Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has selected a very experienced and competant side for the Test against france at Newlands, Cape Town on Saturday.
A number of players who did not feature in last weekend’s 34-31 victory over Wales in Cardiff have been chosen to face the Six Nations champions, they are Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger and Gurthrö Steenkamp.
After all the whoo-haa about Butch James, he has not even been included on the bench whereas Jean de Villiers, who missed the Welsh Test because of injury, and Flip van der Merwe, who could make his Springbok debut are both chosen as bench otions.
The Squad for Saturday is:
Team:
15. Zane Kirchner, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Jaque Fourie, 12. Wynand Olivier, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Pierre Spies, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger, 5. Victor Matfield, 4. Danie Rossouw, 3. BJ Botha, 2. John Smit (captain), 1. Gurthrö Steenkamp
Replacements: 16. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17. Jannie du Plessis, 18. Flip van der Merwe, 19. Dewald Potgieter, 20. Ruan Pienaar, 21. Juan de Jongh, 22. Jean de Villiers
15 Zane Kirchner (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps
14 Gio Aplon (Vodacom Stormers) – 1 cap
13 Jaque Fourie (Vodacom Stormers) – 55 caps
12 Wynand Olivier (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps
11 Bryan Habana (Vodacom Stormers) – 57 caps
10 Morné Steyn (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps
9 Ricky Januarie (Vodacom Stormers) – 41 caps
8 Pierre Spies (Vodacom Bulls) – 28 caps
7 Francois Louw (Vodacom Stormers) – 1 cap
6 Schalk Burger (Vodacom Stormers) – 55 caps
5 Victor Matfield (Vodacom Bulls) – 93 caps
4 Danie Rossouw (Vodacom Bulls) – 47 caps
3 BJ Botha (Ulster) – 20 caps
2 John Smit (The Sharks, Capt) – 94 caps
1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 22 caps
Reserves:
16 Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps
17 Jannie du Plessis (Sharks) – 13 caps
18 Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Bulls) – uncapped
19 Dewald Potgieter (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps
20 Ruan Pienaar (Sharks) – 37 caps
21 Juan de Jongh (Vodacom Stormers) – 1 cap
22 Jean de Villiers (Vodacom Province) – 55 caps
558 caps in die opdraf 15, maar 3 spelers het minder as 10 games vir die Bokke gespeel.
Tenminste sal die ANCYL happy wees, maar wat Ricky en Chili daarsoek weet nugter alleen!
Chilli is seker die enigste speler in wereldrugby wat amper nie eers clubwedstryde hoef te speel nie, maar nog steeds ‘n Bok bly!!
En Ricky het volgend Snorre ‘n goeie game laasweek gehad, maar besef hy wat Snorre is hoe ‘n goeie game ouens soos Pretorius, Vermaak, Kockitt of Duvenhage sou gehad het as hulle die kans sou kry om die groen&goud oor die kop te trek!!
I’m worried that Ricky Januarie is not the best possible scrummie to play next to Morné Steyn, feeling that Ruan Pienaar would have matched Fourie du Preez closer at scrummie.
With the rest of the run-on team I do not have a problem, specially in light of the fact that Dewald Potgieter still has a rib niggle.
Once the run-on team was chosen, this bench was expected…. 2 candidates who find themselves lucky to be on the bench is Chilliboy and Jannie du Plessis, who could easily have made way for Gary Botha or Tiaan Liebenberg and Werner Kruger.
Interesting that Snorrie opted for a 4 / 3 split, with all 3 backline players as very versatile utility players.
GBS, its a good team and the right reserves are there. Can u do a stats thing on Jannie du Plessis and the other tightheads in SA, as he gets a lot of stick on this site and elsewhere, but our “prop” bloggers consistently rate him as the 2nd choice, behind JS and it now looks like BJ, maybe JS will go to Loosehead, he played well there last year. Wales have a mighty scrum and we matched them on Saturday, except for a really stupid ref. Jones in fact was out of puff and had to leave the field (hairy Jones).
As long as Potgieters rib is not broken a cortezone injection will be fine ad it kills the pain and he cant damage it further.
Interesting that Snorrie opted for a 4 / 3 split, with all 3 backline players as very versatile utility players.
probably dueto Prick Muir’s influence?
Chilliboy played this year 5 games for the VC side of the Bulls. The first one was 10 min, on as substitute and on return from injury. Three of the next four he played 80 minutes with the other one 70 minutes. To me he seems fit enough to play from the bench.
He also played as sub for the B-team. That is a lot more game time than Bakkies.
Ruan Pienaat to cover both flyhalf and scrumhalf. You need to cover those positions with two different players. At best a stupid selection.
I am sorry to say it but only the boot of Morne Steyn can save us in this test.
The french will match us up front and with tired forwards who have played intense rugby over the last few weeks, a scrum half who will be found out behind a pack on the back foot, with a bad service to his fly half and no tactical game of his own with the boot and his poor decision making, we will be under a lot of pressure.
Bakkies has never had a bad game in a Bok jersey, you cant talk of him and Chilliboy in the same breath. Same as Schalk, he has detractors, but on his worst day he will still be in the top 5 in the world, on his best, he is the best. Other teams fear Bakkies…and that is how it should be for any Springbok.
6@ dWeePer:
Yip, it’s an either or situation… if a scrummie has to be substituted or a flyhalf substituted… it’s OK, but should both be needed to be subbed, then there is a problem. The other backline subs cover everything else, with Gio able to move to fullback, Jean could slot in as a wing or centre, Juan could replace either centre.
Rather than an abundance of centres one would have expected a specialist at flyhalf in conjunction with Ruan on the bench (Ruan primarily covering scrummie).
Jis Tighthead…the doom and gloom of the front row is getting to you!! 🙂
@ 4man:
No, I just hate to see a prop playing scrum half!!!
@ tighthead
Now that is bloody funny…glad to see your humour hasnt deserted u mate.
How about the boot of Ruan….or do you think he is just having a “purple patch”
I would’nt put money on it if we had to rely on Ruan’s boot….
@ 4man:
Its good to have both Ruan and Morne with their kicking boots on.
However we need Ruan desperately in this game at scrum half to relieve the pressure up front with his tactical kicking and good decision making.
Well, I agree, Ruan should start, but we are back to the same problem, so despie our “political” requirements I still think this is a good team….but oh….for a normal world, wouldnt it be nice.
short memories ….. all of you!!
Normal??
We live in Abby’s world….. Abbynormal….. hehehe
17@ Ashley:
Ag issie man!
@ Ashley:
Benni Mc Carthy once also did SA proud!!
Benni and Ricky could make a lot of money in a Wimpy franchise together.
After all they know the product!!
dWeePer
Ek stem nie saam met jou verdeiging van Chilli se keuse nie.
Wat van ouens soos Gary B en Tiaan L wat heel seisoen eerste keuse spelers by hul onderskeie unies was? wat van Maku wat deur menige Bull supporters as ‘n beter speler as Chilli ge-ag word?
Nee wat, Chilli moet die eerbare ding doen en ontrek! Geen ander speler in wereld rugby word so voorgetrek soos hy nie! Ek kan nie onthou dat ek hom al ooit vir meer as 70min. sien speel het vir die Bulls se A-span nie!
Hy is ‘n disgrace vir almal wat al hard moes werk om ‘n Bok jersey oor sy kop te trek!
@ tight head:
LOL
tighthead @ 20
be nice!!
anyway, i wasnt refering to ricky directly
but to pdv
remember a certain jwhite backing certain players not so long ago? his faith in those players paid off!! i for one was quite vocal before the 2007 wc with comments not so different from the ones find above … well i had to eat humble pie and i swore i’ll never eat it again!!
well it seem like a few of you have developed a liking for the taste of humble pie, didnt you?
kingpaul @ 21
asem in
asem uit
asem in
asem uit
..
ok, jy nou relaxed?
reg?
ok, dink so kort trug as strooli, en sê my hoeveel van daai spelers het “hard geswoeg om ñ bok trui oor hulle koppe te trek”
Ek lees op Suparugby dat peter Granr skynbaar gedurende die Curriebeker seisoen in Japan gaan speel. Het nog geen bevestiging daarvan gesien nie.
@ Ashley:
So big Ash, what has that got to do with a fat arsed scrum half with a double bounce pass to the fly half 2 minutes after the scrum breaks up!!!
@ deweeper
Another good Pinetown boy gone.
@ 4man:
I use to hang out with a few Pinetown boys who played their rugby at Lahee Park.
None of them were good boys!!
King Paul, hoeko nou die ANCYL insleep, my broer?
Out now to drink beer.
Ash behave yourself!!
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