BJ is called up to help the Boks in time of need , surely he should have been there from the start ?
One could also probably argue for a recall of F Steyn and Jean DeVilliers.
Courtesy of New24
BJ gets Bok recall
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:39
Back with the Boks: Ulster prop BJ Botha
World Cup winner BJ Botha has become the second Ireland-based prop to be recalled to the Springbok team, as injuries continue to cut a swathe through the winless South African touring team in Europe.
Botha, capped 17 times for his country before he joined up with Irish province Ulster at the start of the 2008/09 season, will join the Bok squad as they prepare for the second Test of their tour – against Italy in Udine on Saturday.
Anthony Mackaiser, the Boks’ media liaison confirmed to rugby365.com that Botha has been called up to the squad.
He replaces the injured Munster Bok CJ van der Linde, who damaged his hamstring in the 23-24 loss to Saracens in London on Tuesday. Van der Linde last just 10 minutes, before he hobbled off.
Botha was reportedly on holiday in South Africa and will fly out to Italy on Wednesday night.
Van der Linde, who has 57 Test caps for his country, was called up to the Boks after the opening match of the tour – a 17-22 loss to Leicester Tigers.
This game started the Boks’ injury scourge when the entire Dirt Trackers front row – Gurthrö Steenkamp, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Jannie du Plessis – had to return home.
Botha, who has established himself as an integral part the Ulster front row, is a specialist tighthead prop – with Van der Linde able to play on both sides.
However, he is highly rated by his peers as a technically sound and powerful scrummager, who before leaving South Africa, was one cap shy of a half century in the domestic Currie Cup.
He made his first professional appearance with the Sharks in 2001 and represented South Africa at Under-21 level that same season.
His Bok Test debut came as a replacement against New Zealand in 2006, ending his debut season with a tour of England and Ireland in November. The last of his 17 caps was against Wales at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, in June last year – just before his departure to Ireland.
Prop is not the Boks’ only injury concern ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Italy, as South Africa try to avoid a fourth consecutive loss for the first time since 2006.
Should they lose to Italy on Saturday and Ireland the next week, it will be the first time in more than 50 years that the Boks failed to win any of their games on a Northern Hemisphere tour.
Earlier on Wednesday, new Springbok midweek captain Dewald Potgieter, Sharks loose forward Jean Deysel, uncapped Bok scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and wing Jongi Nokwe were all named in the 26-man squad that headed to Udine to prepare for the Test against Italy on Saturday.
With injury concerns over several forwards – Van der Linde, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, lock Andries Bekker and flank Schalk Burger – additional cover was required.
“Andries, Bismarck and Schalk are still being monitored and there will be more clarity on their fitness at the team announcement,” Mackaiser told this website.
Bok coach Peter de Villiers will name his Test starting XV on Thursday.
By Jan de Koning
@vanStraaten: BJ is ‘n sterk bliksem en sal die bok scrum beslis help. En op hierdie stadium is dit beter om ‘n experienced ou te speel plaas van ‘n groeintjie.
@Snoek:
Hy’t maar lekker afgekak in die wereld beker teen Sheridan in daardie 36 – 0 loseing wat ons hulle gegee het.
Ja speel vir BJ teen Italie, en Ierland. Maar dit sou ons nie skade gedoen om die jongelinge te speel teen die Tigers en die Saracens nie. Hulle sou beter as ou CJ af gewees het, daardie ou is so overrated dis nie eens snaaks nie.
The name of BJ Botha should have been second on the list of PDV when he went overseas and asked first Smit and then Matfield to commit to the Boks.
He has never understood the front row and is now paying the price.
We are now in total disorganization as far as the front row goes.
A front row is something you build very carefully over time.
All great teams have had a front row that has matured together as a unit, learnt to play together and who eventually have the experience and confidence to be the best.
PDV obviously does not understand this.
It does not matter who he plays in the next two games, they are short of playing time together and cannot be expected to outscrum Italy.
Jake White called back Os because he understood that you had to build a front row, not throw one together on a Saturday and hope for the best.
A good coach builds a pack that can scrum with technique, discipline and attitude by investing in the right players and in the time that it takes to do this.
It is a fundamental cornerstone of rugby union and should be non negotiable as a solid platform, yet we seem to disrespect this fact.
A professional NFL coach would identify the scrum as one of the most important game structures to perfect.
Great teams do the basic sructures of rugby better than anybody else.
That is what makes them great teams.
That is what leads to great tries.
You cannot ignore the foundation and expect the fancy stuff to look after itself.
That is not sustainable.
We are learning this now, after neglecting the technical issues in scrumming for too long.
tighthead @ 33
“A front row is something you BUILD very carefully over time”
…
lol, is that why they say that frontrowers are “as thick as bricks”? 😉
4 – Snoek, That would be my team too.
Just think players are so exhausted hope no injuries against Italy.
Good news that BJ is with the Bok Squad. Now hope he does not go off injured as well. Rate him more than CJ though CJ could have played both sides but CJ never impressed me much when he played.
Good Luck BJ.
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