SA Rugby matters

[Newb]

at least by "student" they mean a 23 year old. i was worried for a second.....

 

[Blue]

I blame Tiger Woods.

 

[annette]

OK so our CC is just around the corner. Some interest Tin Ears news and a bit of joy for Thomo. CJ van der Linde will join them but Wiaantjie is on his way to Munster
Sport24

 

[PaarlBok]

Welkom Sussie, great first post, dont feel shy to give us all your knowledge. You'r allowed to use some afrikaans words and terms also, here is a Brute Boer like Blue helping us out to translate to the red tale.

 

[DPK]

The aforementioned Jano Vermaak. He has represented SA in the junior levels as well as in the Emerging SA team at the Nations Cup and vs the British Lions. Good player.

So Vermaak has been left out? Did GvdH get on the park against Italy?

 

[PaarlBok]

So Vermaak has been left out? Did GvdH get on the park against Italy?

Both are not in the current Bok squad at all.

 

[PaarlBok]

wrong thread

 

[PaarlBok]

Rassie to join the Bok coaching staff
Sport24

Western Province senior professional coach and former Springbok, Rassie Erasmus, will be part of the Bok management team at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year.

Outgoing WP Rugby chairperson Pat Kuhn confirmed to theCape Times that Erasmus will assist the Boks in their World Cup title defence, but will return to his WP role in 2012.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is set to confirm Erasmus's appointment at his announcement of his 49-man provisional squad in Wellington on Wednesday.

"Letting Rassie join the Bok management is something that was asked of us, so we are doing it for the country,’ said Kuhn, who is now part of SARU’s executive council

Hope he get the Stormers defensive coach on board aswell and pretty sure he'll take the Bok coaching role after the WC.

 

[drewprint]

"Letting Rassie join the Bok management is something that was asked of us, so we are doing it for the country,’ said Kuhn, who is now part of SARU’s executive council.

I know nothing about SA rugbys politics and coaching movements, but this Kuhn chap doesn't seem too pleased about this appointment?

 

[Blue]

I know nothing about SA rugbys politics and coaching movements, but this Kuhn chap doesn't seem too pleased about this appointment?

Typical argie bargie schoolboy throw your toys stuff. PdV has been after Rassie for a while and the Western Province management haven't been too happy to let him go.

All in all an extremely positive outcome. At least we go to the Cup with a bit of extra brains.

 

[PaarlBok]

Snor wanted Rassie when he started out as co coach and Rassie rejected to keep his Stormers post. Pretty sure the ceo Jurie have played a massive role to get Rassie on board, thats why I claimed him as the next Bok coach. Know they get along since ZJuries Maties days.

Squad also named SARugby

Players named for national team planning session
April 20, 2011
The South African Rugby Union on Wednesday named 51 players who have been called to a national team planning session at the start of next month. The players will attend two days of meetings and logistical discussions in the first of three national camps in preparation for the international season.
“SARU’s priority is first and foremost with Springbok preparations in this Rugby World Cup year and with the support of the provinces our national teams department has been able to plan three squad get-togethers during Vodacom Super Rugby,” explained Jurie Roux, SARU CEO.

“There are many demands on the Springboks as well as off-field operational matters to be attended to in a Rugby Wold Cup year and as part of Peter de Villiers’ long-term planning he requested that time be made now so that the team can get straight to on-field work once they gather for the first Tests of the year in July.”

De Villiers said: “Our first Tri-Nations Test kicks off only two weeks after the Vodacom Super Rugby final and I wanted to make sure that we can get straight to work on the field with some quality preparation when we get together and not be compromised by players familiarising themselves with our structures or understanding logistical issues.

“By the end of this series of camps I hope that any of the players we call on will be familiar with our on and off the field systems and the logistical boxes have all been ticked. These sessions are not about selection now – they’re about being ready when we make the final selections.”

The selectors named seven uncapped players in the planning group although only three of them are not already Springboks: wing Lionel Mapoe, scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and looseforward Duane Vermeulen.

The four uncapped Springboks among the group are flyhalf Elton Jantjies, scrumhalf Charl McLeod and props Coenie Oosthuizen and Werner Kruger. All four appeared for the Springboks against the Barbarians in December, 2010. Overseas based players were not considered for the sessions.

The closed planning session will take place in Cape Town on May 1 and 2.

The first Springbok squad of the season will be named on July 2 or 9, depending on South African representation in the Vodacom Super Rugby final.

The players called to the national team planning session are (in alphabetical order):


Player
Province
Tests

Willem Alberts
The Sharks
3

Gio Aplon
DHL Western Province
13

Bjorn Basson
Vodacom Blue Bulls
4

Andries Bekker
DHL Western Province
24

Bakkies Botha
Vodacom Blue Bulls
72

Heinrich Brüssow
Toyota Free State Cheetahs
13

Schalk Burger
DHL Western Province
63

Keegan Daniel
The Sharks
1

Juan de Jongh
DHL Western Province
6

Jean de Villiers
DHL Western Province
67

Bismarck du Plessis
The Sharks
36

Jannie du Plessis
The Sharks
24

Fourie du Preez
Vodacom Blue Bulls
55

Jaque Fourie
DHL Western Province
62

Peter Grant
DHL Western Province
5

Bryan Habana
DHL Western Province
68

Alistair Hargreaves
The Sharks
2

Francois Hougaard
Vodacom Blue Bulls
8

Adi Jacobs
The Sharks
32

Elton Jantjies
MTN Golden Lions
-

Ricky Januarie
DHL Western Province
47

Ryan Kankowski
The Sharks
17

Zane Kirchner
Vodacom Blue Bulls
14

Werner Kruger
Vodacom Blue Bulls
-

Pat Lambie
The Sharks
4

Francois Louw
DHL Western Province
7

Bandise Maku
MTN Golden Lions
1

Lionel Mapoe
MTN Golden Lions
-

Victor Matfield
Vodacom Blue Bulls
105

Charl McLeod
The Sharks
-

Tendai Mtawarira
The Sharks
26

Waylon Murray
MTN Golden Lions
3

Lwazi Mvovo
The Sharks
2

Odwa Ndungane
The Sharks
7

Wynand Olivier
Vodacom Blue Bulls
31

Coenie Oosthuizen
Toyota Free State Cheetahs
-

JP Pietersen
The Sharks
36

Dewaldt Potgieter
Vodacom Blue Bulls
6

Sarel Pretorius
GWK Griquas
-

Chiliboy Ralepelle
Vodacom Blue Bulls
18

Danie Rossouw
Vodacom Blue Bulls
54

John Smit
The Sharks
102

Juan Smith
Toyota Free State Cheetahs
69

Pierre Spies
Vodacom Blue Bulls
40

Gurthrö Steenkamp
Vodacom Blue Bulls
31

Deon Stegmann
Vodacom Blue Bulls
4

Morné Steyn
Vodacom Blue Bulls
25

Adriaan Strauss
Toyota Free State Cheetahs
9

CJ van der Linde
DHL Western Province
69

Flip van der Merwe
Vodacom Blue Bulls
10

Duane Vermeulen
DHL Western Province
-

 

[PaarlBok]

Position wise
Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Coenie Oosthuizen,
Bismarck du Plessis, John Smit, Adriaan Strauss, Bandise Maku, Chiliboy Ralepelle,
Jannie du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Werner Kruger,
Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Alistair Hargreaves,
Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Flip van der Merwe,
Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Keegan Daniel, Deon Stegmann,
Juan Smith, Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Dewaldt Potgieter,
Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski, Duane Vermeulen.

Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Ricky Januarie, Charl McLeod, Sarel Pretorius,
Morné Steyn, Peter Grant, Pat Lambie, Elton Jantjies,
Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo,
Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier,
Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Adi Jacobs, Waylon Murray,
JP Pietersen, Bjorn Basson, Odwa Ndungane, Lionel Mapoe,
Zane Kirchner, Gio Aplon,

 

[REDinCPT]

good to see Sarel Pretorius in there. shame that josh strauss missed out.

 

[PaarlBok]

good to see Sarel Pretorius in there. shame that josh strauss missed out.

Still stuck with qoutas like AD Jacobs, Januarie, Murray, Maku, Ralepelle & Jantjies.

 

[REDinCPT]

Still stuck with qoutas like AD Jacobs, Januarie, Murray, Maku, Ralepelle & Jantjies.

i see what you mean. i think there are a few lucky ones in there. e.g. Stegmann, Olivier, Potgieter, Kruger... ah just realised i listed only bulls players. i guess it's indicative of the influence the bulls on the bokke squad and the importance of their good form.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

As I said on twitter - interesting on Januarie and Kirchner - PDV maust not watch too much S15. or at least in Januarie's case he may need some prop cover

otherwise, there is some talent in that squad. enough to worry everyone (even the kiwis)

 

[Blue]

PdV does not watch Super Rugby:

http://www.keo.co.za/2011/04/20/another-div-inspired-pr-disaster/#more-76980

He will stick woth the old guard. The new names in there are no hope. Unless Rassie will have some influence over him. Which I very much doubt.

Another Div inspired PR disaster
20 Apr 2011

MARK KEOHANE writes Peter de Villiers’s selection of 51 players for World Cup planning sessions is a poor public relations exercise and a costly time waste for players whose World Cup selection should be determined by their ability to perform in Super Rugby.
Very few take Peter de Villiers seriously as it is, but I am astounded at how easily the media have been lulled into thinking there is any value in him naming a player base of 51 (excluding northern hemisphere based players) in the middle of the Super 15.

Only 30 players will go to the World Cup and last year De Villiers told the world that if a player wasn’t in the equation by the November internationals there was little chance of him making the World Cup squad. So what has changed?

Nothing!

De Villiers in naming three players who haven’t played for South Africa, says he is rewarding Super 15 form, but then he picks 30-plus players who are fortunate to be making their Super Rugby franchises at the moment.

What exactly is De Villiers going to do with these players in the next few months? Is he going to have the odd Monday session, at huge travel expense, to tell them what his expectation of a player is for the World Cup?

The entire thing (the naming of a World Cup planning squad in excess of 50 players) is so out of place in the context of the season. The World Cup is played three weeks after the completion of the Tri Nations. There can’t be a better preparation for South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

It is during the Tri Nations that the finishing touches of the last four years should be applied to the Boks. The World Cup is another tournament and the preparation should be similar to how the Boks would prepare for the challenge of the Tri Nations. It is a tournament in which a team aims to peak in the play-offs. It doesn’t need a four year preparation.

What the South African rugby public should find particularly disturbing is that De Villiers, four years into his tenure, has named Rassie Erasmus to do an ambulance job as his technical adviser; that he tried to get Eddie Jones in as well; that he is still trying to get rid of Gary Gold and Dick Muir and that he now wants the services of the 2007 Bok conditioning coach Derick Coetzee.

I am surprised he hasn’t tried to lure Joel Stransky out of retirement to kick some drop goals.

De Villiers committed to the core of the 2007 winning World Cup squad to successfully defend the World Cup. Whether we agree with it or not that is the reality of the Springboks in 2011. John Smit was promised the captaincy and he will go to the World Cup as Bok captain, even if there are games in which Bismarck du Plessis starts at hooker and Victor Matfield takes over the captaincy.

The decision to invest in the 2007 winners always came at a risk that the tournament was a year past the peak of many of these players. De Villiers believes they have one big tournament left and that is the World Cup. I, like many, believe it is a tournament too far for some of the best players ever produced in this country.

De Villiers has given too much comfort to too many players out of form and not enough reward to potential bolters. Of the three uncapped national players in his extended squad the only realistic World Cup option is Duane Vermeulen but already De Villiers, in attempting to boost the player, has only confirmed how far down he rates him in the pecking order. It will take injury to several players for Vermeulen to get an international Bok cap. Vermeulen would be better off going overseas to Munster, serving his three years and then making the Irish team.

Sarel Pretorius is also not going to make the World Cup squad ahead of Fourie du Preez, Rickey Januarie and Francois Hougaard. So don’t get too excited with that selection.

Don’t get excited about any of the names. Rather get a bit depressed about the continued investment in so many players off form. The same names are there that for the last two years have done nothing to inspire confidence in the national set up.

The speculation that Smit is also playing for his international future is ill-informed. De Villiers has said he will only pick him at hooker, which doesn’t mean if he isn’t playing hooker for the Sharks he won’t be selected.

Smit, Matfield and Du Preez have controlled the Bok squad for the last four years and De Villiers knows he can’t change the situation now, even if he wanted to, and he doesn’t want to.

The World Cup squad, to be named in a few months, will be consistent with the squads De Villiers has selected over the last few years. Smit will be in charge, so will Matfield and Du Preez will be as influential.

There will be no uncapped player in the World Cup squad and it will be De Villiers’s belief in the longevity of players who were once brilliant that will be tested against father time.

 

[PaarlBok]

Dont feel like reading Keo's drubble.

If I have to pick a sqaud going into the WC at this stage, I'll take experience over rookies anyday, no matter their form in April. Thats more important to get them sharp once the tournament starts. The been there, done that type, is our asset, not our liability.

We also need a shift in game plan. Less kick and chase and more ball in hand will help.

 

[PaarlBok]

I'll rest a few for the 3 Nations and try some new ones. Fromthis squad
Coenie Oosthuizen and rest the Beast
John Smit and rest Battleship
CJ vd Linde and rest Jannie Doep
Bekker and rest Matfield
Bakkies dont need rest
Brussouw and rest Schalk Burger
Juan Smith and rest Alberts
Duanne Vermeulen and rest Spies
Fourie du Preez need confidense and playtime.
Lampie and rest Steyn,
sitting with two qoutas in midfield but I'll rotate the Stormers trio and give Meisiekind time in between.
Back three need playtime.

 

[qwerty51]

Do SA fans really rate Burger better than Brussow?