Springbok Watch

[Blue]

Halfway through the season it's a bit of a horror movie. Incumbents for the most part are out of form, and in a number of positions we really don't have people putting up their hands.

The big question is also whether the players heading overseas will be selected or even available for the Boks.

Players leaving or who have supposedly signed overseas:
Bekker
Juandre Kruger
Morne Steyn
Kirchner
Habana

Selections ON FORM and not reputation.

15. Nobody putting up their hand. Not even close. The best is the Kings 15 but Meyer is not going to be adventurous so will we see Kirchner again? *Shudder* Taute has been piss poor and now looks like he is out for the season anyway. Meyer will never pick Pietersen because of his size. F Steyn seems to have lost all interest in playing rugby and needs to get his waistline and head seen to.
14. JPP - on form. Aplon also in good form.
13. Jordaan, for all the form he showed last year, is a victim of a poor Sharks backline. JdV has been nowhere but will probably make the cut. Meh. It's time to move on - when last did JdV break the line or make an offload. Juan de Jongh looks in good form.
12. Ebersohn. By a country mile. If after last night's game against the Stormers there can be no more doubt. He deserves a shot. Will be a travesty if he does not get one. Look for Meyer to play JdV. Meh.
11. Contenders include Willie Le Roux and Raymond Rule but they both have questions over defense. Rule is the future but he needs time. Gets caught out in defense. I would pick Le Roux. He can kick and does crazily good shit.
10. Lambie.
9. Sarel's passing and defense is too shaky for top honors. People talk about Reinach and I think it's way too early. Fully expect Ruan Pienaar back in the gig, like it or not. Cupboard is bare.
8. Duane Vermeulen. Kings bopper is good value but not going to shift Vermeulen. Spies? Meh.
7. Kolisi, Dewald Potties and Elstad have all been okay. Just okay. Lappies Labuschagne has been streets ahead.
6. Brussow or bust.
5. Bekker but will he be released? Will Juandre be available?
4. Pieter Steph du Toit. Etzebeth will take this spot when he's back but these two together are the future. We might see this combo sooner than we think.
3. Nobody. Sweet fuck all. Jannie is history. Malherbe has not kicked on. When last did SA have a true dominant 3? Coenie is yet to play more than 30 minutes this year. Would pick Malherbe.
2. Strauss. Battleship is coing back in a few weeks but will have to produce something massive to lift Strauss.
1. Beast. Kitzhoff has some questions marks over his scrummaging.

Lots of gaps. Lots of worries.

 

[TOCC]

Surely a few Cheetahs players are putting their hand up for higher honours

 

[Rassie]

JdV is the captain so you can go put him into no 12 there. His got a free pass. Aplon you can forget about like Brussouw his size counts against him and he can write SA first XV on his stomach.
Taute is out injured so is Ludeke. Another year of Side SHow Bob and I am going to hang myself. In fact looking at our Super Rugby teams I am going to hang myself when SA hits NZ and Australia. Massacre!

 

[RoffsChoice]

JdV can play 13, however, and on form you'd definitely select Ebersohn ahead of him for 12.
I agree that JPP and Aplon are the ones for the wing.
When Battleship Bismarck returns, keep an eye on Jannie, he always does better with his brother beside him.

 

[Scoey]

I usually like watching the SA games but this year I've not managed to watch a lot of Rugby so the SA stuff is getting missed. So basing my opinion solely on the weekend, the #7 for the Kings vs the Brumbies had a blinder! Is this typical for this guy? He seemed young though so maybe a bright future?

 

[Bairdy]

Alot of very good, young flankers playing well in Super Rugby. Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Wimpie van der Walt, Cornell du Preez to name the standouts. I like the look of Cobus Reinach as well; a very snappy passing, strong runner for someone of his size.

 

[Sidbarret]

Jeez that is an uninspiring lot, which is strange as the super results have been pretty good overall.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I don't really keep an eye on the home nations, but are there any South Africans of note over there that could be released from their club?

 

[Blue]

Bairdy:

Arno Botha - how could I forget him? Cracking player.

Sidbarret:

Exactly my thinking

RoffsChoice:

True about Jannie.

Francois Louw is still the incumbent openside. No idea how he has gone for Bath though.

Ditto Ruan Pienaar - still the incumbent. Seems to be doing well for Ulster?

BJ Botha is still a very good scrummaging tighthead and should have been kept in SA. Bit Meyer has never mentioned his name.

Steenkap from Toulouse was pretty average on the EOYT. Looked fat and unfit. Seems to look better at the moment.

Meyer will be forced to call on Bekker and maybe Juandre Kruger when they leave for france..

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

well it wont' be ebershon at 12 as he's signed with montpellier

 

[Braveheart81]

I think Piet van Zyl is a really promising halfback. Cheetahs have two of the best of the SA scrummies.

What abou Bjorn Basson as another potential wing?

 

[Blue]

I think Piet van Zyl is a really promising halfback. Cheetahs have two of the best of the SA scrummies.

What abou Bjorn Basson as another potential wing?

Basson can be potentially devastating but he seems very injury prone so he never seems to string a bunch of performances together. His aerial skills are unmatched. Seems to have an uncanny ability to chase and pluck it out the air.

I also like Piet. He is a more rounded player than Sarel.

 

[Richo]

well it wont' be ebershon at 12 as he's signed with montpellier

Has he actually signed? A quick Google suggests there's interest but nothing about signatures.

 

[Bairdy]

A number of players have been invited to a training camp over the next few days
Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pat Cilliers, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe, Juandré Kruger, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Franco van der Merwe, Siya Kolisi, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Duane Vermeulen, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski.
Backs: Jano Vermaak, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Morné Steyn, Elton Jantjies, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Juan de Jongh, Jan Serfontein, Robert Ebersohn, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Raymond Rhule, JP Pietersen, Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner.

Surprised Reinach is omitted.

 

[RoffsChoice]

From that list
1. Beast
2. Battleship
3. Jannie
4. Etzebeth
5. Kruger
6. Kolisi
7. Flip
8. Kankowki
9. Hougaard
10. Lambie
11. Basson
12. Rhule
13. JdV
14. JPP
15. Kirchner

 

[USARugger]

Ebersohn is pure fucking class, has been one of my favorite Super Rugby players for the past two or three years.

Ebersohn has not signed anything for Montpellier, that is purely speculation unless you have a press clipping to post to back that statement up. There is a big difference between a club trying to sign a player and a player signing for a club. As it is Ebersohn is contracted to the Cheetahs through until November meaning he would miss the first four months of Top 14 play. He's also openly stated that his eyes are on a Springbok jersey, not on a villa in France:

"My ultimate goal is to play for the Springboks, and I have to be based in South Africa to achieve that,"


"If the Cheetahs do really well this season, that will encourage me to stay. Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer also encouraged me to keep going. It's well-known that he prefers bigger and more physical players, but he told me not to give up. He said he will consider me if I do well consistently" (the Cheetahs have been doing very well and he's been very consistent to boot).

Leave the speculation and un-backable claims to the journalists please. You know G&GR has a much higher standard than they do.

Saffas have a relative wealth of riches with their young and talented midfielders right now: Juan De Jongh (25), Jan Serfontein (19), Robert Ebersohn (24), Paul Jordaan (21). You lucky shits. That's a ton of firepower right beside Goosen (who for the sake of Rugby as a sport needs all of his internal bits replaced with titanium so he is never injured again).

That boy Van Zyl has some wheels too, my god: http://i.imgur.com/eqMoM9T.gif

 

[The Red Baron]

A number of players have been invited to a training camp over the next few days
Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pat Cilliers, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe, Juandré Kruger, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Franco van der Merwe, Siya Kolisi, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Duane Vermeulen, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski.
Backs: Jano Vermaak, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Morné Steyn, Elton Jantjies, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Juan de Jongh, Jan Serfontein, Robert Ebersohn, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Raymond Rhule, JP Pietersen, Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner.

Surprised Reinach is omitted.

Is it just me or are half of the forwards in that list injured? I know Battleship, Etzebeth and Alberts are quality players, but I don't think they have even played a game this year. Coenie has been riding the bench for the Cheetahs all season too.

From that list, you would have to think that either Kirchner, Lambie or F. Steyn will play fullback. But isn't Kirchner broken as well?

 

[USARugger]

I'd have Le Roux as a dark horse for fullback. I know he isn't in the current camp but it's also the first of the year.

Kirchner is just plain not up to snuff and I think Lambie may need some PTSD counseling after this Super Rugby season if the Sharks can't turn the corner.

 

[Brisbok]

From that list:
1. Beast
2. Strauss
3. Jannie
4. Etzebeth (due to return early in May)
5. Kruger
6. Marcell Coetzee (Francois Louw will start once O/S players included)
7. Alberts (due to return in the next couple of weeks)
8. Vermuelen
9. ??? Ruan Pienaar once O/S players are included
10. Lambie
11. Habana (will be included on Stormers Australasian tour)
12. JdV (by default)
13. Interesting one - de Jongh/Ebersohn/Serfontein may get a run against Italy/Scotland/Samoa which would be exciting. Meyer will no doubt persist with the 12. Steyn, 13. JdV combination though
14. JPP
15. Kirchner/Steyn (geez, we are very thin here).

In the end, the team will look VERY similar to the team from last year with the only replacements being those that are injury enforced. This is disappointing, but I can't see Meyer making radical changes.

 

[Blue]

No Bekker? He is off to France but so is Kruger, who has been picked. I wonder if it has something to do with Bekker's frog contract?

No Brussow. What has Meyer been watching? Cartoons? Brussow will surely not leave for overseas. He''ll demand top dollar and get it. Seriously to include Kankowski and not Brussow is hilarious. Even Kolisi ahead of Brussow is pushing it.

Kirchner. Seriously is Meyer not watching ANY rugby?

Hope the inclusion of Ebersohn isnlt just to keep the media off this back.

Meyer will go for conservative selections and we will make zero progress. You read it here first.