The Springbok side to face the Wallabies on Saturday at Loftus, has been announced.
Two late changes have been made to the Springbok 22, with Francois Steyn failing a late fitness test and Coenie Oosthuizen also not fit enough to man the bench. Jean de Villiers moves to inside centre and Jaco Taute will make his Springbok debut at outside centre. PatCilliers replaces Coenie Oosthuizen on the bench.
It took guts and determination from Heyneke Meyer and clearly he has the best interests of Springbok Rugby as well as the individual interests of the players at heart, when making some hard and big decisions.
Johan Goosen starts at flyhalf and Andries Bekker starts at No 5 lock in place of Juandré Kruger. Elton Jantjies is on the bench and Morné Steyn drops out of the match 22 alltogether.
Flip van der Merwe moves down to the bench after a strong game against the New Zealand All Blacks, but one has to mention that Flip is carrying a niggling injury and did not practice with the squad on Monday and Tuesday.
Springbok team: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Jean de Villiers (Captain), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Patrick Lambie.
A slightly surprising move was to initially select Coenie Oosthuizen on the bench, despite only having played 35 minutes of Currie Cup rugby after returning from injury and then sitting out of Monday’s practice to to some general stiffness. As we now know, Pat Cilliers has now replaced Coenie on the bench as prop cover.
Eben Etzebeth returns to the squad after serving his one week suspension for the head butt on Nathan Sharpe.
Patrick Lambie will have to be content to warm the bench again after there was widespread calls for his inclusion at fullback in place of Zane Kirchner.
Looks like Heyneke Meyer’s squad is taking shape… lots of youngsters in.
It this side can shape nicely, maybe with Juandré Kruger replacing Bekker on a more permanent basis, Lambie replacing Zane Kirchner and Taute replacing Jean at No 13 eventually… JP Pietersen coming back to right wing with Habana going back to left wing… and then a massive fight between Hougie and Ruan Pienaar for No 9 spot…. and this side can go places!
However, this side as possibly tweaked as above in the near future, would have to play to a plan that suits them… more ball in hand, flatter on attack in the backline, the loosies playing towards the ball and big emphasis on the breakdown ball, great counter-rucking… and very accurate kicking to posts!
It this side clicks as a unit, they can be all time greats… all of them!
My Bok team for the End of Year Tour and beyond, would look something like this (provided the injured guys are back in time and in form):
15. Patrick Lambie / Jaco Taute
14. JP Pietersen / Raymond Rhule
13. Jaco Taute / Juan de Jongh / Paul Jordaan
12. Francois Steyn / Francois Venter / Jean de Villiers – a distand 3rd option
11. Bryan Habana / Francois Hougaard
10. Johan Goosen / Elton Jantjies
9. Francois Hougaard / Sarel Pretorius
8. Duane Vermeulen / CJ Stander
7. Willem Alberts / Arno Botha
6. Francois Louw / Heinrich Brussow
5. Juandré Kruger / Andries Bekker
4. Eben Etzebeth / Flip van der Merwe
3. Jannie du Plessis / Coenie Oosthuizen – he is converting to tighthead as an ongoing situation
2. Adriaan Strauss / Chiliboy Ralepelle (pity Bismarck will still be injured)
1. Beast Mtawarira / Pat Cilliers – he plays both sides of the scrum
Now tell me where the weak spots are in this bunch of 30 names!
@ grootblousmile:
Wie sal jy kies as kaptein?
32 @ grootblousmile: CJ O’Stander will be playing for the Micks by then.
33 @ leon:
Well, daar’s ‘n paar kandidate…
Adriaan Strauss, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen.
Eerste kyk mens wie is beslis IN die beginspan… so dit laat Chiliboy uit (veral wanneer Bismarck terug is), dieselfde geld vir Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck sal 1ste keuse wees.
Ek is geneig om na Flo se kant te neig…. ondervinding, kaptein van Bath, kan No 6, 7 of 8 speel, so selfs al kom Brussow terug met ‘n bang sal ek plek maak vir Flo.
Ek dink Duane is nie die slimste ou nie….
Future captains…. Bismarck or CJ Stander or Arno Botha…
34 @ Loosehead:
Not if we blood him in the Bokke at the End of Year Tour….
@ grootblousmile:
Ja ek het ook aan Flo gedink. Ek dink Bismarck sal ook ‘n goeie kaptein maak. Die spelers respekteer hom. Ek weet net nie hoe is kommunikasie met die skeidregter nie.
Meyer said the changes in the second row would ensure that the Springboks had taller players better suited to the strong Australian lineout.
“All the locks are sticking up their hands and we’re building great depth there, so it was a tough call. Flip van der Merwe had probably his best game ever for the Springboks and Juandré Kruger was very good too.
“Against the All Blacks, you want locks that play more to the ball and Flip and Juandré were superb at the rucks. But Australia are very good in the lineout, they will put us under pressure there, and one of Bekker’s other strengths is that, in a more open game, he has the ability to pitch up at centre or on the wing.”
superBul wrote:
Classic , GBS you must love tat, see HM knows what he picks.
Bok pack beaten by the AUSSIES, unbearable thought.
Louis on News24- September 26, 2012 at 17:11
Janee wragtig- HM is starting to give Peter Divvy competition in the “funny talk” department as well
Another wise ass coment on S24
anton.dejong – September 26, 2012 at 17:23
I think HM is at last also realising that Jean De Villiers is static and pedestrian and hasn’t ran through a gap in years and Bekker can accordingly lend him a hand in the centre position. This \space\ is starting to get comical.
“..yip… ..park bench Andries Bekker far better wing than pensioner Bryan Banana..”
OK all my comments from #38 was inspired by this article
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/Tough-to-drop-Morne-Steyn-Heyneke-Meyer-20120926
43 @ superBul:
I was there at Loftus at training on Monday when Heyneke made the comment about Bekker at centre and wing… he had a huge grin on his face when he said that, so it was really said in jest and clearly as a joke.
I know, from his expressions on the face, the smile and the WAY it was said, that he’s not serious for a minute wanting Bekker at centre and wing, actually more so wants Bekker to play slightly looser than Juandré Kruger and that’s about all…. oh and because he believes the Wallabies have a very strong lineout which Bekker might counter a bit better.
When he explains something, it comes accross well to those listening… no ambiguity, no silly Divvy type expressions, he is excellent with the Media in fact.
gbs @ 44
dit klink of jy verlief is, hehehehe
..
anyway, stem met jou saam, sy handling vd media is excellent. hier volg vrae wat lesers op supersport.com aan hom gevra het …
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/chat/news/120925/QA_Heyneke_Meyer
45 @ Ashley:
Hey, ek like girls, nie ouens nie… en ek is net verlief op my vrou!
Ek weet vir julle innie Kaap is die skeidslyn tussen girls en ouens effe vaag…. maar nouja, dissie my skuld nie!
Het Heyneke se vrae en antwoordsessie gelees… en soos almal behoort te wees, is ek tevrede met sy antwoorde. Hy skroom nie weg nie, hy antwoord soos dit is. Ons kan bly wees ons het so openhartige man aan die stuur… die resultate sal wel mettertyd kom.
#44
“I know, from his expressions on the face, the smile and the WAY it was said …..”
..
not my words … yours!!!
@ grootblousmile:
I like that squad a lot, will have to watch more of arno botha though, haven’t focused on him yet, what about Willie le Roux?
48 @ biltong:
Willie is bloody good… bit dodgy on defence though…. but I guess with the right guidance that will get better.
Thing is, who among the wings and fullbacks do you drop to make place for Willie?
So, yes he is in line somewhere and maybe next year he rises to the top even more.
47 @ Ashley:
So, wat wil jy vir my sê? Wil jy sê jy kyk nie na mans se gesigsuitdrukkings as jy met hulle praat of as jy met hulle besigheid doen nie… kaaaaaak storie man!
Mens “lees” mos die persoon…. anders is jy mos dof, nie waar nie.
Mens wil mos korrek verstaan wat die persoon werklik bedoel, en dis hoekom dit maklik is om blote woorde (sonder om die konteks waarin dit gesê is) te misinterpreteer.
Ek is heel bekommerd oor jou!
Hehehehe
gbs @ 50
like this?
#51
ok, laat ek ophou voor ek gebliksem word …. trek net jou been boet.
anyway, soos reeds gesê, ek stem met jou saam oor sy handling vd media (en supporters) en ook oor hoe hy die morné sage ge-handle het …. jeez, hy laat selfs vir MY glo dat morné kan trugkeer na sy beste, lol.
..
dink ook, in aggenome watter ouens nog moet terugkeer (jfourie, fdupreez, bismark, skalla ens ens) en die manier hoe ons die all blacks by tye oorheers het, dat hierdie groep ñ spesiale een kan word. hoop net dat sarugby uit sy foute vd verlede leer en hom langer as 4 jaar gee
52 @ Ashley:
Hel, ons hoop maar die groep word onstuitbaar, dit sal great wees!
gbs @ 53
as dit gebeur koep ek vir my ñ springbok jersey vir elke dag vannie wiek (sommer hie’ byrie stalltjies, ek ka ga daai duur goed bekostig nie). sal lekker wees om dit in al daai verwaande kaap maoris se gevrete te smeer!!
54 @ Ashley:
Ek like daai tipe van fighting talk!
Gooooooooooo Bokke!
The important thing is that Meyer learns from his mistakes. Making mistakes is not the big problem, it is recognising it and moving on from them. All the pretty words don’t make much of a difference on the field. The first 7 tests have been a steep learning curve in which HM refused to make the changes which cost us some wins but he can always claim that hindsight is an exact science and he would not have known unless he tried. Well now Basta! Enough! We know who are our form group of players as per Gbs @32 and now lets go ahead and win every farking test. Enough farking around. We should beat this pathetic excuse of a Wobblie team with the greatest ease. No more excuses, just do it now!
Interesting article on Sport24 about Heyneke and his views on stampkar rugby.
It reads as follows:
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has defended himself against charges that he overly favours a collision-based approach to rugby.
Meyer fielded public questions this week on supersport website and his answers were published on Thursday.
Asked whether the Boks would start playing with greater “off-load” flair, in the manner of the All Blacks and domestic side the Sharks, or if what is known in Afrikaans as “stampkar” rugby is perceived as a better option, he replied: “Something few people know is that we off-loaded more than the All Blacks in Dunedin (when South Africa lost 21-11 recently despite dominating some areas).
“It’s about the right time and place to play ‘off-load’ rugby.
“You will see that taller players like Sonny Bill (Williams) are by nature better off-loaders, because they get their hands through the tackle.
“I certainly don’t believe in the so-called ‘stampkar’ rugby … some of my previous teams scored the most tries in their respective competitions.”
The coach remainded cagey on the subject of veteran, Japan-based scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, who is rumoured to be in his plans for the end-of-year tour of Britain and Ireland.
Grilled over Du Preez’s chances of the nod, he said: “It’s still a bit premature to speculate about team selections for the November tour.
“We currently have two very good scrumhalves (Ruan Pienaar and Francois Hougaard) in our squad with a third, Jano Vermaak, who’s been with us the entire season.
“I watch every player locally and abroad who can add value. I will always look at the local option first, though.”
Asked whether specialist open-side flank Heinrich Brussow, who has not yet featured under the Meyer regime, would stay on his radar, Meyer said: “When Heinrich works through all his injury problems and regains his form, there is no reason why we won’t look at him again.
“I’ve always had the highest respect for him as a player and person, which is very important to me.”
56 @ The_Young_Turk:
The Italian Stallion has decided to grace our blog with his newly confured old farktup Dell Notebook….. hehehe
So, tell me, do you agree on all the Future Springbok players I’ve detailed in #32?
Hoity toity team this! Springboks by at least 20!
Just get the Goosen within range, and put pressure on their pack in the red zone to enforce penalties, and the ‘Boytjie from Burgersdorp’ will nail them big time!
Just keep ‘Skewer’ Liebenberg of the field (kukste Springbok hooker cap since 1965 when Bobby Johns from Villagers 2nd team was selected for the Bokke tour to the UK, he never even played one game on tour, he and Faan Conradie both. Bobby didn’t even make the WP team afterwards….)
I wonder where Kickers has been hiding…. totally mumm on the selection of this team…
Maybe he has hurt some of his typing fingers or something… hehehe
59 @ Piet-Springbok-Jan:
Hello Pieta,
Yip, the Bokke team is starting to take shape now… couple of smaller things to still fall into place, couple of tweaks needed here and there, some injured players still to return, but all in all we can see progression and I certainly hope it translates into progression on the playing field as well.
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