After reading the player ratings in Rapport and on Rugby365 and elsewhere, I could not find a writer who felt the same as the other or whom I agreed with…. so, here’s my Bokke player ratings.
Forwards:
1. Wian du Preez – 6: Wian was solid enough in a make-shift tight five and the make-shift forwards pack. Scrumming was always going to be a problem, even for the best props in a Team where scrummaging is’nt deemed important enough and with very limited time to gel as a tight 5 unit in the scrums. He carried the ball up well and was busy in loose play.
2. Adriaan Strauss – 6: He is an industrious hooker and the same scrummaging sentiments apply to him as would apply to Wian.
3. John Smit – 5 at prop, 7 at hooker: John is a hooker… I’ll say it again… he is a FREEGIN HOOKER, not a tight head prop. John only came to his rights as a player in the last 20 minutes when he reverted to hooker. His throwing into line-outs is solid, his scrumming at hooker very good.
4. Bakkies Botha – 7: Bakkies is always dependable and strong.
5. Andries Bekker – 7: He is definately a No 5 lock, not a No 4 enforcer lock and seems to have learned a lot from Victor on Tour. He has been one of the better Bokke on Tour.
6. Heinrich Brüssow – 8: The man is a genius, the world’s best opensider by a mile. He stole ball when it mattered, he tackled well. The BEST BOK ON TOUR!
7. Danie Rossouw – 6: A mixed bag for Danie, he was better when moved to No 8, he is not a blindside flank but makes a good make-shift No 8, better at No 8 than Kankowski by miles.
8. Ryan Kankowski – 4: He had a good first few minutes when the game was loose and assisted in the 1st try but as soon as it got tight up front, he was nowhere. He is a disapointment and one of the worst Bokke on Tour. He needs to be dropped totally to regain form in next year’s Super 14.
Backline:
9. Fourie du Preez – 8: The general, the maestro…. the best scrum half in the world. He scored one try and made one for Wynand Olivier. I run out of expletives when I describe his value to the Bokke.
10. Morné Steyn – 6: A mixed bag for Morné, apparently they use a very different type of ball in Italy, which would explain why he initially struggled with place kicks but when he came right it was the Morné of old. No problems in his tackling or distribution skills.
11. Bryan Habana – 8: He was hungry for the ball, went looking for work and opportunities, scored a try and had a huge hand in Fourie du Preez’ try. A very good day at the office for Bryan.
12. Adi Jacobs – 4: Not on standard, he misses tackles, gets lured out of the defensive lines easily, runs laterally. Poor Tour and he’s a poor player at present. He needs to be dropped in total and concentrate on gaining form in the Super 14 next year.
13. Jaque Fourie – 7: Jaque is a stalwart in the team, scored a good try, defended well… and he combines so well with Habana and Fourie du Preez.
14. JP Pietersen – 5: Very quiet day, does not look for work like Habana, lazily chases kicks and seems to be resting on his laurels a bit.
15. Zane Kirchner – 7: He was solid in the last vestage, always nicely in position, takes the high ball well and mostly takes the correct options.
Bench:
Tendai (Beast) Mtawarira – 7: Beast was solid when he came on. With John at hooker and BJ at No 3 they scrummed well.
BJ Botha – 8: What a difference a good tight head, who is used to European standards makes!! He needs to RETAIN THE TIGHT HEAD POSITION ! With John Smit reverting to hooker next to him the scrums went well. This is what we want on tight head.
Victor Matfield – 8: He makes a huge difference at scrum time and is hugly underrated as a scrummaging lock. He tackles well and off course reigns supreme in line-outs in the world.
Jean Deysel – 8: He should have started the Test and was very valuable when he came on (and Kankowski left the field) at a stage when the Italian forwards were setting the pace. Things swung around in the forwards department partly due to him at blindside and Danie reverting to No 8. I Hope the selectors took serious notice of this improvement!
Wynand Olivier – 8: What a difference it makes to have someone solid at No 12 who knows the players around him well. Seeing as he instinctively knows every move that Fourie du Preez or Morne Steyn or Habana or Zane would make, makes him the logical choice going forward. He is a solid defender and runs good support lines, as was indicated in his try off the shoulder of Fourie du Preez. He needs to replace Adi Jacobs.. please, please, please let this happen.
Ruan Pienaar – 6: Ruan did nothing wrong on Saturday. Pity that his form has taken such a dump due to him being shifted from pillar to post as far as positions are concerned. Ruan needs to specialise at No 9, making that his only focus going forward.
Francois Hougaard – Not enough game time to rate him properly: These 4 minutes meant his Bok debut in Tests.
We want to play the strongest possible team.
27@ Puma – Yip, he will be assesed late this afternoon, to make the call whether he will be fit to play. Hope we can squeeze one more full game from him this year, seeing as he is so important to the cause.
Without Fourie du Preez, we are bound to lose the game.
Ground rules for Saturday:
1. No one blames the ref on Saturday
2. No one blames the singer of the anthem
3. No one blames the weather
LOL – just talking for talk sake
31@ Oirish – Morning scallywag!
Gooooooooooooooo Bokke !
Top of a warm sunny morning to all – especially to you Irish! hehehe
The way that the coach has absolutely destroyed one of our greatest talents in Ruan Pienaar is almost as bad as the mess he has made of our front row.
Ruan is a scrum half.
Full stop.
If they had left him alone he would be the logical back up to Fourie at scrummie.
In much the same way that Bismarck should have always been the logical back up to Smit at hooker.
These players have been mismanaged.
It is as simple as that!!
GBS – not like you to accept defeat so easily.
irish @ 28
yes, and i see your media is already doing our team talk for us.
please remind them to keep their sentences short … its so much easier to swallow when you’re forced to eat your words afterwards!! 😉
#35 SAB – rub it in mate.
32 – GBS, If FdP does not play we are in a bit of trouble there. Just hope he can start. He is very tired too. Played so much rugby this year. Then most of that team all have but we just can not lose FdP against Ireland. That would be a huge loss.
#38 Ash – morning bud – yeah they are super confident – TOO confident. But hey is confidence a bad thing? Probably. 😉
I see the coach is talking JdV!
Howzit Irish, Really looking forward to the game on Saturday.
Now hoping that FdP can play and not injured.
Yip, we all worried about BOD if Adi starts. WO should start but probably wont.
33 Irish
Now how could one NOT blame that little Jack in the Box short man syndromed arse hole called Nigel Owens? hehehehe
talking to
37@ Oirish – I accept nothing easily, unless it is money, alcohol, good food, sweets, condensed milk or women…. hehehe
36 TH
Amen!!!!
42 – Irish, Our coach talking JdV?
# 43 – Why you guys sound a bit aprehensive this morning…come on not like you guys…
Irish, that is a bit “big” coming from the Irish. 😆
#46 hehehe – now that sounds more like it.
Bury the Leprecorns…. you only have to dig very shallow hole!
#50 – Morning Loosehead…my head feels a bit loose today too…lol…
Naa I’m just setting the hype mate. Believe you me – I’m not so sure about the outcome this Saturday either. It could go either way.
BUT
What I know is that the team with the most points at the end of the match will be singing the tune…does that make me a genius.
36 – TH. Agree mate.
Now if FdP is injured think Ruan will play. Now pleased he played scrummie in the CC for the Sharks. Now plays FH again from the bench for the Boks. He is getting messed about just like Fransie did too and John.
Dear Adi and Snor
Sidestepping is a skill employed on attack. NOT on defence.
Regards
#52 Bwahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Oh Puma – JdV replied not this one…BOD scares him.
I think the light greens by 5. Anyone with other views?
Oh I think the Boks are playing in white this weekend.
Was my previous statement politically correct?
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