So all factors considered, Lambie should be starting far more than he is. He should be bred into the team to properly manage the backline - he doesn't get that opportunity much and the players need to respect his calls as well. I get the impression that Du Preez runs the calls when Lambie's on the pitch, for this reason. That makes Lambie's job that much harder.
IMO he has a very smart rugby head on his shoulders and his decision-making is very good. He's not too quick to kick possession away and tends to do so when there's a territorial advantage to be had, or the game situation calls for it. I also see a lot more creativity with the backline when he's on the pitch. We have players running support in the tackle to take the offload and we see a lot more running of proper lines. That's all centred on how the flyhalf performs. When Morne is on the pitch we see straight lines run by him, he often doesn't run into support channels, and he tends to kick willy-nilly for the sake of it far too often. He also doesn't read the forwards' game very well, nor manage them into the backline as efficiently as Lambie does.
Now I see the same Lambie-style in Goosen, and I reckon we'll see him match-fit and gearing back to his old form soon. If so, I'd have the two of them swapping bench-start roles from now on and Morne sitting in the stands. He's a Naas Botha, and those days of tight rugby won exclusively by goal-kicking are gone. Putting him on also opens us up to serious defensive problems.
I don't agree that he should be getting any game-time right now. Heyneke's goals should be to have the best possible backline by "Tri-Nations", or whatever they're going to call it next year. Our forwards are immense, and we're probably the most intimidating forward pack in the world - injure Kieran Read and we're the best - find a tough SOB to steal ball at the breakdown (Eben is good in this respect) and even with Kieran on the park, I maintain that we're the best when we click.
Our backline on the other hand is weak. Jacque Fourie needs to go. He's a liability, and as much as he was a stalwart for us in previous years, he is not proving himself in the form department. He is all over the park, constantly trying to find himself in the right positions which leaves gaps to run into against us. Even the Scots found it! Imagine what an in-form NZ/England will do there. We need some solidity at fullback and flyhalf, and Willie is forcing Heyneke's hand there, which is good. Our wings are devastating. So there are some small things that need work that involve a change of mindset with respect to favouring old form over young blood.
Now here's the dilemma. If we agree that Zane is not up to scratch, and Willie is injured, I imagine Lambie will slot in for him. That leaves us open to problems if Goosen starts - he is already prone to injury and if he has a problem, who do we put on? You can't have three backline players anticipated for the same position on the bench. So the solution can't be Morne. Heyneke has to find a better fullback second option...
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