Springbok Squad: End Year UK Tour

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FnuckNut

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What you guys think
Looks great but Rose?. Maybe deserves the callup.
What about No. 10?

The Springbok touring side is:
BACKS:

Jean de Villiers (WP), Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls), Jaque Fourie (Lions), Bryan Habana (Blue Bulls), Adrian Jacobs (Sharks), Conrad Jantjes (WP), Enrico Januarie (WP), Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs), Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), Ruan Pienaar (Sharks), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Earl Rose (Lions), Francois Steyn (Sharks).



FORWARDS:

Andries Bekker (WP), Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls), Schalk Burger (WP), Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Blue Bulls), Brian Mujati (WP), Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls), John Smit (Sharks, captain), Juan Smith (Cheetahs), Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls), Gurthrö Steenkamp (Blue Bulls).

ON STANDBY:

Peter Grant (WP), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Johann Muller (Sharks), Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Heinke van der Merwe (Lions), Jano Vermaak (Lions).
 
I can't believe Rose got selected ahead of Peter Grant?

I guess he'll be starting at flyhalf then? Or Steyn/Pienaar?
 
What's with all the WP players? Where did they finish in the Currie Cup? It also seems Bulls heavy for a mob that can't score tries.

And maybe Rose is there because he doesn't puke to easily.
 
Boks tread dangerous route

http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Ru...788a2be89c462705f//Boks_tread_dangerous_route

Omitting James and, by extension, apparently catapulting Ruan Pienaar from his comfortable current home at scrum-half to the unique, specialist demands of No 10 in the “grim north” (with string-bean international rookie Earl Rose as his immediate back-up) is a big, big call.

It is true, of course, that perennially versatile Frans Steyn could bring some muscularity to the position in a time of need
Click to expand...

There is my concern!

It is unlikely he will spill his guts on his jersey, and that would be a good start in terms of squad bonhomie
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:D
 
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It should have been Grant and Steyn for flyhalf, they both want to play there and only need more game time. Pienaar is good but he wants to play scrumhalf and he is very good there. Based on current form I rate Pienaar and Januarie as the 2 best scrummies.

I actually don't think any of this matters though as their opponents aren't exactly very intimidating.
 
There was a rumour that Earl Rose will get picked. The only player that plays regularly at fly-half in any case.

Pienaar and Steyn get shoved around the backline whole day. Madness!

In terms of the WP players, is there a problem? Jean De Villiers, as an example, is one of the best creative centres not only in SA but world rugby.

I just hope the European conditions will make it possible for them to play the ball wide. The last thing you need is the wings becoming surplus to requirements :D
 
AFAIK, Earl Rose played fullback during the majority (?) of the Super14, as well as at the start of the Currie Cup.
 
Albereth said:
What's with all the WP players? Where did they finish in the Currie Cup? It also seems Bulls heavy for a mob that can't score tries.

And maybe Rose is there because he doesn't puke to easily.
Click to expand...

Ok lets get it out there... WP ended 5th... ok :D
You have to remember the WP guys who got picked have been undefeated since they came back to the CC. If you want to rate that team, rather look where they ended up in the S14 where our CC champs faired the best so hats off to them!
Secondly, seeing as though you judging the bok selections based on where the team ended in the CC, the Bulls have the second most players in the squad, with the Sharks rightly having the most.
 
.geek said:
AFAIK, Earl Rose played fullback during the majority (?) of the Super14, as well as at the start of the Currie Cup.
Click to expand...
Earl Rose is not there on merit, and the same with Chilli boy. That Free State hooker.... strauss?? is by far better.
On form Grant should have been there and what does Johan Muller have to do to get in? Yes I know they're on standby.... ;)
John Smit is also not a prop so why select him there?
 
John Smit played more at tight hear than at hooker! Look at his career prior to Jake White making an excellent hooker out of him. Earl Rose was picked because someone needs to supply cheap dope! Chilliboy is not bad...but not Springbok material yet! No.10....when last did we have a REAL No.10? Naas Botha? I do not see any General on the horison yet....let's try Ruan on 10! I feel for Johan Muller and poor old Peter Grant! What can we say...so many excellent players to choose from...so few positions available! All and all I think we have a competitive team for the European tour.
 
Fiekus said:
Earl Rose is not there on merit, and the same with Chilli boy. That Free State hooker.... strauss?? is by far better.
On form Grant should have been there and what does Johan Muller have to do to get in? Yes I know they're on standby.... ;)
John Smit is also not a prop so why select him there?
Click to expand...

Yes, yes and yes ;)
 
The biggest problem is these players, Ruan and Frans, that are too versatile!

Imagine picking a team for a tour. You want to have specialists in all, well most as we do not seem to have had a specialist flyhalf as Springbok for years, positions and then you need to make up the squad with reserves and back up. Of course with this need comes the overwhelming, and often unavoidable, desire to choose a bunch of guys to cover for these "specialist" positions who can cover more than one position.

That was the problem with Brent Russel and it is now the problem with Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn. These players would make most international teams at both scrumhalf or flyhalf in the case of the former and flyhalf, centre or fullback for the latter. Our problem is we choose them to provide cover for these positions due to their versatility. Stick them on the bench and you have most of your backline covered in case of an injury. A lovely position for a coach to be in but the easy solution!

For long term success, and to actually get the full worth of these players, you need to play them for the full 80 in a position that they can make their own!
 
mujati, and chilliboy deserve their place even less than Rose.

I hope they play pienaar at flyhalf and mazbe give rose a chance, although i dont think his defence is very good, he reminds me of a 3de rate michelac(sp?).

I would also like to see Jacobs on inside centre and de villiers at outside centre.
 
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maestro_za said:
I just hope the European conditions will make it possible for them to play the ball wide. The last thing you need is the wings becoming surplus to requirements :D
Click to expand...

Butch James may of had a poor Super14 by his standards, but certainly not worse than Rose.
Butch has been playing overseas for Bath and is far more experienced and familiar with the conditions the touring team will encounter.

LancelotSA said:
The biggest problem is these players, Ruan and Frans, that are too versatile!

Imagine picking a team for a tour. You want to have specialists in all, well most as we do not seem to have had a specialist flyhalf as Springbok for years, positions and then you need to make up the squad with reserves and back up. Of course with this need comes the overwhelming, and often unavoidable, desire to choose a bunch of guys to cover for these "specialist" positions who can cover more than one position.

That was the problem with Brent Russel and it is now the problem with Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn. These players would make most international teams at both scrumhalf or flyhalf in the case of the former and flyhalf, centre or fullback for the latter. Our problem is we choose them to provide cover for these positions due to their versatility. Stick them on the bench and you have most of your backline covered in case of an injury. A lovely position for a coach to be in but the easy solution!

For long term success, and to actually get the full worth of these players, you need to play them for the full 80 in a position that they can make their own!
Click to expand...

To try and put this across as delicately as possible, I would rather have Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar playing loosehead and tighthead prop respectively before I put Earl Rose in my team.
 
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Sneeky said:
To try and put this across as delicately as possible, I would rather have Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar playing loosehead and tighthead prop repsectively before I put Earl Rose in my team.
Click to expand...

funny, sad and true
 
A lot of talk about others being unlucky but in my view the best fullback in this country at the moment has not been chosen - Stefan Tereblanche!

Watching the replays of the final, he was exceptional... and has been since he got pulled back from Europe by the Sharks!


EDIT : Out of interest this post was made just before the All Out Rugby review of the final and Garth Wright just agreed with me that Stefan is the best fullback in the country.
 
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Brian mujati???? I mean c'mon!!!! Its like throwing a sandbag on the field and hoping it would score....wait, sorry a sandbag is a little more versatile
 
pdv was on 702 this morning sprouting rubbish. Some nonsense about how Rose single handedly got the Lions into the Currie Cup finals. Actually, the only reason why the Lions ended up there is because the big boys were off playing tri-nations and the Lions didn't contribute anyone to that lark.

John Robbie said that the tour is going to be tough because the British teams are all playing for places in the British Lions team. Well, New Zealand are touring too and I guess we'll have a comparison right there.

But I suppose with the current exchange rate the cost of drugs from Lawrence Dallaglio are going to be way to expensive so we had better take our own dealer.
 
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