The Winter Tours in the Southern Hemisphere is a thing of the past, with a clear advantage to the Southern Hemisphere in the results, except for an Australian hickup against England in the 2nd Test and 2 results for Scotland against Argentina. The rest of the results all went the way of the Southern Hemisphere.
I am still not fully happy though with the Springbok run-up to the Tri-Nations and think our National coach missed some opportunities in selecting or establishing the true pecking order in a few positions.
In the front row, loosehead is well and truly sorted out, with Gurthro Steenkamp and Beast Mtawarira, but the other 2 positions, that of hooker and tighthead prop is a worry.
As reserve hooker Chiliboy is now established in the position but would it not have served the Bokke better to have gone with either Gary Botha or Tiaan Liebenberg as backup. These players were after all the 1st choice players for their respective Franchises and showed wonderful form during the whole Super 14.
At tighthead Jannie du Plessis and BJ Botha are now the chosen ones but BJ Botha did not set the world alight… in my mind the Winter Tours were the ideal opportunity to experiment with new blood in this position and Werner Kruger of the Bulls can consider himself unlucky not to have been given the opportunity to show whether he could step up to the plate and make the depth and quality in this position better.
At lock and in the backrow forwards I have no complaints.
At scumhalf, the Bokke are probably most porous, considering the world’s best scrumhalf, Fourie du Preez is out with a lenghty injury. His tactical nous, decision making ability and tactical boot will be sorely missed and a player should have been selected who plays a game which closely mimics Fourie du Preez’ game, in order to achieve close to the same result… that player is non other than Ruan Pienaar. In stead, Ricky January, the nuggety and instinctive “Meercat” has been employed throughout and Ruan is being messed around once again between fullback, flyhalf and scrumhalf substitution. It is just potently wrong and unforgivable.
At flyhalf there’s Morné Steyn, the points machine, but what happens in the event he gets injured…. does Ruan get the nod or does Butch get the nod? I don’t even think Peter de Villiers is sure about this one. Butch has not added much to the Bokke, to be frank! It would probably have served the Bokke better had Peter Grant been involved right throughout the Winter Tours, with Ruan exclusively playing at scrumhalf.
Inside centre (No 12) is also still a lottery, with 3 players vying for a spot here, Wynand Olivier, Juan de Jongh and Jean de Villiers. Who is the incumbant? By now the midfield combination between one of the 3 and Jaque Fourie at outside centre should have been running like clockwork.
Depth at outside centre is another problem area should Jaque Fourie be injured. Jean de Villiers never impressed at No 13 and at the moment I suppose Juan de Jongh would have the inside track on filling that void.
At left wing Bryan Habana is clearly the No 1 choice and Francois Hougaard provides very good cover in that position.
At right wing Gio Aplon seems to be the man in the saddle, with Jean de Villiers as cover… but Jean is a natural inside centre, not a true wing.
In the last vestage Zane Kirchner should be the man in the saddle, with Gio Aplon covering that position in event of an injury, then exposing the right wing as very iffy as far as replacements go.
The bottomline is we could have had more established combinations going forward, more depth developed and certainly at scrumhalf a better run-on option established.
I’m not saying I am unhappy about Peter’s squad in general, in fact I would only possibly have made 3 or 4 changes overall, but rhytm and continuity should have been established now already, with these same available players!
Bravo to Prince, OUT, 128.2 kph, Boucher is run out FInally. And Ramdin does his job this time. Mid-pitch collision! It was pushed towards left of mid-on. Prince jogged across. Boucher wasn’t sure. Prince kept coming. Boucher took couple of steps down the track. Prince had his eyes all along at the ball. Boucher sees Prince and tries to cross the pitch and run that side of the turf. Mistake. Prince too takes the fatal turn at the same time. Clash! Boucher reels back and then its’ too late. Everything depended on Ramdin who this time crouched to collect the throw on the bounce and break the stumps. Run out! Unlucky for Bouch who collided with Prince.
MV Boucher run out 17 (56b 2×4 0x6) SR: 30.35
60@ superBul:
JA, verseker. Sonder Bismark sou dit nou natuurlik nie so erg gewees het as Gary daar was nie, en Steyn is baie veilig agter. Moet ook nie vergeet van sy kanon-voet nie. Brussow se afwesigheid is geen kommer vir my nie. Nie met Louw en Stegmann op form nie. Maar nou ja, wat pla is PdV-hulle se denkwyse. Dis grootste swak plek in die span kan dalk Rikki January wees.
Die groot verskil gaan ons verdediging wees, ek dink nie ons sal kan by hou nie, en die ou staatmakers gan moed opgee een of ander tyd met `n paar van hierdie passasiere.Ai nee man.
This commentator on cricinfo can zoep up a thing , hahaha
That’s lunch on day 3. It turned out to be a dramatic and a touch ugly. First Benn v Boucher. Lots of glaring, no words exchanged and Taufel spoke to Benn.
A short while later Steyn v Benn: I am cut and pasting what I wrote at the time of the event: ” Oh dear. Controversy: Steyn spat on the ground to the right of Benn’ . Controversial scenes here. It could balloon into something ugly. Benn got close to Steyn and was seen laughing. That seemed to angry Steyn and he spat to the right of Benn.At the ground. Not on Benn but I can’t believe he spat in the first place. Oh what a mess. Benn is enraged, takes a step or two towards Steyn who walks away. The umpires get into act and talk to Benn. Oh dear what has Steyn done here. The provocation seems to be the fact that Benn laughed. Perhaps there is something more in the history between the two, perhaps this was a reaction to the past battles between Benn and South African players. Whatever be the catalyst, it seems to have got to Steyn. Match referee has to surely get into this. He will look at the provocation and the reaction. It will be interesting to see what he will decide.
Surely, Steyn can’t get away with this. Unless of course, the judge decides the provocation was very strong. It’s going to be a very interesting hearing later on.
het n probleem met zane hy is half shakey deesda verder is die span ok sou net backup op f\h s\h en nr 13 wou he
@ superBul:Super, I have just about missed all the cricket. With my Scots friends that were here but they left on Sunday. Also all the soccer.
Really enjoy the Dutch as I lived there. So once again went down to the beach front where they have their own Fan Park and mixed with a few of them. They are a lot of fun.
Then rushed back to watch the game. Now my daughter arrived for a few days and has control of the tv.. Well for now but once the Brazil/Chile game is on I get the remote back.
Never ever thought I would get into the soccer as much as I have, but I have and enjoying it very much.
Hi Puma, how are you? I am sitting here in my Dutch orange sweater, Dutch supporter to the bone, me!
My children or wife or family or visitors NEVER have control of the remote. I have two decoders and a TV in every room. When sport is on one remote is MINE!
@ Puma:
Did you see on the other thread the controversy Steyn has got into. Well he crushed them fast now, after conceding 19 runs in his first 2 overs his figures look great now.
DW Steyn 5-1-23-3
@ Boerboel:66 – Boerboel, I am well hope you are too.
I too have my Orange t-shirt on today. I really, really enjoy the Dutch people very much. It is quite amazing how much Dutch comes back to me when I am with so many of them. Spoke to many down at the beach front today. They are a lot of fun. Very pleased they won. Supporting them all the way from here. Also Ghana but have always supported Holland in every world cup since I lived there.
Remote!!!!! hehehehe. My daughter gets it first always when she comes over. Once the sport comes on then it is mine…hahaha. I am getting another decoder. Probably the best way to go.
Puma, the 2nd decoder is not even expensive! Cheap.
Enjoy.
@ superBul:67 – Super, No will have to check it out.
Spoke to Poppa my kiwi friend and he said we should look at some of the video clips, or put them up here (youtube) of the AB’s best tries from the 60’s. Most he said are from the BIL tours. I would like that a lot. I think he enjoys reading our AB tour of the 70’s on RT here.
@ Boerboel:69 – Boerboel. Will do. Also looking to get another tv. Only have one here.
71@ Puma:
Fark Puma, one TV only… we have one for every bedroom and one for each of the 2 family rooms… plus here in my office I have 2 (1 big screen and one TV card on my mail PC).
Sometimes 4 TV’s are on, each on their own channel… me watching sport and controlling 1 DSTV remote, Handbriekie watching Kyknet or Soapies, BonzaiGBS watching some kind of weird shit and BonzaiHandbriekie watching some music channel.
It’s hectic sometimes…
71@ Puma:
By the way, have you seen how close you are to the big 10 000 comments?
@ Puma:70 – Super, Sorry got it wrong. It is called. “All Black Moments from the 60’s”
@ grootblousmile:72 – Gbs, That is really hectic to have so many tv’s on and different channels….hahaha.
I have to get with the times and get another tv. I left my tv in Joburg. It is about 10 years old so left it there. Have a good one here but want to get another one seeing this is where I will live mostly from now on. Also I get most of my visitors here. So have to get another tv.
@ grootblousmile:73
Gbs, I know. I am almost there. Must be the serial blogger here……hehehehe. Have not blogged as much the past few weeks. Moving and visitors and the world cup, but will get more time in the next few days.
Okay off to watch the Brazil and Chile game.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHILE. Only cause I have worked with a few Chileans.
@ grootblousmile:
Thats where they must start load shedding. 😆
hi all, hope all you guys are doing well. Have to agree gary botha deserved a chance and tiaan. Would of given shadow a chance at wing as well. He qas good enough in the super 14 against the same players thwy will face in the tri nations… Yes he is young but he deserved a chance against itlay and or the froggies..
Ou tannie aan die dokter:
“Hier’s groot fout dokter. Ek poep al vir twee weke soos ‘n ryer. Dis
Onophoudelik en die drukking en vibrasies pla erg. Maar dis gelukkig
Nie ‘n probleem in sosiale omstandighede nie, want dit het geen reuk
Nie en maak ook geen geluid nie. Ek het selfs al twee keer gepoep… See More
Vandat ek hier by jou sit.”
Inskiklik knik die dokter sy kop en skryf aan die tannie pille voor en
Vra dat sy na twee weke moet terugkom om hom weer te sien.
Na twee weke is die ou tannie terug maar die keer is sy woes onsteld:
“Watse blimming pille het jy vir my gegee dokter?! Ek poep nogsteeds
Soos ‘n resiesperd op steroids. Dit maak nogsteeds geen geluid nie, maar
Nou vrot dit soos vark-afval wat vir ‘n week in die son gelê en gis het!!!”
Die dokter knik weer inskiklik en sê:
“Noudat ons tannie se sinus probleem opgelos het, kan ons begin werk
Aan tannie se gehoor probleem.”
goooooooooooodmorning hugs. glad to see you on here!!
😯 ag, and theres tighthead also
(sigh) ag what the heck …. morning to you too (sigh)
😆
Afternoon CRAZY MAN…….. 🙄
Am not feeling very confident about this Tri Nations comeing up and i dont like the feeling.
we should take the tri nations…. Pending the teams selections…..
hugs
we will not even break a sweat, hugs
durbs @ 82
agree
@ Ashley:
Hope you guys are right, normally look froward to trinations but am feeling a bit apprehensive.
Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa just saw i am 5th on the Superbru, came 23rd or 25th on the big Super 14 one.
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