Springbok Team Announced

[Sneeky]

aarghhh, can't frikkin wait

Kankowski can feel unlucky. Spies was great though before that lung issue that saw him sit out of the world cup, and then to come back to the Bulls in the state they were, eish.

 

[Pitbull]

Globetrotter

You have really done your homework. And you got me convinced. I just wish I had the spark for this team that you have. I feel that we are taking a really big risk.

As for some of those guys on the field... eish. There is so many better in some cases. I heard de Villiers spek on TV now. And he makes me feel a little more relaxed. But that is not what I want to be at this stage

 

[Globetrotter]

The Sharks have two.

The Stormers scrum battled a number of times in S14 remember they even called up Ollie to help.

While Moller was playing, the Stormers pack was rock solid. When Moller got injured, Ollie was called up as a precautionary measure. And yes, the scrum did destabilise a bit without Moller. Rassie really rates him.

As for picking on form, if De Villiers was doing that he would have chosen Mtawarira for loose head. Best SA 8th man in S14 was Kankowski.

I would have picked both Beast and Kankowski as well.

Butch hasn't taken the goal kicks for a long time, Percy could end up on the field quite quickly.

I agree. We do have a strong bench but I sincerely hope it's not a case like the WCup match against Tonga where everything went haywire and the experienced players on the bench had to save the game in the end.

A lot of people say play your best 15, others say it's the start of the next 4-year road to the next World Cup, time to blood some youngsters. I agree with the latter, if you look at the composition of this team it is a nice mix of experience and youth and most players were selected on form, which is a good thing.
If Wales didn't have any injuries and had a full-strength team then I would have been more reluctant to experiment with the team and taken the safer option of selecting one or two more experienced players for the run-on team.

Regardless of the players chosen, the only thing I'm actually worried about is whether the Boks have the hunger to win. I think they do, only time will tell. Coming off a World Cup win, these games may appear as an anti-climax to the experienced players, I hope not. This is also where the new young guys make a difference because they surely will be eager to perform well since they weren't part of the WCup squad.

There's still the Tri-Nations to come, ANY experimentation of backup players must be done during the Wales and Italy tests; the coach must have a completely settled group of players by the time we hit the All Blacks, Wallabies and Argentina later on.

 

[Globetrotter]

What is your opinion of the defensive capabilities of the back 3? Exciting combination, do you think they would be able to hold ground against more formidable runners?

Habana has proven he is a hard worker and it showed during the last few Bulls games (in what was an average Bulls outfit, if compared to last year). Chavhanga had huge defensive problems before he was injured a few seasons ago but he has clearly worked hard on his defense and this year he was an absolute revelation during the S14. Jantjes is not a worse defender than Percy.

Bottom line is that the midfield's defense will have to be spot on since Wales have two very experienced centres, and they're big. I also think Jantjes will be OK under the high ball and he tends to think quick on his feet. With a bit of space he can put Habana and Chavhanga away. It's going to be interesting to see them square up to Shane Williams, who is one of the superstars in the Welsh backline. He has a great strike rate as try scorer.

I'm comfortable with the back three on attack, I just hope that defense will not be much of an issue with the Bok pack hopefully playing on the front foot all the time. I'm being very positive I know, but I tend to support my team, I think that's the whole point.

On a completely different note, when Andries Bekker takes the field on Saturday he will become the tallest Springbok in history. 2.08m

 

[sand_man]

Very interesting team selected by Pieter.

I'm a bit worried by the lose trio though. Luke IMO isn't test quality and I'm not sure Pierre has fully recovered from his lung ailment. He certainly isn't at the peak of his considerable powers quite yet.

Juan for me is solid as marble but he's a yard or 2 too slow for me..

Bolla is a mistake, Ricky has had a sensational season for Stormers and he deserves to be selected...

I think if Tonderai is fully fit then great choice on the wing. That man has wheels on him, lovely to watch him play!!!

All in all should be a very exciting game to watch, it could be tight but if we get ahead early we could win by 20... But if Wales's A arrive and play their A game it could be tight... like 3 pts either way...

What also worries me a bit is the lack of familiarity of some of the combination's, at lose forward, locks, front row, centres, back 3, all new combinations. Could take them 30minutes to settle which could see us breaking away late in the 2nd half only...

 

[LancelotSA]

Pathetic team in my opinion.

Not sure i value your opinion much as you do not even bother to add a little substance as to your reasons...

LOL, what a joke. Poor de Villiers was setup to fail at this job. I feel for the poor man. Sorry but I predict an Epic Fail.

I look forward to having further discussions with you on Saturday evening....

What about Pienaar? He doesnt deserve to be on the bench!

Towards the latter half of the Super 14 Ruan was battling to get a run on ahead of Kockett for the Sharks... so his form does not appear to be at it's best. Lucky to be on the bench as Kockett had a better Super 14.

 

[Sneeky]

just 1 more sleep

 

[LancelotSA]

just 1 more sleep

I'm getting stoked... the more i think about it the more I realise that PDV might be a good thing! I really hope he is successful and we can rid rugby of this constant need for transformation!

Bring on the Welsh!

 

[Sneeky]

I really like the latitude PDV has been given, both from his bosses and the press.

On paper it is a formidable side. If PDV can get them to play for eachother the opposition will battle.
Just look at the players on the bench,

16. Bismarck DU PLESSIS
17. CJ VAN DER LINDE
18. Victor MATFIELD
19. Danie ROSSOUW
20. Ruan PIENAAR
21. Peter GRANT
22. Percy MONTGOMERY

Imagine some of them coming on the pitch to ruin your day in the last 20!

I think we will do really well.

 

[LancelotSA]

I really like the latitude PDV has been given, both from his bosses and the press.

On paper it is a formidable side. If PDV can get them to play for eachother the opposition will battle.
Just look at the players on the bench,

16. Bismarck DU PLESSIS
17. CJ VAN DER LINDE
18. Victor MATFIELD
19. Danie ROSSOUW
20. Ruan PIENAAR
21. Peter GRANT
22. Percy MONTGOMERY

Imagine some of them coming on the pitch to ruin your day in the last 20!

I think we will do really well.

That's what I like. He has picked form players for the run on 15 but he has not left the world cup winners out in the cold, they are right there sitting on the bench. Hopefully getting hungrier...

In fact just today I was reading an article in the Natal Mercury where PDV stated that Victor is not at all upset about being on the bench and has spent the week passing on some of his knowledge to "man mountain" Andries. Victor then said that he was also fully aware that he and Andries were two different players and he did not expect him to play Victor's way but use his own abilities. They all seem to already have forged a great team spirit so something must be going right!

 

[The Cosmos]

Springbok team:
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has named the following team to play Wales in the Vodacom Incoming Tours test at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday:

15. Conrad JANTJES
14. Tonderai CHAVHANGA
13. Adrian JACOBS
12. Jean DE VILLIERS
11. Bryan HABANA
10. Butch JAMES
9. Bolla CONRADIE
8. Pierre SPIES
7. Juan SMITH
6. Luke WATSON
5. Andries BEKKER
4. Bakkies BOTHA
3. Brian MUJATI
2. John SMIT (c)
1. Gurthrö STEENKAMP

16. Bismarck DU PLESSIS
17. CJ VAN DER LINDE
18. Victor MATFIELD
19. Danie ROSSOUW
20. Ruan PIENAAR
21. Peter GRANT
22. Percy MONTGOMERY

http://www.sarugby.net/default.asp?des=article&id=256914

The National ANC rugby team of South Africa. Good riddance.

 

[LancelotSA]

The National ANC rugby team of South Africa. Good riddance.

Huh?

 

[LancelotSA]

No wonder there is no tickets being sold for the game

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=18&art_id=vn20080602115311996C575962

I only now bothered reading your link and found this sentence interesting.... perhaps your insinuation that it may have something to do with the current team selection is well off target...

Yet, the promise and excitement of a new era for the Green and Gold has not been enough to attract bums on seats to Bloemfontein's Vodacom Park, as for the fourth Test in succession here ticket sales have been slow and poor.

Then as if to confirm how wrong you are the article goes on to say this...

Ticket sales will probably be given a boost when Peter de Villiers names his first Springbok starting XV on Thursday.

 

[PaCiFiEr...]

Where the **** is Frans Steyn and Jaques Fourie and why is Percy benching???
And they could just as well have played Pieter de Villiers on scrumhalf, 'cause Bolla is k*k
Otherwise the team looks allright, we'll be some good competition for the Welsh, thet thinks so much of themselves, now that their Six Nations Champions! Though I have to admit, they have an excellent team! Tommorow is going to be tough!

KOM ONS HOU DUIM VAS VIR DIE BOKKE!!!

 

[Vrotappel]

The team does not look to bad on paper, two or three questionable choices. Tomorrow we will see how they look on the field...

 

[Sneeky]

The National ANC rugby team of South Africa. Good riddance.

stoopid comment

 

[sand_man]

stoopid comment

+1

 

[Bona Botse]

humble pie must taste good...

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Chavanga, Mujati and Bolla - Fail ..... Jacobs stood up nicely, Steenkamp, while not a personal fave of mine, got nicely stuck in Same with Spies, still think Kankowski is better but he had a good one. Still undecided with Bekker ..... ok in the lineout, unseen elsewhere.

 

[LancelotSA]

Pathetic team in my opinion.

LOL, what a joke. Poor de Villiers was setup to fail at this job. I feel for the poor man. Sorry but I predict an Epic Fail.

I look forward to having further discussions with you on Saturday evening....

Well it is now Saturday evening... the Boks have beaten Wales 43-17... sorry pummelled Wales as this report states... so I thought I'd come back and get some feedback from Pitbull and Kule? Anyone seen them around these parts?