Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has revealed that he will never omit Bulls captain Pierre Spies from his squad.
No 8 Spies, who has been criticized in some quarters for his performances over the past year, was on Tuesday included in a 36-man Springbok training group named ahead of the Incoming Test Series against Italy, Samoa and Scotland in June.
Meyer told the ArenaSport website that Spies is probably the most important member of his squad.
“This group is by no means a final one for the June Tests and could still change in the coming months, but what I can commit to is that Pierre Spies will always be a part of the Springbok setup, certainly as long as I’m in charge.
“You have to understand that we need Pierre. There is no one else quite like him in South African rugby. No one in any of the other local franchises can do what he does.
“Those big muscles, those strong arms, those thick, immense thighs. They are all a necessary cog in the Bok wheel,” said Meyer.
The first of two planned national training camps will be held in Cape Town from 14 to 16 April. The three-day camp will start on Sunday, the day after the Super Rugby derby between the Stormers and the Sharks, and conclude next Tuesday.
No Kings players were considered for the first training camp. They return from their Australasian tour this weekend and will be in contention for the second planned training camp, at the end of May in Durban.
Players invited to the first Springbok training camp of 2013:
Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pat Cilliers, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe, Juandré Kruger, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Franco van der Merwe, Siya Kolisi, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Duane Vermeulen, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski.
Backs: Jano Vermaak, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Morné Steyn, Elton Jantjies, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Juan de Jongh, Jan Serfontein, Robert Ebersohn, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Raymond Rhule, JP Pietersen, Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner.
This is a joke surely.
No Brussouw, no Lappies?
Bismark and Alberts are yet to play.
Kankowski will only start for the Sharks because Botes is injured.
Spoes? You must have made that man love shit up.
Hoohah has been shit or injured.
Jan Serfontein hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, but hey at least it isn’t meisiekind.
Habana is very injured.
Mvovo has been shit.
Sideshow Bob?
If this is genuine, then I am more convinced that HM is a blithering idiot than ever.
And no space for Willie Le Roux?
Does HM actually watch any of the S15?
Elton Jankies? Fuck me! HM really hasn’t watched the Stormers play.
Stain and Kruger are on their way to France, yet Japan bound Bekker isn’t chosen.
Franco Van Der Merwe? Really?
HM’s squad aint no cure for insomnia.
And the comments about Spoes? They are certainly a little more metro sexual than what is the norm.
How I miss PDV!
The World Cup can’t come soon enough, a quick exit in the 1/4 finals (again) amd we are rid this fool posing as a coach.
When I read that squad I understand why so many of our players leave SA and play in Europe.
@ Loosehead:
7
ja nee heineke ek stem saam geen ander speler breek sy pinkie en is vir ses maande uit nie dis gewjs iets wat net spies kan doen
hy het nou net die motivering verskaf vir lappies en phillip en hein om spies hulle bitch te maak die naweek….
What is the point of Vermeulen and Kankowski even pitching up? Spoes is the starting 8 already.
@ Loosehead:
klink of meyer verlief is op die dude
14 @ smallies:
See my cmment 6.
Goodness Gracious Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brings credence to the saying, “In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is King.”!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only if he reverts back to wing, Mr Meyer? Vermuelen is a far better 8 than Spies.
Loosehead, I think Jantjies would have been better utilised at that other veraaier franchise that you support. That game plan is better suited to his style of play. Not the stampkar, kick and pray stuff we see from the Bulls and the Breezers.
well, I do not believe that HM said that.
@Loosehead: Did you see that Robert Ebersohn is there.
Calm down, Loosehead the Calmettes and Anti-depressants is in the left hand drawer….. hehehehe
18 @ leon:
Ja Leon, Iam happy about his inclusion. I must admit to only commenting on what I think are the negatives in the squad. Will post the positives now.
20: Nou hoe kan jy vir Spies drop uit die bokspan, het jy dan nie gesien hoe goed hy kan dans Maandagaand met die VC finaal nie ?
Props, HM has got them right from what is available. I hope that he has chosen Coenine as a loosehead who can cover tighthead, and as as a tighthead or as someone who can play both sides.
Locks are also good, except on current form I would have Bekker there instead of Franco and would have considered De Kok Steenkamp.
Loosies, well they suite the game plan. (neo hohmosexual love for Spoes excluded)
Scrummies, the best of a mediocre bunch, and better than Pienaar.
Flyhalves, Jankies is crap, the other two pick themselves.
Centres, as expected, happy about Serfontein and Ebersohn. I see that he picks fat Frans as a centre where he hasn’t really been great, but then he has been shit at full back.
Wings, as expected, although can’t see why Habana ( and his crutches) have been included. Mvovo? Quota. Enough said. Willie should be there in his place.
Sideshow Bob, as expected.
19 @ grootblousmile:
I have stopped sleeping at night, suffer big time from insomnia, so I normally read to pass the time and put me to sleep. This announcement just buggered me up.
I am so dissapoint.
18 @ leon:
That is the quote all over the net.
I am also shocked that Ryno Benjamin hasn’t been called up above Houhah and Jarno.
23 @ Loosehead:
It’s a Training Group… a fact-finding mission… it’s not the B-all and End-all
About the sleeplessness…. you must have done something wrong to be castigated like that!
@ grootblousmile:
Good point GBS! But – can someone please explain why some “overseas-heading” players are included, but others are not? Is it perhaps based on depth i.e HM worried about FH, but not lock, as an example?
@ Loosehead:
na laas naweek sal ek hom sterk oorweeg bokand tewis by die cheetahs
Locks: Bekker can’t play as Japan does not allow it – you really not read this anywhere – why is Jacques at 13 not been available…
I am disgusted that Willie is not picked and yes, dear Jantjes, almost a joke
27 @ GoBokkeAndIreland:
There is usually a massive problem with Japanese Clubs, who use SA Players… and I can only think Andries Langbek falls in that category. We had the same with Ryan Kankowski, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie and even with old Wynand Meisiekind not being available whilst playing for Japanese sides.
More than that I unfortunately can’t add… and all I can say is there must be some reasoning behind the current selections.
I tend to look at the positives… Robert Ebersohn and Pieter-Steph du Toit in the group, as is Siya Kolisi again as well as Arno Botha and Jan Serfontein…
Some currently injured players were bound to be asked to join the training Group… Bismarck, Eben Etzebeth & Bryan Habana to be specific.
Every coach sees certain things in certain players, as do each of us individually, and none of us would have the same bunch selected either… I am sure we would scoff at each other’s selections too, just like Loosehead and others scoff at Heyneke’s selections.
I will start moaning when it’s past Training Group stages, when the Final Bok squad is selected…. if some obvious players are omitted in favour of some witbroodjies and some token players.
11 Bulls, 11 Sharks, 9 Stormers and a few Cheetahs…. it was to be expected, as is.
What certainly worries me more than this Training Group is the 2 upcoming SA Super Rugby derbies this weekend… well, with the Cheetahs tail fethers well up and confidence brimming, they will be a force to reconed with by the Bulls at Loftus and of course with The Sharks probably bound to stretch their lead on the SA Log this coming weekend.
Gooooooooooooo Bulls!
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