Die Skotse rugbyklub Edinburgh se Suid-Afrikaanse spens raak al hoe voller. ’n Amptelike aankondiging word eers later verwag, maar Alan Solomons (afrigter) het glo ’n sewende Suid-Afrikaner na Edinburgh gelok.
Die slot van die Haaie, Anton Bresler, sal hom glo ná die Super Rugby-reeks by Edinburgh aansluit. Bresler kan hom as plaasvervanger vir die oud-Cheetahs slot, Izak van der Westhuizen, wat op pad terug na Suid-Afrika is, daar aanmeld.
beeld
Van der Westhuizen, WP Nel, Wicus Blaauw (albei stutte), Cornell du Preez (flank), Andries Strauss (senter) en Carl Bezuidenhout (veelsydige agterspeler) tel reeds onder Solomons se gekontrakteerdes.
Bresler se naam het ook vroeër op ’n lys van moontlike plaasvervangers vir die Springbok-slot Johann Muller by Ulster verskyn. Muller tree aan die einde van die Ierse seisoen uit en sy klubspan het glo voelers na die Leeus-slot Franco van der Merwe uitgesteek.
Die Haaie het goeie diepte op slot, maar Bresler is tans sy afrigter, Jake White, se eerste keuse op Nr 4-slot.
Edwin Hewitt, Peet Marais en Etienne Oosthuizen is die ander 4 slotte wat deur White oorweeg kan word.
Onsekerheid bestaan egter ook oor die gewese Griekwas-slot Hewitt, wat glo in die visier van die Franse klubspan Biarritz is, se toekoms. Van der Westhuizen het op sy beurt glo reeds ’n kontrak met ’n plaaslike span gesluit en ’n aankondiging daaroor word nog die week verwag.
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Rugby-Talk se Bullscot dink: Ons wag nog op enige amptelike aankondiging van die moontlike skuif, maar hierdie bespiegelinge maak redelik sin. Veral as mens in ag neem dat Suid Afrikaanse slot Izak van der Westhuizen wat tans vir die Skotse klub speel oppad terug is Suid Afrika toe aan die einde van die Skotse seisoen. Verder is ‘n ander slot van Edinburgh ook op pad uit. Sean Cox sal hom by die Engelse klub London Irish aansluit volgende seisoen.
Daar is ook bespiegelinge dat twee ander Edinburgh slotte dalk ook die deur gewys gaan word aan die einde van die seisoen, naamlik Perry Parker en Robert MacAlpine. Maar dit sal vir ons ‘n vreemde besluit wees as MacAlpine wel op pad uit is want hy is nog jonk, slegs 23 jaar oud. Mens kan net aanneem dat indien dit gebeur, is dit dalk ‘n skuif om die spelersgroep kleiner te maak en geld te spaar. Aan die anderkant lyk dit of MacAlpine bietjie lig in die broek is (weeg 113kg) vir ‘n slot en hy het hom nie werklik gevestig in die Edinburgh span nie. MacAlpine het vir die Skotse Junior span gespeel by die 2011 Junior Kampionskappe saam met ‘n ander Edinburgh slot Grant Gilchrist. Gilchrist is al reeds ‘n gevestige lid van die Edinburgh klub en het ook al vir Skotland se senior span gespeel.
Laastens, ‘n besluit om nog ‘n speler in te bring ten koste van plaaslike spelers sal dalk nie baie goed afgaan in baie geledere hier in Skotland nie. Daar is alreeds genoem deur mense dat Alan Solomons nou al te veel Suid Afrikaners in gebring het en hulle vra reeds watse tipe boodskap stuur dit aan jonger plaaslike spelers. Verder het Solomons egter ook heelwat ondersteuning van sekere Edinburgh ondersteuners wat kan sien dat hulle span beter vaar as laas seisoen.
What do you think boss, more specifically my gedagtes in the second part? Was it ok for a first attempt at writing here in Afrikaans of net ‘n klomp nonsens
@Bullscott
I’m not quite sure that the Sharks have so much depth at lock, at least quality depth.
The injury to PsDT hurt them a lot, as he is a real quality player.
They are fortunate to have exceptional loose forwards and can thus move Alberts to the lock when needed without detracting from the strength of the loosies.
I’ve never been a Bresler fan, he is too involved in off the ball issues for my liking to be an effective player, but they will probably miss him as well.
Expect Jake to go on a high price shopping spree to get some world class names in the 4 and 5 jumpers before soon.
@ nortierd:
Thanks for your rating of Bresler, don’t watch nearly enough SA rugby anymore to have known how good a player he is, only that Sharks guys seem to rate him fairly highly. It won’t be good for Edinburgh then if they are acquiring a guy who may spend time off the field due to indiscipline, but then am sure that Alan Solomons is just the man to sort things out if this is a problem. Izak vd Westhuizen has done okish but not really set the world alight in his time here. From his days at Cheetahs do you at least rate Bresler better than him?
@ nortierd:
Vaguely seem to remember reading here during the comments on one of the Super rugby games this past weekend think that it was Puma mentioning something about Jake White possibly acquiring another lock, so this potential move away by Bresler would make sense. Where would we find one at this stage, surely any that would add value at Super level within SA are taken? Have seen vd Westhuizen is due to go back to SA and play for the Kings but maybe he could head to Durban as an interim arrangement, only thing is Edinburgh still have another 5 games to go in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season with their last game coming on 10th May so that would be quite a wait for the Sharks.
@Bullscott
Bresler is a type of journeyman player, he is steady and solid in the basics without ever really standing out.
I heard this weekend that an hour after PSdT got injured, Jake phoned Andries Bekker. His Japanese club however refused to allow for his release to assist during the SR.
They will have to acquire a better than average lock to efficiently replace Du Toit.
@ nortierd:
Bekker, haha another short term patchjob.
In two years the Sharks will fall apart, all their promising young players will leave due to lack of game time, The senior players will leave after the world cup (this will be much worse than the Bulls have experienced over the last 3 years), Jake will seek greener pastures (not bok coach), because as he says, “I only coach teams that can win trophies”.
Ah good times 😀
22:39 @ Bullscot:
Good one, Bullsott!!
Everything is 100%.
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