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.
Matfield at lock…jeez that was very irish of me.
They say FdP is a doubtful starter.
Dont believe them though.
89 Puma
JPP pisses me off big time lately
90 – Irish, I hope that Burger is not going to start. Stupid when we have a brilliant 7 in Deysel. Burger just is not a 7.
That means FdP wont start. Hougaard just not the player FdP is. I would have gone with Ruan there.
88@ Puma – We will most probably see the front row that we want… but we will most probably see Snorrie persist with Adi too.
Saturday weather forecast is:
Saturday
28 Nov Cloudy
High: 4° Low: 2°
Mostly cloudy skies. High 4C and low 2C.
40% chance of rain
Adi in team predicted by press.
Front row how they ended against Italy.
94 – SAB, I have to say the same. He is just not playing well at all. Better watch it. Mapoe is brilliant and will step right into that position.
Will the game be at Croke Park… or is that Croak Park… or Choke, Fart & Fark?
Puma – how did England beat the Proteas on Sunday. Carol must be smiling.
97 – Irish, Your weather is horrible mate….hehe. Here it is sun and swimming weather.
They will start with Adi we all know that but damn why? PdV knows that will be our weak spot.
GBS – well I hope you guys don’t choke at Croke Park…;)
Adi is not that bad 😉
102 – Irish, England played so well with our saffa Trott batting for them 😉
No serious they played well and we were rubbish. Not sure who won the toss as I only saw the game after we had been playing a hour or so. There had been a lot of rain in the highveld and there were clouds about. Then you need to bowl first.
We missing Kallis too and they put in Amla who is a test player. Just stupid. Should have had Bosman in that was superb against England in the 20/20 last Friday.
Croak Park is Stade de Paris mate.
# 106 – Puma – we also have an Irish lad in England team – Morgan.
Will be back later – have to put in a few hard yards. Enjoyed the banter and chat again.
105 – Irish, He was superb last year. Just not the same player since he had that shoulder injury. WO is far better.
How can we start with Adi when Ireland have BOD playing. So stupid. Start with the best that are on tour and WO far better than Adi at the moment. I would have given JdV a call and also would have had given Fransie a call to play FB on this tour. Zane is okay but not a Fransie.
The Irish are a lot like us Saffas…. just dumber!
108 – Irish, England have everyone but England in their team 😆 Strauss, KP and Trott all saffas too.
Cheers Irish. Good to catch up again.
Cheers all have to go out for a hour or so. Catch up later.
Whats the panic. Ireland were 2 minutes away from losing to Oz, we pumped Oz twice this year and but for complacency would have had them 3 times.They scraped a draw.
If Ireland were up against the All Blacks this weekend they would have given up already and begun preparing their excuses. We beat the AB’s three times this year.
There is a lot of hot air coming from the Emerald Isle, most of it is the reek of tabloid dung.
Now I must go and do some work – I need to pay my British taxes who give it to Brussels who in turn have to send it to Ireland to keep them going ! Land of Guiness, Rain and the EU handout.
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.
Run out of EXPLETIVES?
Hehe
#114 Mieliepapmike – ….and Ireland beat France – Ireland 30 – 21 France – France beat South Africa, so does that mean ……
History has nothing to do with the future…not fighting – just making a point.
Morning Tripppppppppllllleeessss
You are right – it doesnt mean a great deal, All the top sides are pretty close.That French team was one of Lievremonts more eccentric picks. I was in Ireland last week – lots of banter but I didn’t get any real confidence coming through. Whilst the press may be talking Ireland up the man in the street sure aint.
For the record my family are Irish and I have been to Ireland 4 times this year – even took my summer hols in Kerry this year. What abysmal weather – the only improvement was when the rain switched from horizontal to vertical. The boks run a real risk of drowning if the scrum goes down.
If there is one thing the Boks are good at, it is coming out big when their backs are against the wall.
Hallooooooooooooooooooooo Irish, keep missing you
#119 EEE – lol – to be sure.
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