no Steyn? Not invited to squad?

He is back on holiday. Kirschner need to play Boet, we must play our local talent. pretty sure Snor will use him again maybe when the 3 Nations starts.

 

[DPK]

It does seem extremely unfair to play Steyn, who's been off on a working holiday, while the local guys like Kirchner have been doing the tough stuff in the Super 14.

 

[Blue]

I say pick the best. End of. It's called capitalism, as much as some hate it.

Happy with Kirchner though, but Steyn has to feature.

 

[PaarlBok]

OK so we know who the squad is for the Hane test

Springbok squad - Zane Kirchner, Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier, Juan de Jongh, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Ricky Januarie, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski, Dewald Potgieter, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Flip van der Merwe, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield, Alistair Hargreaves, BJ Botha, John Smit (c), Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Gurtho Steenkamp.
Keo

Frans Steyn and Joe van Niekerk have been omitted from the 27-man Springbok squad for the one-off Test against France.

Coach Peter de Villiers will announce his match 22 on Tuesday, but won’t require the services of the French-based duo. De Villiers told this website Steyn (Racing Metro) and Van Niekerk’s (Toulon) existing club commitments mean they won’t be considered in the near future.

CJ van der Linde and Meyer Bosman have also received the chop, while team doctor Craig Roberts confirmed Odwa Ndungane picked up a rib injury in last Saturday’s Test against Wales. Ndungane will undergo further scans to assess the damage, but won’t be considered for the game against France.

Andries Bekker is still battling with a lower back injury and will be closely monitored by the medical staff. He may be fit to face Italy next week.

Fourie du Preez was omitted because of a long-standing shoulder injury and will undergo a surgical procedure on Tuesday that will sideline him for six months.

‘We can’t try to replace guys like Fourie,’ De Villiers said. ‘We just have to try and work with the guys we have [Ruan Pienaar and Ricky Januarie as potential scrumhalves]. It will call for a few alterations in our game because different players have different strengths.’

The Bok coach added that Bekker’s exclusion was because of injury and not because of the player’s personal problems. A local magazine reported last week that Bekker was caught cheating on his wife with another woman.

‘It is only because of his injuries [foot and lower back]. I get frustrated when I see guys like Fourie and Andries playing in the Super 14 when they have niggles. It’s a self-centred thing [for the coaches] to do. They push them to play and win them a game, but it can come at a greater cost.

‘As far as Andries’ other problems are concerned, we are not here to judge. If he can come through this bad situation it will make him a tougher person.’

Roberts said Jean de Villiers should be fit to meet the French but will undergo further tests to his troublesome shoulder. Dewald Potgieter is carrying a rib cartilage injury but this ailment is considered minor and will be managed in the build up to Saturday’s Test.

De Villiers is one of nine players joining the Bok camp in Cape Town. Regulars Schalk Burger, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn and Pierre Spies re-enter the national fray, while Butch James is retained after missing last week’s game due to Premier Rugby’s intervention.

Zane Kirchner, Gurthro Steenkamp, Wynand Olivier and newcomer Flip van der Merwe are included, while Bakkies Botha makes the cut despite his suspension. Botha will only be available to play in the second Test against Italy.

‘Bakkies can’t play, but it will help to have him in the group,’ said De Villiers. ‘A guy like Andries benefited by playing under Victor Matfield in 2008 and 2009, and I want the same thing to happen with Flip van der Merwe under Bakkies and Danie Rossouw.

‘Flip has shown he has the kind of character to fill the void left by Bakkies and Danie, and another guy we are looking at in that position is Adriaan Fondse. We want to get these guys ready so that when the time comes [and Rossouw and Botha have moved on] we can bring them in.

‘Alistair Hargreaves has shown qualities to suggest he’ll play No 5 in future, but to do that he’ll have to be as good as Victor and Andries.’

Snors comments on Keo regarding the overseas Bokke

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says that playing overseas reduces South African players’ capacity to compete with the best in the world.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday De Villiers left no doubt about his thoughts on the standard of foreign leagues and their adverse effect on the players competing in them.

De Villiers included Ulster prop BJ Botha, Munster midfielder Jean de Villiers and Bath flyhalf Butch James in his 27-man squad for the France Test, but all three players are widely known to be seeking a return to a South African franchise.

Racing Metro’s Frans Steyn and Toulon’s Joe van Niekerk were the notable exclusions and when probed about their omission De Villiers told keo.co.za: ‘Frans and I had an agreement that he would play just the one Test (against Wales on Saturday).

‘I’m worried about Frans. When he left here he was the best [fullback] in the world. I don’t think that is the case now. We’ve had a long chat about it. There’s always a possibility that he can come home.

De Villiers continued: ‘If you really watch the [Wales Test] closely you’ll notice that the overseas-based players are off the boil. They don’t have the speed to match the South African-based players. They’re not at the same level as the guys who play their rugby here. If players aren’t competing in the Super 14 they aren’t going to be ready to compete against the world’s best.’

De Villiers explained the concessions made for De Villiers and James saying: ‘With Jean I had a long chat just after he left and always knew he was going to be back in South Africa on 1 June,’ De Villiers explained, even though the Munster man is yet to confirm his return home. ‘He called me soon after he arrived there and said he had made the wrong decision.

‘I thought the decision that didn’t allow Butch to play was unfair,’ he continued, referring to the ruling barring Premiership players from being released for Test duty prior to the June Test window. ‘He had high hopes of showing that he could still compete and add value at this level and was denied that opportunity. My human nature says he needs another opportunity. He has been trying everything in his power to come home, but things haven’t worked out for him.’

De Villiers was non-committal on whether James would feature in the 22-man squad who’ll face France at Newlands, and said he wasn’t sure in what position James would be best deployed.

‘He is brilliant in both [flyhalf and inside centre],’ he said. ‘Initially I selected him at 12 [for the Wales Test] partly to see how he would inspire Ruan [Pienaar]. But he is adaptable.’

Asked why the James was preferred to the Stormers’ consistent Peter Grant the coach explained: ‘Butch always makes a special contribution. Peter Grant is one of the better players in the country, but Butch inspires the six guys around him [the backline].’

 

[PaarlBok]

by the way saw Jean de Villiers attending Paarl Gym vs Landbou in Paarl on saturday.

 

[Blue]

Sos snor says the overseas boks are off the boil and then proceeds to pick three of them anyway?

Here wo go, it's Puppet season again. He completely comtradicts himself.

Surely there can not be room for James or de Villiers except on the bench?

"He inspires the six around him". What rubbish. So does Grant. Go ask the Stormers backline. Now go ask the Bath backline how inspired they feel every time Bitch spryas it wide or misses training becuase he is injured, again.

Peter Grant is gone. History. Bye bye. His agent would have been on the phone to the Force and the Rebels last night. (Or anyone else who will listen)

To pick James ahead of Grant is just plain dumb.

 

[PaarlBok]

Ja feel the same way Boet. Pretty sad to see players like Joe Pietersen, Grant, Heinke, Wiaan du Preez going after Snor pick this NH ,money chasers. We never should have picked them, we have more then enough young talent to play.

Vokket man , there is JdJ a perfect example , had Bitch and Bath sort their shite out we would not have seen him making a dream debut, Big Joe is pathetic, Duanne waiting in the wings, CJ struggling , hell what about Blaauw. Vokken Steyn have to be arse licked to play while young guns like Kirshner, Aplon , Pietersen or even Daniller would donate their left ball to get that oppertunity.

Anyway hope Snor learned his lesson out of this exercise.

 

[JJJ]

I really don't get the SA hype around F Steyn. Aside from a couple of 50m drop-goals and some 60m penalties against the ABs last season, what has he done? He doesn't offer much in attack, kicking aside. He seems to me to be little more than a poor back-rower with a huge boot. Yet the Saffas seem convinced he's far and away the best fullback in the world. Could someone clue me in, because I'm genuinely confused here.

 

[PaarlBok]

I am probably not the best one but myself always fely he should play 15. He did not played that much there BUT it seem like the most Saffers usually remember ONE test and that was the Hamilton one when he nailed the All Blacks last year. He obvious still is very young and still have a lot to go to play to his real potential but his play in 12 in the 2007 WC was good.

My view is however NO player is bigger then the Bok jersey and the fact that Snor had to go to HIM to clear his Bok aspiration, no way myself would have done that specially in SA.

Fuck him Big Time I say. Thats was it, never was for the NH money chaser but that was the last bit of straw for me. Bok rugby should be first and foremost.

 

[DPK]

PB, Blue and the other Bok followers on the board, is Luke "the Puke" Watson still a pariah?

 

[cyclopath]

Ja feel the same way Boet. Pretty sad to see players like Joe Pietersen, Grant, Heinke, Wiaan du Preez going after Snor pick this NH ,money chasers. We never should have picked them, we have more then enough young talent to play.

Vokket man , there is JdJ a perfect example , had Bitch and Bath sort their shite out we would not have seen him making a dream debut, Big Joe is pathetic, Duanne waiting in the wings, CJ struggling , hell what about Blaauw. Vokken Steyn have to be arse licked to play while young guns like Kirshner, Aplon , Pietersen or even Daniller would donate their left ball to get that oppertunity.

Anyway hope Snor learned his lesson out of this exercise.

Would you include Jean de Villiers in that group of NH money chasers, if fit?

 

[Blue]

I really don't get the SA hype around F Steyn. Aside from a couple of 50m drop-goals and some 60m penalties against the ABs last season, what has he done? He doesn't offer much in attack, kicking aside. He seems to me to be little more than a poor back-rower with a huge boot. Yet the Saffas seem convinced he's far and away the best fullback in the world. Could someone clue me in, because I'm genuinely confused here.

I don't think he is the best in the World. He is one of our best options. He is cery dafe under the high ball, has excellent defense and makes strong runs. His boot has won us games.

Not the best in the world by any means but I feel safe with him at the back and he proved it 100% last year against the Lions and in the 3N.

 

[Blue]

Would you include Jean de Villiers in that group of NH money chasers, if fit?

He is fit and in the squad. HE is a Puppet darling and he is back in Sa and has resigned so Paarl will forgive him

He should not start a test though and should be backup at 12 and 14 for now.