Cheslin Kolbe
Springbok coach, Heyneke Meyer, has announced 2 sets of 44 players to participate in training camps in May and June in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.
The squads include a total of 19 uncapped players, including rising stars Jesse Kriel, Vincent Koch, Cheslin Kolbe and Bongi Mbonami.
Players that are currently injured but invited include Heinrich Brüssow, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean de Villiers and Pat Lambie.
Suspended Sharks player Frans Steyn was not invited due to not making himself available to play for the Springboks.
While no overseas based players were considered for the training camps the greater squad gives good idea of who is on Meyers radar for the upcoming inbound Tests and later in the year the Rugby World Cup.
The 1st training camp will take place on 3 – 6 May and will not feature any Cell C Sharks players due to touring commitments. The 2nd training camp will not include any Vodacom Bulls players and will run from 31 May to 3 June.
Springbok Training Squads:
Johannesburg Camp (no Sharks players) 3-6 May:
Forwards: Arno Botha, Ruan Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Robbie Coetzee, Lood de Jager, Jacques du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Dean Greyling, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Lappies Labuschagne, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Oupa Mohoje, Trevor Nyakane, Scarra Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pierre Spies, Adriaan Strauss, Marcel van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.
Backs: Bjorn Basson, Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Faf de Klerk, Jean de Villiers, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Rudy Paige, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter.
Cape Town Camp (no Bulls players) 31 May to 3 June:
Forwards: Willem Alberts, Ruan Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Marcell Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Lood de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean Deysel, Eben Etzebeth, Lizo Gqoboka, Ryan Kankowski, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Oupa Mohoje, Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, Scarra Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen, Michael Rhodes, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.
Backs: Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Faf de Klerk, Jean de Villiers, Nic Groom, Cornal Hendricks, Elton Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Cobus Reinach, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter.
The early build up to the RWC by HM implies it may not be much different than the 2003 & 2011 campaigns 😉
And we know where both Strauli and PdV ended up?
🙁
UCT scores again and convert this time.
12-7
@ Nama: Mapoe and De Jong are completely different players. De Jong has a wicked sidestep and can cut inside like few I’ve seen. Lionel has strength and lightening speed. What’s you view on these two highly talented but different 13’s?
@ Hondo: Meyer is a very deep thinker. I think that’s the difference.
U-dubs scores in the last seconds but can’t convert.
12-12
Extra time.
UCT scores a try and win the final.
@ Tassies: to expand on that theme; I think Meyer goes beyond the simple talent thing. His is about plan, combinations, mindset, discipline, structure and all those subliminal things. The deeper stuff I refer to. Steyn has talent. Not sure he brings all that other stuff to the party. Schalk surely does. For example.
@ Nama: UCT rugby on the up again. I blame Rhodes.
@ Tassies:
JdJ has become predictable with his step of his left foot. However, his passing and distribution have come on in leaps and bounds. Whereas his sidestep used to be his main weapon (some would say only weapon) when he burst onto the scene, he has now developed into a much more rounded player who can pass, distribute, tackle and still sidestep. Then there is also the leadership role that he plays in organising the defence.
One of Mapoe’s main strengths for me is his reading of the play and his support running. There are many occasions where he ends up being the try scorer because he was at the right place at the right time to take the last pass. That, coupled with his speed and strength, makes him a very dangerous customer.
If I have to choose between the two of them right now, Mapoe will win the race to the Bok jersey.
@ Tassies:
De Allende and Juan de Jong are the form centre combination in South Africa right now.
And if you want to get it right, you go with combinations, not so?
Look no further.
Jan Serf might be one of HM’s favourites. But Burger Odendaal has put in big performances the last two weeks.
Serfontein should worry about making it into the Bulls starting line-up. Not the Boks.
@ Nama: thanks. And very interesting and astute observations. Since DDA’s star has started to shine brightly this year, my main focus of concern has shifted to the halfback behind the 8’s feet. We simply don’t know what F DuP can do right now. He’s become a complete unknown quantity. Reinach is a very good player but not when compared to A Smith, who is very much a measurable quantity. Fourie, at his best, can stand with Smith. But……..can he now?
I like the little Irishman, Murray. He’s the man to watch IMO.
@ IAAS: absolutely right that man. Centres work in pairs. Always have.
@ Tassies:\
I’m counting on the fact that Jean de Villiers won’t make it to the WC. I just can’t see that happening. I know it is his dream and a mega-goal of his. But to be battle-hardened and at the top of your game, competing with the world’s best – I just can’t see that happening. And HM will realise that too in the next month or two.
55 @ Nama:
At this stage I think DDA and JDJ will be the centers for the RC at first, Janneman started Super Rugby slowly this year and was getting into good form before he got injured, I would love to see a burger Odendaal and Serfontein combo just to give serf game time before the RC and because burger has settled nicely, because Jan is a good player and will be in the squad when fit…
Problem is I don’t see Ludeke dropping JJE… not ever… which is potentially curtailing a possible monster Super Rugby backline.
IAAS wrote:
De Jongh has had one good game this year to be honest and that was purely his defense.
In a perfect world I would like DDA to get settled in the bok team with JDJ to combine.
But that would be a purely defense based backline, it is unlikely that we will score tries… thats where Mapoe would come in.
Come to think of it, I would prefer DDA and Jan together, but then Jan NEEDS to get game time at 13.
@ IAAS:
Yeah, that’s one way of going about it.
So, do we select Paige at SH when Pollard is the FH because of combinations?
Reinach when Lambie plays at FH?
“Serfontein should worry about making it into the Bulls starting line-up. Not the Boks”
On that we can agree 100%.
On a side note, Kriel could also be a dark horse from the bench into the 13 position (in case of an emergency).
my reasoning, the Bulls have constantly been a threat out wide when Kriel joins the backline next to the 12 channel, he straightens, draws the man and passes sublimely.
Having Lambie and Kriel on the bench you have basically the whole backline covered instead of the usual (scrumhalf, flyhalf, wing)
72 @ IAAS:
Burger is looking damn good, would be a sin to replace him now, but everyone knows Ludeke wont drop JJE, so expect a Jan, JJ combo next week again.
@ MacroBull:
I think you have more questions than answers. And it begins and ends at the Bulls. No where else.
Jan Serfontein and JJE are both good players. Make no mistake.
But Ludeke is playing both of them out of position.
Serf is a 13 – that is where is made his name at the Baby Boks. Play him there.
JJE is a wing and a good finisher. He has not proven to be an international quality 13.
As a combination, you have to go with De Allende and JDJ.
Not sure what they will be doing at these camps but I think the second camp looks a bit light on lock options. It seems Mr Meyer is casting his net far and wide for these so it could be a good idea if he tries to bring Anton Bresler in for the 2nd camp. Bresler has been in fine form and his play has gone from strength to strength as the season has progressed. His team (Edinburgh) have their last game of the season on 16 May so that would give him just about 2 weeks to have a bit of a rest and get over to SA for the camp. Even if just for Mr Meyer to have a look at him in his squad set up in case he needs to press on his button in emergency in case on injury during the World Cup. Franco vd Merwe is another option here worth considering but his team Ulster will be in action in PRO12 semi final the weekend before the last camp, and the PRO12 final is on the weekend of the camp.
@ IAAS:
We have already established that JJE should not be even near the bulls so no need to rehash that.
I just dont buy that we will be stronger with combinations, at this stage DDA’s name is pretty much inked in, but jdj should not have to rely on that combination free ride, he has done very little this year except for one game against the Tahs.
That begs more questions, does he not get enough quality ball?
The only reason why their combination could work is purely because DDA has only played 2 test matches and Mapoe 0… so would be a gamble.
@ Nama:
Yes.
Look what Allister Coetzee is doing with the Stormers.
He is going with Groom and Cat.
Then pairing Schreuder with Coleman.
To me, combinations make sense. Or at the very least, players who complement each other. And that can settle into a good combination.
MacroBull wrote:
Hi MacroBull I know Serfontein is quite a fris oke, and some folk have been saying his play has become one dimensional BUT surely he is not that big and his play not so one dimensional that you propose him shifting to loosehead prop now
@ Bullscot:
hehe the Bulls are desperate 😉
13*
MacroBull wrote:
Hi MacroBull I know Serfontein is quite a fris oke, and some folk have been saying his play has become one dimensional BUT surely he is not that big and his play not so one dimensional that you propose him shifting to loosehead prop now?
@ Tassies:
Much like the Stormers where we don’t really have a quality SH, the same holds true for the Bokke at international level.
The fact that 4 of the 5 first choice franchise scrumhalves were invited to the Bok camps (only Sarel Pretorius were left out) is indicative of that fact.
Then you still have to keep in mind that guys like Jano Vermaak, Ruan Pienaar, FdP and even Louis Schreuder were in HM’s plans at one stage or another. And then there is of course Hougie as wing/scrumhalf.
That’s 9 scrumhalves right there and not one of them inspire confidence.
Oh, for the days of Bolla Conradie and Ricky Januarie.
86 @ MacroBull:
Ahh ok get it, sorry for the double posting, it looked on my side like my first one wasn’t going through, weird that it didn’t go off the posting side on my screen, then I took the face off and it went through and then I seen you had already answered I question I thought I was just asking, spooky stuff 😛
88 @ Nama:
Yes, the biggest problem i foresee is the lack of a quality scrumhalf, no one has managed to step up.
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