Official June 2014 Tests Thread

[BobsLawnService]

Kolisi and Alberts can play there, can't they?

This is one of my bugbears. At this level you should not be playing players outside of their specialist positions unless through injury or somesuch. You may be able to tinker a bit with your wings and fullback but that is about it.

Otherwise the squad looks decent. Not too many shockers.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

This is one of my bugbears. At this level you should not be playing players outside of their specialist positions unless through injury or somesuch. You may be able to tinker a bit with your wings and fullback but that is about it.

Otherwise the squad looks decent. Not too many shockers.

But put in who, though? Whitely got a mention. The benefit of having someone like Alberts and Kolisi (or even Carr) in there is that even though they're not specialist 8s they're such good players that they'll likely play better than someone who is a specialist but just isn't on their level.

The squad'll change significantly, though, based on overseas players.

 

[Devill]

Surprised to see Schalk there, is it not time to move on? He just got back and he is not a spring chicken anymore.

He is playing smart these days and I would not think that he would get too many starts. Most probably he is there to play a leadership role when we play weaker oposition and HM wants to rest some of the senior players.

Also having a guy like that helping the young players is really something.

No Warren Whiteley? Wow...

The problem is not that he is not good, but he has not been a titan like Boshoff, so that we could justify picking him after one good season. Also as mentioned Alberts is there for cover and failing that I am sure us playing the next couple of tests in SA will allow Hm to call on Whitley if the boks were to loose Alberts and Vermeulen.

Anyone else a bit miffed that Boom Prinsloo didn't get a call up? He's been playing extremely well.

Slightly as he has really had a stellar season thus far. I do however think he needs to see out one more season keeping this form.

We have an abundance of good quality loosies in SA. Somebody was always going to lose out. He is still very young and if he continues on this trend his time will come sooner or later.

+1. I also feel if he ends this season on a high, and Coetzee is out for a long enough time, he might just get a call up for the end of the year tour.

On a side note.
I see Jacques Louis Potgieter posted yesterday that it was the saddest day of his life. With reference to not making the squad.

Not quite sure what to make of that. He certainly lifted the Bulls side when he joined them but Bok quality? Not so sure.

I feel for JLP. I agree that when I picture a Bok flyhalf he is not what I picture. However he has never failed when given the no 10 jersey and I for one can not understand how the Cheetahs, Sharks and Bulls did not secure him as a "second choice flyhalf" at least, to cover the first choice and play the Currie Cup games.

 

[Albereth]

Kolisi and Alberts can play there, can't they?

Kolisi ought not to be there - he gets dominated and his game goes to crap.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Kolisi ought not to be there - he gets dominated and his game goes to crap.

Played solidly last year - got man of the match in his first game, IIRC.

But this year he has been very muted, unfortunately.

 

[MickeyD]

Played solidly last year - got man of the match in his first game, IIRC.

But this year he has been very muted, unfortunately.

Due to "bulking up"? Looks like he's been klapping the gym!

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Due to "bulking up"? Looks like he's been klapping the gym!

Haha, no idea.

I've noticed a lot of players that were on fire last year haven't really been performing this year. Not only SA players, Kiwis and Ozzies, too.

 

[MickeyD]

Haha, no idea.

I've noticed a lot of players that were on fire last year haven't really been performing this year. Not only SA players, Kiwis and Ozzies, too.

I've followed Siya's career since his Grey High School days and he has definitely bulked up, especially since last season.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

I've followed Siya's career since his Grey High School days and he has definitely bulked up, especially since last season.

'Advice' from Meyer, most likely. Loosies need to be strong, obviously.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Awesome, 3rd choice hooker for the Bullerina's is now backup hooker for the Boks ..........

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Awesome, 3rd choice hooker for the Bullerina's is now backup hooker for the Boks ..........

Callie Visagie?

I really hope when the actual tests role around that Brits or Burden will be there as backup for Bismarck.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Tackle costs Strauss R300k

Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss's suspension for a tip tackle is likely to cost him in excess of R300 000.

Strauss was on Tuesday suspended from all forms of the game up to and including Saturday, June 21, meaning he will miss the Springboks' matches against the World XV (June 7) and Wales on June 14 and 21.

While Strauss wasn't a shoo-in to start in all three of those games, he would at least have been part of the match-day squads.

Sport24 believes the Springbok players will earn in the region of R95 000 per game for the June internationals. That excludes bonuses, which means Strauss stands to lose more than R300 000 for his tip tackle on Stormers wing Kobus van Wyk at Newlands last weekend.

Strauss was an outsider for the Springbok captaincy after incumbent Jean de Villiers was ruled out for eight weeks, but this suspension will put pay to any hopes Strauss harboured of taking over the armband.

Bulls hooker Callie Visagie was called up to the Springbok squad as a replacement for Strauss.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Willem Alberts (Cell C Sharks), Loose forward - 30 Test caps
Bakkies Botha (Toulon, France), Lock - 78
Schalk Brits (Saracens, England), Hooker - 5
Schalk Burger (DHL Western Province), Loose forward - 68
Marcell Coetzee (Cell C Sharks), Loose forward - 15
Damian De Allende (DHL Western Province), Centre / Wing - 0
Lodewyk de Jager (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Lock - 0
Juan de Jongh (DHL Western Province), Centre - 14
Bismarck du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Hooker - 57
Jannie du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Prop - 51
Fourie du Preez (Suntory, Japan), Scrumhalf - 67
JJ Engelbrecht (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Centre / Wing - 12
Johan Goosen (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Flyhalf - 4
Bryan Habana (Toulon, France), Wing - 95
Cornal Hendricks (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Wing - 0
Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Scrumhalf - 27
Zane Kirchner (Leinster, Ireland), Fullback - 28
Siya Kolisi (DHL Western Province), Loose forward - 10
Willie le Roux (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Fullback / Wing - 12
Francois Louw (Bath, England), Loose forward - 28
Victor Matfield (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Lock - 110
Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Loose forward - 0
Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Prop - 53
Lwazi Mvovo (Cell C Sharks), Wing - 7
Coenie Oosthuizen (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Prop - 14
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland), Scrumhalf - 74
JP Pietersen (Cell C Sharks), Wing - 51
Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Centre - 9
S’bura Sithole (Cell C Sharks), Wing / Centre - 0 Gurthrö Steenkamp (Toulouse, France), Prop - 49
Frans Steyn (Cell C Sharks), Utility back - 53
Morné Steyn (Stade Francais, France), Flyhalf - 54
Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Lock - 34
Marcel van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Prop - 0
Duane Vermeulen (DHL Western Province), No 8 - 16
Callie Visagie (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Hooker - 0

Couple of unlucky guys and not surprisingly, a few very-lucky-to-be-there-only-because-of-HM guys. That lions 10 stands out the most, he is an up and comer but HM sticks with Steyn, ai.

 

[ponder]

Couple of unlucky guys and not surprisingly, a few very-lucky-to-be-there-only-because-of-HM guys.

+1 That guy is a chop.

 

[OGroteKoning]

So when does HM insist to make the green and gold , blue and gold?

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Can we perhaps rename this thread to the "Official June Tests Thread", or something?

All Blacks squad:

Forwards: Wyatt Crockett, Tony Woodcock, Charlie Faumuina, Owen Franks, Ben Franks, Dane Coles, Keven Mealamu, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Dominic Bird, Patrick Tuipulotu, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw, Liam Messam, Kieran Read, Victor Vito, Sam Cane.

Backs: Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett, Colin Slade, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Ryan Crotty, Cory Jane, Julian Savea, Israel Dagg, Ben Smith.

 

[APoc184]

Requested.

 

[thestaggy]

After dismantling the Bulls I thought Marnitz Boshoff had played his way into the Bok squad. Maybe Meyer was upset that he took his beloved Bulls to task?

Can't wait to see the Pienaar-Steyn combo again, should be exciting.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Yeah, as exciting as watching dead grass fade away .......

 

[Devill]

I am hoping HM gives either Boshoff or Goosen a start and if he wants to play Morne Steyn he play him off the bench as a safety net.

I further hope Vermeulen gains some form as he has not been great this thus far this year and we have no real stand out in the group to take his place.

I am also very curious to see who the center pairing will be.

I feel that we are slightly light at 9, as Francios Hougaard and Ruan Pienaar have neither shown that they are on international scrumhalf levels.

I am pretty happy with this group, and I am very hopeful that some of the new inclusions will actually get some game this year.