As much as I support Whitely.

JLDP, DDP and Roelof Smit need to be brought into the fold.

Whitley and Duane are constantly injured and unavailable. 

Looking at how the Boks want to play, I would suggest the above three guys will make solid additions to the side. All big strong ball carriers and despite popular belief, they're all smart players with excellent defence and attacking mindsets. 

The finishing touch that was missed on Saturday was the offload in the tackle. It came off once when "Destiny's Child Allende" scored, but the amount if times they got across the advantage line should have seen them off load to a support runner a little more. That's where both the DPs excell. Both the brothers are also smart in their running game. They vary between crashing into the line but are also amongst the few large SA forwards that can step.

Roelof Smit is 100% wrecker. He's flying under the radar at the Bulls presently and only few of us have noticed him. Something about him says "Bok Captain" to me. I know, it's Monday madness

https:// youtube.com/watch?v=3vshzWln4GI

Jean-Luc was given a raw deal. He should be 3rd choice 8. Vastly superior to Notshe. Maybe we can have a specialist augment his pigments. Creative a narrative to alter his family history like the Arabs who are not the Philistines of Crete. We could create a loop hole for the whities. 

Indeed Aug.

We need to stop fucking around at 8.

Get two young monsters in there. And give them a license to kill.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7YhTZu1Tb3A

That is an 8.

That song! It still burns to this day!! 

Something I don't like about Rassie are the constant changes. A player will do well, then be dropped for no reason. We'll either see a player who will fail, or a player who has failed before come into the fold. He'll have a run, then the change back. I think Rassie has come to his senses and then back to the failure for a big game.

The likes of JL and André have done nothing to deserve demotion. Those who replaced them have been shamefully inadequate of a Bok cap. If we are to be successful and dominate test rugby, we cannot afford to be hamstrung by passengers. When Hansen was speaking abut us not having our best players on the field. I guarantee he wasn't only speaking of quotas. They known very well who our weak points are. If they can evaluate their payers so well, pick out their flaws, they are doing the same with our payers too. However, they won't point it out publicly. Before the Aussie test in 2015, Cheika gushed over Damian, then sent runners down his throat all game and it worked. We fall for flattery every time. 

Plum

I have similar problems with Whiteley and Vermeulen.   

Although not generally known in SA Vermeulen had a very torrid time injury wise when on contract by Toulon -  he was out of the game for long periods in 2016  and 2017.   Matter of fact the neck injury to Vermeulen in 2015 had a serious negative impact on his subsequent performances.

Even though Vermeulen  was extremely good in the first two English test - he complained after the second test of aches and pains and then he was average to poor in the third test.   He then went off to Japan and skipped the RC tests.   Did he suffer from any injuries negating his playing of rugby after the English series - if he did it was not publicly known.

The problem is that Vermeulen is already 33 years old and when the WC next year came along he will be 34 years old.   Can his battered body take the punishment involved?  I doubt it very much.   In WC events the team must play up to seven consequent tests in seven weeks time - yet in June Vermeulen could really last only two tests in two weeks and then went out with a whimper.  Those are all bad signs pertaining to continuation with Vermeulen.

As to  Whiteley - a guy who punch above his weight - I am very worried about th nature of his recent injuries,  Groin injuries are often career-ending and he was off for months with a groin injury.   It may be a gamble to continue with him under such circumstances.

I think that some players have damage their own selection chances substantially when given an opportunity to prove themselves on test level - in this regard I refer to the Du Preez twins in particular.   They seem to have the physique - but lack in performance and skills.   I am not saying the two should not get further chances.   

Roelof Smit is not a no 8 and I do not think he will be the right guy for that position as well.   Looking at potential - my own selections in order of merit would be -

  *   Juarno Augustus of the Stormers;

  *   the Du Preez twins; and

  *   Ackerman            

Jean-Luc wasn't bad at a all. To be sure, he has produced far better than many of the media darlings who have done little to nothing. 

AO

Are onto his normal repetitive BS - so ignore his comments as a normal attack of prejudice and BS stemming from rank ignorance.

It does not deal with the real problem relating to selection of loosies - definitely not with the topic under discussion.         

His latest contribution on Jean-Luc du Preez is typical.  He has I agreed not done much in the case of his performance on test level and then got injured.  Nobody really knows whether he  will be able to step up to test level, But that is a gamble to take.    

@Plum

Blow me to pieces!!! What a brilliant performance by Jean-Luc in that video. There should be absolutely no doubt that he should be our 8 or at least the runner-up to Duane.... like Duane played against the Pommies.

Mike

You're punting Augustus, which i have problem with in principle, provided that he at least has a season of SR under his belt and does well enough there to warrant a further look at him. Right now we're rating him on his u21 and CC performances. Not dieal really, is it?

JL has not done much wrong and despite only having a few boks caps never looked out of place, even for a moment.

And lets remember that he got his caps under Coetzee...under which not a single play did well.

Roelof Smit, is quick and would fit what the Boks seem to be trying to do. Also loves a steal, somehting only Marx is capable of at present. He 's certainly physical enough and is another smart player. He got a lot more of what the Boks need than most others.

Perspective Mike.

JL du Preez was given a test start and a bench selection in the first two English tests.  problem was he played both at 7 and  was substandard in both cases - even worse than Louw and that take some doing.   It is a cruel world out there and I think that he may have chances in future.

I followed players from there Junior years and Du Preez was good in the Under 20 WC -  I am not sure whether it is JL or Dan who got injured before the tournament and did not go with the team.   I think it was in fact J-L.   There wer however, signs of ball skills deficiency.

As to Augustus he was still very young when he went to the WC and was by some distance the best loosie I have ever seen playing on that level.   He was phenominal and it was not surprising that he was the top try scorer in the tournament.   He was only 19 at the time.  he was very much better than Du Preez in the  WC series.

He is built like  battle tank and strong as an ox - with two very good other features - 

*   he has pace;

*   he has very good ball skills;

*   he has ball sense.

Where I disagreed with the Stormers were that they played Carr at 8 instead of Augustus.   That left a gap in his development as a player up to Super Rugby level.   Carr is gone now and we will see plenty of Augustus in the upcoming SR series.  I have no doubt from what I have seen from him in the CC this year - he is going places as a player.

By the way I think that Smit is a good opensider - but whether he can handle the 8 position is a totally different matter.      

Awesome!

Tx Plum....