Handré Pollard
Adriaan Strauss
Junior Springbok captain Handré Pollard, who was named IRB Junior Player of the Year on Friday, and experienced Test hooker Adriaan Strauss will join the Springboks in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Pollard superbly led the South African Under 20’s at the Junior World Championships in New Zealand. The Junior Boks twice beat the NZ U20s en route to the final, where they were edged 21-20 by England in Auckland on Friday.
Strauss has been a fixture in the Springbok squad since 2012 and missed out on the last three matches because of suspension. He is free to play again next weekend.
Seven players based in France and England have been released to their clubs and will not be considered for selection for next weekend’s final Test in the Castle Lager Incoming Series, against Scotland at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
They are Gurthrö Steenkamp (prop), Schalk Brits (hooker), Bakkies Botha (lock), Francois Louw (flank), Morné Steyn (flyhalf), Wynand Olivier (centre) and Bryan Habana (wing).
“I’ve always rated Handré very highly and with Morné returning to France and Johan Goosen struggling with a knee injury, we decided to bring him in,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Adriaan has been with us since June 2012 and has played in every Test in the last two seasons. He knows our structures well and will slot back in with no hassle.”
“We will still travel to Port Elizabeth with a strong squad and will only consider calling up more replacements if necessitated by injury. The players in the squad who have not yet featured in one of our three matches this month have worked very hard.”
“I’m a believer in earning opportunities and I feel that some of them deserve a chance to play for the Springboks against Scotland as they’ve now become accustomed to how we play and won’t let their country down.”
Jurie Roux, CEO of the South African Rugby Union (SARU), explained that the Test against Scotland falls outside of the international window prescribed by the IRB.
“We have reached agreement with the South African provinces and certain clubs that their players may be made available for the match,” said Roux.
“The French and English clubs have exercised their right to withdraw their players from the Test and we respect and understand that.”
“All the matches during the Castle Lager Rugby Championship fall within the IRB window and players based in Europe and South Africa will be available for selection.”
“Because of the special nature of the Japanese season and the way in which it is structured, we have worked with these clubs to have players available for Springbok duty on an individual basis. That means Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez and JP Pietersen will be available for certain matches, as agreed with their clubs.”
“All Rugby World Cup matches next year fall within an international window and therefore all South African qualified players based anywhere will be available for selection.”
Hier le die ding wat my bekommer, asook die dekverdediging…..ons het laaskeer in Nelspruit amper verloor teen die Skotte oor dieselfde gebreke:
Boks face open-side scrutiny
2014-06-23 07:
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – Is history going to awkwardly repeat itself when the Springboks tackle Scotland in the final Test of the June internationals in Port Elizabeth on Saturday?
It is a question well worth asking because South Africa – minus Francois Louw, as they will be again – were outwitted at the breakdown when the unsung Scots last visited our soil in 2013 and were much better value in their 30-17 defeat at Mbombela Stadium than the scoreboard suggested.
The visitors had led by 11 points at one stage and the Boks only really put the game to bed with the last move of the match, substitute Jan Serfontein’s converted try giving the eventual margin of triumph a gloss it didn’t deserve.
It was broadly acknowledged by senior Bok personnel afterwards that they had been run so close largely because of the Scots’ superior tenacity and cunning in the battle on the deck.
Bath-based Louw, the Boks’ regular No 6 flank, had been released from that particular fixture to get married, and it was certainly one reason the overwhelming favourites laboured in that department.
A year later, and Louw will ominously be an absentee against these opponents again, this time because the game falls outside the agreed window – in New Zealand and Australia, Super Rugby matches resume next weekend — and the Boks have had to release seven squad members who are attached to either French or English clubs.
It will inevitably bring back under the critical microscope coach Heyneke Meyer’s selection disaffection with Cheetahs open-side dynamo Heinrich Brussow, who earned a spot in an enlarged training squad ahead of the June internationals but then didn’t crack the slightly more condensed party for the games themselves.
Brussow still has a firm fan club, especially given lingering memories of his epic performances against the All Blacks in the 2009 Tri-Nations-winning season.
Instead it looks as though one of Marcell Coetzee or the versatile Schalk Burger will be asked to start at No 6 in the Friendly City, even if neither is a true specialist as a scavenger.
Siya Kolisi of the Stormers is also a consideration for the berth, although he has mostly been nursing lingering niggles this season and not produced nearly the calibre of rugby he did in 2013.
Coetzee was in the starting loose trio that experienced a “difficult” day against Scotland last June, along with rookie Arno Botha (he was forced off early with damaged knee ligaments) and Pierre Spies.
Kolisi hastily took the place of Botha and played impressively, although more in a ball-carrying and tackling role than for stealing possession at the breakdown, where the Scots ruled the roost.
Sharks stalwart Coetzee has looked a more rounded player in the No 6 jersey in their big push for Super Rugby honours this year, and clearly worked hard to become a better poacher; the 23-year-old’s range of other attributes is hardly in doubt.
He ought to be hungry for game-time after a few idle weeks, although he did return from a shoulder injury to play the late-May derby against the Stormers at Kings Park, where the Sharks suffered a damaging last-gasp defeat.
A potential complication for the Boks is that first-choice hooker Bismarck du Plessis is among several key players well overdue for a week off; he had to put in another exhausting shift in the dramatic 31-30 victory over Wales at Nelspruit.
He came off 14 minutes before the end, to be replaced by Schalk Brits, although the mobile Saracens star is now among the ineligible players for the Scotland game.
At least the experienced Adriaan Strauss is available again after rare suspension and been a welcome infusion to the now more lightweight squad – the Cheetahs captain may even be fast-tracked to a start as he knows Bok systems so well after 33 caps for the cause and reputation as a world-class player in his own right.
But if Du Plessis is either rested altogether or curtailed to the bench in PE, an inconvenience is that it robs the Boks of another muscular, highly alert factor in ball-pinching
Snaaks ”Honourable” Malema nog nie ook sy straaltjie hieromtrent ingepiepie nie…..
“Saru eis meer swart Bokke”
Die Burger
COBUS CLAASSEN
Maandag 23 Junie 2014
Rugbyspelers soos Oupa Mohoje, S’bura Sithole, Lwazi Mvovo, Syia Kolisi en Trevor Nyakane móét meer kanse in die Springbokspan kry, is die duidelike boodskap aan Heyneke Meyer.
Oregan Hoskins, president van die Suid-Afrikaanse Rugbyunie (Saru), het Sondag gesê hy het dié boodskap persoonlik aan Meyer, die Springbok-afrigter, oorgedra.
“Ons moet swart spelers, en nou praat ek spesifiek van ‘African blacks’ meer kanse gee in die span. “Ek het met die coach (Meyer) gepraat en hy stem saam die tyd is reg daarvoor. Ek glo ons sal die komende naweek teen Skotland al ’n verandering of twee sien,” het Hoskins gesê.
Hy het bevestig Saru se uitvoerende komitee het hom opdrag gegee om hieroor met Meyer te praat.
@ Pietman:
More.
Mlema het gese dat die anc gov die myners by Marikana vermoor het,waarop hulle gese het dat dit nie hulle was nie maar wel die polisie.
Die anc vat krediet as die misdaadsyfers laer word en prys dan hulle polisiemag.
Ek het n interesante opmerking gelees aangaande hoe die anc hulself distansieer van die polisie oor die Marikana skietery.
So daar kan dus die afleiding gemaak word dat die NP regering niemand vermoor het nie,maar dat dit die polisie van die tyd was…
Highlights Rugby : South Africa vs Scotland Castle Lager test match 2013
n Kort terugblik, vir die van julle wat Pedi verstaan…
@ Fern:
Hello Varing.
Glo dit as jy wil of nie, maar ek stem saam met die Agbare Malema op daai punt…!
Hy gee hulle gas daar, ‘ Madam Chair Sir’ (sic) het haar hande vol met hom…ek breek my vir daai ou daar in die Parlement
Hey Oregan, take your racist quota system & shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
And on a lighter note folks, have a larf at some “dumb Aussies!!!”
http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/james-clarke-1.2504/the-truth-behind-the-qantas-75th-birthday-bash-1.1706198#.U6ff2JSSyA8
1 @ Pietman:
Hello Pietman this is the Scotland team that had the Boks initially sweating in that game: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Alex Dunbar, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Sean Lamont, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Greig Laidlaw (capt), 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Ryan Wilson, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jon Welsh, 18 Moray Low, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 David Denton, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Duncan Taylor
Not many survivors from that match 23 to face the Boks this week. This is the match 23 that played and only just beat Argentina:
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Grayson Hart, 8 Kieran Low, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Robert Harley, 5 Grant Gilchrist (Captain), 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson
Replacements: 16 Pat MacArthur, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Chris Fusaro, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Tom Heathcote, 23 Dougie Fife.
Kieran Low, Blair Cowan and Gordon Reid have gone home (not sure about Geoff Cross) and they have been replaced by Tyrone Holmes (former WP and Stormer who has played for Scotland A but not yet Scotland), Adam Ashe (a promising talent with good bulk who has represented Scotland at various age group levels and 7s but nonetheless a rookie 20 year old development player who only has played 2 games in top Pro rugby here for Glasgow Warriors) and Euan Murray (he is a stalwart we all know about so is a big bonus).
Scotland were able to run SA close initially last year in Nelspruit playing without a recognized ‘fetcher’ as Strokosch had an incredible game, this time I would expect fetcher Fusaro to start against SA, he is a good club (provincial) player, hard as nails and grafts really hard but am not sure he is yet there as a top international player. Plus seeing how many other top forwards will be out am not sure the authors concerns are really too serious. I still maintain this is the game to give fringe players a chance for the Boks and to experiment a bit, loose forwards I would pick given who is in the squad are 6 Coetzee 7 Teboho Mohoje 8 Burger with Siya Kolisi covering loose forward on the bench.
@ Bullscot:
Thx Bully, interesting ….
Is that Jim Hamilton vuilgat still around….I hope so.
High time both he and that Moore of the Brumbies get moered properly, I am waiting on my boys Eben Etzebeth and Paul Willemse to sort those two out
Good thing the Boks were woken up last Saturday, or these Joks might have just given a rude awakening.
Boks must tackle properly! This is one of their weaknesses around the fringes, they rely on the smaller back-liners to stop those big meanies running straight at them.
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
I would be seriously pissed off if I were one of those black players mentioned this report.
They can make the side without following SARU’s political agenda….
Watch this bullshite starting to build up again before the next world cup…
@ BrumbiesBoy:
And soon Luke will also be a contender for the WC squad, I am not kidding!
@ Pietman:
Willemse is leaving SA to play for Grenoble.
Huursoldaat?
Loosehead wrote:
Clever move
Odds on getting a Bok spot at the moment is much better if you play in France or Japan.
Pietman wrote:
And with daddy’s help I’m sure he’ll make it into the team…
But that’s also OK because then hopefully Stevie will be able to give him the PK he so richly deserves!
Pietman wrote:
Just playing for the Kings makes you a quota and currently disadvantaged.
Means that none of the decent provinces are interested in you, automatically it gives you an edge to get a leg up from Parliament.
@ Loosehead:
@ nortierd:
Not yet boys, the Bulls are still negotiating with Willemse.
I hope he stays, really….. he, Ruan Botha from WP, Lood, Lewies, Eben and Oupa should be kept in SA and properly managed until WC 2019 (not only for 2015!).
16 @ Pietman:
Negotiations complete, I sit with the Bulls Media Release today, on Mail… Willemse off to Grenoble for 2 years
@ Pietman:
Too late Pietman, he is gone
@ grootblousmile:
Sorry, see you have already broken the news to Pietman.
Shame, macro said he will be taking a break from rugby if the Bulls lose Paul…..moerse sterk bromance tussen daai twee 😉
@ Loosehead:
Just as well you are hom and not in Vatdoek Country anymore, some massive dust storms blowing in from the north, worst I have seen in my 4 years over here, tempt 50C!
These camel jockeys are rolling Hiluxes all over the highways, 4 massive accidents yesterday on my way home from hospital in Riyadh…I stopped at one, radio still blaring western music (forbidden by the way), little guy and his passenger had already entered paradise by then, both flung out, nothing I could do but call 119.
19 @ nortierd:
Hahahaha
Ja, Moosa has a massive crush on Willemse!
20 @ Pietman:
119 ???
Don’t they give the time? It is now 12…. 01…. and 35 seconds…
Hahaha
MUST be 911
@ grootblousmile:
Silly Bulls!
Where is Ian Schwartz? Why doesn’t he do his job, or has the Bulls run out pf money?
About time they kick vetgat Barend van Graan and his son out of their blue palace, they are as useless as that other roly poly Wakefield wine gustler at WP…
23 @ Pietman:
Ian Schwartz is with Heyneke Meyer at the Springboks, as is Johan van Graan.
The farking little dweeb called Xander Janse van Rensburg, is doing contracting at the Bulls, worst appointment EVER! He can’t even negotiate himself a KFC dinner at the KFC Drive-through, without letting it go overseas for 2 years!
@ grootblousmile:
119 over here, written on all emergency vehicles, in English as well. (Normally they only write Arabic from right to left…but in this case the emergency code is also the other way round.)
20 @ Pietman: Ouch, that doesn’t sound nice at all; having to stop & see these mangled corpses and everything must have been awful…
And then the fact that you had to listen to that decadent Western music as well must’ve been severely traumatic.
25 @ Pietman:
Oh Ok, do they give you the time as well… Hehehehe
26 @ BrumbiesBoy:
Pietman probably had a jive & dance in the desert… listening to the music
@ grootblousmile:
Yeah, and then the sun probably got to him and these five beautiful geisha-girls came walking out of the mirage…
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
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