60% Niena - Does Rassie have the guts to fire his buddy

Here we are again. 5 test matches down so far and nearly at the halfway mark. It doesn't get easier from here on. 

3 out of 5 win Ratio. Threw the game against Wales, poor tactics and decisions against a very week all black team. 

We have a very poor record in Australia. If last year is anything to goo by we could be 3 out of 7. 

Maybe get a scalp against Argentina but they have shown how dangerous they can be.

Then no let up on the end of year tour. Ireland , France and England will all be looking to make a statement against the Boks before next year's world cup 

Agreed King....its really difficult to build up some hope for Boks in OZ, especially the way we are playing.....maybe if we can choose the right team and adapt our Gameplan, we can maybe win....I cant believe that Kriel and Dweba gets chosen again, but a Guy like Roos gets send home??? R&N has had plenty of time since they took over Coaching, and still it's the same Gameplan and oldies playing Stampkar, box kick 1 dimensional Rugby....with a win ratio of below 60%, I am amazed that they are not adapting and adding more to our style of Rugby....mediocre at best....but still they believe that there magical 1 gameplan, will give them Gold at WC 23....In my eyes this is ignorant and plain simple stupid 

0-3 can not happen as it would hurt SA rugby fragile ego.

What side will suffer from an outrageously biased refereeing in order to ensure a SA rugby win.

Worth a prediction thread.

Not worth a reply really.

No Rassie won't.

Kingcorn 

When Meyer and Coetzee failed you did not even mention them in postings.   However, now according to you everybody must be fired.    Get real please.  

Rassie doesn't have the balls to fire his useless captain ... how on earth is he going to muster up the courage to fire his mate?

Besides ... his mate is a "ja broer" ... any decent international coach won't allow him to boss them around like this.

Mike, Meyer was okay for the first 3 seasons and actually tried to play a more expansive game. We were ranked number 2 in the world against a very strong All Black team. Those games were really close. The problem with Meyer was his management and dependency on has been players. The wheels really fell off in his final year. Argentina + Japan. Players were just going through the motion and not selected on merit or game by game. 

I was never a fan of Coetzee and wanted him fired on day one. 

Looks like this coaching group is repeating the same mistakes as all of the other coaches before. 

That is why I am more vocal now than before. Time teaches us all a few lessons along the way. 

Just think for a moment, if the World Cup was tomorrow. Rassie will pick 13 players that finished the won the World Cup as his starting players. Of these 13, who is really inform and should be there. We still have a few games this season to create competition, but unfortunately we are carrying Vermeulen, Steyn and a couple of quotas too. Not to mention Kolisi who is currently the invisible man right now. 

Meyer did the same thing, Habana was hopelessly out of form and should have been dropped for a season or two

I don't buy into this nonsense of player roadmaps. Now all of sudden Fassi is not good enough and Moody has been promoted with only 1 year of senior rugby. What is the point of having him around when we have way better wingers that are performing ahead of him

Rhule, Leyds, Tambwe, Nkosi to name a few. They may be a bit older but have the experience and in sublime form

One game was forgotten: Italy vs SA rugby

So this could be 1-3

That was under Coetzee, Meyer fucked up big time. Although, he was trying to move away from big forward play and play a more of an attacking brand of rugby. He did have a point that SA no longer have the biggest players and that the rest of the world caught up. 

There is much weight difference in our packs compared to other international teams. We've even been lighter in some games. 

Rassie brought back that aura, but it is an illusion. 

Yeah, so Meyer nose dive by selecting Matfield , but then again. If you look at the players he brought through are still playing today. 

Pollard, Kriel, Etzebeth, D

That was under Coetzee, Meyer fucked up big time. Although, he was trying to move away from big forward play and play a more of an attacking brand of rugby. He did have a point that SA no longer have the biggest players and that the rest of the world caught up. 

There is much weight difference in our packs compared to other international teams. We've even been lighter in some games. 

Rassie brought back that aura, but it is an illusion. 

Yeah, so Meyer nose dive by selecting Matfield , but then again. If you look at the players he brought through are still playing today. 

Pollard, Kriel, Etzebeth, D

Meyer had oodles of talent at his disposal but he preferred the elderly.

He was a deluded fool living in the past ... thinking that he could bring back the Bulls' glory days of 5 years back.

He threw away talent like Brussow and Stander and retained guys like Matfield, Bakkies, Du Preez and Jaque Fourie who were all way past their best.

He had a golden opportunity to bring the mighty Bok back and to challenge what I would rate as the greatest team ever to play rugby ... the All Blacks under Graham Henry.

Instead he went down to the Japanese and embarrassed the whole country.

He was weak and couldn't control Matfield who ruled the roost.

I will never in my life forget the match where Bakkies was running flat out with the ball and Willie was jogging next to him asking for the ball.

Meyer put us back 5 years and was the start of our constant regression.

He did us no favours.

I hated his arrogance and refusal to take advice.

Simply useless ... worst coach in Bok history in my opinion.

I would have liked to see Rohan Janse van Rensburg at 12.

I was a fan of his from the very first time I saw him play for the Lions. 

The only thing I have against him is that he doesn't have a kicking game. 

Still ... he'd be my choice at 12.

CC, stop talking KAK

Why on earth would we want a 12 like RJVR that can;

hit gaps

run through players

defend like a trojan

put players in space

off-load in the tackle

read the game

always run support lines

can switch to 13 if needed

It makes no sense to have a 12 like that when we can have DDA for another 5 years.

haha it makes me wanna cry!

Hmmmmmmmmmm ... you have a point there, Plum.

I take it back ... lets keep De Lindy.

He's the best 12 in rugby today ... right Stupid??  

At least Saffex conceded that Willemse should replace DDA.

We got that much

Lol

DDA will probably still be kicking grubbers for the Boks when he is 47

Did hell freeze over? Not often we get Saffex to change his mind. 

Well, not sure if Willemstad is the answer at 12, but just show a 12 thar can pass is better than donkey de Allende. Willemstad is a 10, being moved around all over the place but he is probably our best 10. 

Why not try a back line of 

9 Hendricks, 

10 Willemse 

11 kolbe

12 Esterhuizen 

13 Am 

14 Nkosi 

15 Gelant. 

6 players of colour in the back line. 

Should allow us to pick our best pack by starting Kitshoff, Marx, Du toit. 

Shift Peter Steph do the bench 

6 Kwagga, 

7 Louw

8 Roos. 

With Etzebeth and Lood in the engine room. 

Funny, I also thought of him as. 10. He has never been given a proper run there. Every other game at 10 isn't helping the man settle. 

I don't like Esterhuizen at all. He's just another De Lindy in my opinion.

How about Pollard at 12?

Also, little Kolbe is a wizard. He can tear you a new one ... especially if he has space ... and that's why I'd chalk him up at 15. 

Willemse had a bit of happy feet syndrome, very illusive runner and tried in the early stages to run around teams. He burst onto the scene running in tries, but he soon got shut down as teams start to realise how he plays. 

Even at full back, he would always have the ball in two hand, but jump in the air and try to step. You knew that he was never going to pass and so you could put 2 or 3 players on him. 

Players around him didn't know what he was doing. Nothing like Smith or Muanga that can move in small space and get the ball away. 

He has only recently started to arc his runs, run into space, draw the defence and pass. I would even say his passing I better than Pollards. Goal kicking still needs work but excellent out of hand. 

Libbok is the form 10, but he loses the ball way too many times in contact. No sure about his defence. 

So for me Willemse is nearly there as a 10 and can take over from Pollard. 

I wouldn't mind seeing this backline after the WC.

 9. Hendrikse (Jay)

10. Hendrikse ( Jor)

11. Zas or Moodie

12. Willemse

13. Am

14. Kolbe

15. Arendse

Means we don't have to field the Ories and Moerats and can start out best front row.

Pity Zas is/was injured. 

Ja, Zas had a real break out season and looked to have bulked a bit. Small backline though, so no really breakers. Not sold on Jordan Hendrikse, to inconsistent or probably playing for the Lions doesn't help. Maybe should go to the sharks with his brother and maybe the two of them can be the next brother combo for the boys. 

Although, Moodie has some good height on him, but apparently he is actually a 13. White just roped him in on the wing. So could have an AM replacement if we don't play him for too long on the wing.