Official 2015 Rugby Championship Thread

[APoc184]

Agree with you.

Although Heinke was good for Stade Francais in all the game I watched.

I'll be honest. Haven't seen any of his games this year.

Just thought it strange for him not to go with someone local like Schalk vd Merwe who had a stellar season. Actually started last year already in the Currie Cup.

 

[APoc184]

Scary thing here is that 20 of these players will be dropped by the time they depart for the World Cup.

Going to be an interesting one. Hope the short Rugby Championship will give us some clear answers.

Even tougher for the All Blacks. Who the hell do you leave out of that squad?

 

[Vrotappel]

Omitting Francois Hougaardt wtf. Not the best wing or scrumhalf but as replacement, irreplaceable.

 

[faniebraai]

My queries

Fullbacks
Cheslyn Kolbe

Wings
Francois Houghaardt

Centres
Juan de Jongh

Locks
Francois Uys

Kolbe sucks
Houghaardt sucks
De Jongh is terrible

Jaco Kriel?

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Kolbe sucks
Houghaardt sucks
De Jongh is terrible

Jaco Kriel?

Well, that's just not true.

But anyway, I would likely have dropped Mohoje or Kolisi for Kriel.

 

[faniebraai]

Well, that's just not true.

But anyway, I would likely have dropped Mohoje or Kolisi for Kriel.

Kolbe or houghaardt?

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Kolbe or houghaardt?

Kolbe is good, so is Hougaardt. I don't think either of them are Springbok quality at this point, but they don't suck. Paige isn't very good, though.

 

[faniebraai]

Kolbe is good, so is Hougaardt. I don't think either of them are Springbok quality at this point, but they don't suck. Paige isn't very good, though.

Yeh Paige suck. Kolbe keeps falling over his own feet, and weighs about as much as an apple. So he can't tackle or break tackles. He can just run. And he's not been doing that very well lately. Houghaardt's attitude is an issue for me.

 

[Pitbull]

I'm so glad Frans Steyn is back in the mix. We need his 60 odd meter boot in the World cup. Faf, great choice and hopes he cracks the nod above Cobus. Du Preez will feature so not even going to say Faf and Cobus to be our scrumhalves That would have been my choice anyway (Cobus+Faf)

Weird not to see Hougaard in the mix Could it be that his club in Japan doesn't want him to play? (He's newly signed) Doubt they want to risk injury to him. Hendriks is a good choice. He had a pretty bad season but his whole team did. I won't hold that against him.

I seriously hope Brussow can also make the team this time round. We need a dedicated fetcher or there is no way we'll beat Australia or NZ. Burger can't/doesn't fetch no more. Bismark can't be all over the field. Let's see how it goes. That group of players if selected correctly can and will win the RWC.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

I'm so glad Frans Steyn is back in the mix. We need his 60 odd meter boot in the World cup. Faf, great choice and hopes he cracks the nod above Cobus. Du Preez will feature so not even going to say Faf and Cobus to be our scrumhalves That would have been my choice anyway (Cobus+Faf)

Weird not to see Hougaard in the mix Could it be that his club in Japan doesn't want him to play? (He's newly signed) Doubt they want to risk injury to him. Hendriks is a good choice. He had a pretty bad season but his whole team did. I won't hold that against him.

I seriously hope Brussow can also make the team this time round. We need a dedicated fetcher or there is no way we'll beat Australia or NZ. Burger can't/doesn't fetch no more. Bismark can't be all over the field. Let's see how it goes. That group of players if selected correctly can and will win the RWC.

Du Preez injured his knee this week, so a bit of uncertainty there.

Louw is a great fetcher - does it all the time for Bath. Coetzee is also quite adept at it.

 

[APoc184]

Jaco Kriel fans be like this when they saw the Bok squad.

 

[Pitbull]

Du Preez injured his knee this week, so a bit of uncertainty there.

Louw is a great fetcher - does it all the time for Bath. Coetzee is also quite adept at it.

I agree, both of them are capable. But not better at it than Brussow. I do suspect that Meyer will once again for the bigger guys which is rather sad.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

I agree, both of them are capable. But not better at it than Brussow. I do suspect that Meyer will once again for the bigger guys which is rather sad.

Well, even if Brussow is better at it he doesn't offer the physicality they do. So you sacrifice a little bit of fetching ability for pack dominance. I'm okay with that.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Yeh Paige suck. Kolbe keeps falling over his own feet, and weighs about as much as an apple. So he can't tackle or break tackles. He can just run. And he's not been doing that very well lately. Houghaardt's attitude is an issue for me.

I get the idea that Kolbe will be tested on scrummy in the Currie Cup tournament.

 

[KOPITE]

Kolbe sucks
Houghaardt sucks
De Jongh is terrible

Jaco Kriel?

You suck

 

[faniebraai]

You suck

Lulz

 

[MickeyD]

World XV squad to play in a pre-Rugby Championship warm-up against the Springboks at Newlands on July 11.

Forwards: Steffon Armitage, Bakkies Botha, Craig Burden, Petrus du Plessis, Carl Hayman, Louis-Benoit Madaule, Alexandre Menini, David Roumieu, Gurthro Steenkamp, Jordan Taufua, Flip van der Merwe, Luke Whitelock, Ali Williams

Backs: Delon Armitage, Luke Burgess, JJ Engelbrecht, Mike Harris, Maxime Machenaud, Maxime Mermoz, David Smith, Tom Taylor, Lachlan Turner, Rudi Wulf

 

[Werner Harding]

Fullbacks - happy except for Krusty, why the hell is he there, stupid.

Wings - Hendricks not impressed, shouldn't be there.

Flyhalves - Morne, seriously wtf.

Hookers - Scarra has been super ordinary, another meh selection.

Well Krusty had a cracker of games when he played for the Barbarians, just saying but I still prefer Jesse Kriel

 

[APoc184]

Oz squad announced:

Forwards:
Toby Smith, Rory Arnold, James Hanson, James Slipper, Tetera Faulkner, Scott Sio, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Luke Jones, Dave Dennis, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Scott Fardy, Scott Higginbotham, Ben McCalman, Wycliff Palu, Sean McMahon, Michael Hooper, David Pocock, Greg Holmes

Backs:
Nick Phipps, Will Genia, Nic White, Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, Samu Kerevi, Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne, Henry Speight, Joe Tomane, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Israel Folau

 

[APoc184]

Giteau back in the mix. No place for Nic Cummins or James O'Connor.