Battle for Number 8

Mpower............... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+rugby+guru

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As the fellow in Blob’s second video, 4 posts above says….’he sometimes makes mistakes, he gets isolated’….as I noted.

And he says the Portuguese try came from a mistake ‘the ball got ripped’. ….as I noted.

I looked at the incident several times, because the player’s back was turned it’s hard to see exactly how the goose dislodged the ball…..but it didn’t just pop out of Rooos’ hands.

Looked at again….go frame by frame. Ball is in Roooos’ right hand…..the goose is focused on the ball…..as Roos goes down the ball is still in his right hand….next frame, still going down but the ball is going left, they are both looking left!. The Goose’s arm flies up.

It was a strip as he was falling. Every bit of body language from the Goose says strip…..the direction of the ball says strip.. ..Rooos’ head turn says strip….his right hand devoid of ball says strip…. the blogger says strip.

Case closed.

M take another look frame by frame…it’s easy given Blob posted the match. The ball is out long before Roos hits the deck. I’m not saying it’s a monster rip….but I do believe in the process of trying to fend the Goose, Roos was vulnerable to having it dislodged…and the Goose dislodged it.

I have now watched a number of matches Roos has played. Some of them were impressive, but in tests and the bigger club games, less impressive. He has started 4 times and come off the bench 3 times…his first match starting at 8th man was 2 years ago.

The opportunities have been there and he doesn’t cash in for some reason. But the Portuguese thing was a big set back. This was weak opposition….a guy like Savea would have ripped them apart from the base. And that’s the kind of opposition he has to match if he wants to replace Vermeulen.

He’s athletic, looks the part, but there’s something  missing. Face it, this seeing what we have in Louw would never be happening if Eluckmiss believes Roos is the real deal.

Hanekom impressed me most of the three…he still has to do it at test level, but impressed against some good teams. Nice civilized discussion M, despite my tongue in cheek stirring!

Not one of whom is currently in the league of Doris, Savea or Alldritt. Hell I’d even take Ben Earl before anybody on your list Dave.

Vermeulen leaves a huge hole.

He won’t get that from Eluckmiss….he is now in Deysel twin territory. The only guy who has the software is Hanekom. He sees the field. Kwagga will contribute more than the rest, even though physically he isn’t an 8th man. And Wiese is strong enough to perform the basics even if he adds nothing to creativity.

The rest are nice provincial players.

You heard it here first….stick with moz.

Wrong …..the Duds wouldn’t be playing, Kolisi wouldn’t be playing and Marx would be the starting hooker. Dud Toit is a small lock who plays a rover role carved out for him…he can’t fetch, he can’t break tackles, he can’t make open field tackles except on  sitting targets like Barrett in the WC final. Hopelessly overrated

As far as the newbies are concerned Libbok wouldn’t be playing, Rooos wouldn’t  be playing based on Portugal alone. Currently he is more hype than substance.

All Dud ever did was process tackling…in the final Barrett and Jordan gave him two sitting duck opportunities and he finally produced a few dominant tackles. More luck than skill. A blunt instrument only suited to a totally defensive game plan.

The test we lost against Ireland….7 runs for 10 metres no defenders beaten. Toothless. He only makes metres if he happens to get the ball in open space. He  can’t beat a defender for love or money and he is our designated ball carrier.   And you think Kwagga had a bad game!

More effective….a better lineout forward and a better reader of the game, which puts him in the right position more often. Witness the open side tackle against Ireland and then sprinting to the blindside and making a try saving tackle. Dud never makes that read.

Dud is the better runner, but still poor. Both of them should never be go to ball carriers.

Hanekom runs very good lines, which is why he is effective…Wiese has brute strength. We are missing a Vermeulen| Alberts type.

I have asked this before and got no response. What does Dud Toit do that rises above the ordinary, other than making lots of tackles  The floor is your’s Dave.

Roooos is in Deysel twin land.

Yes and I have answered that before….Ollivon is terrific on the deck…he is also a better ball carrier than Dud, Your  blindside is a toothless runner who can’t do anything with the ball, because for some reason you have decided that’s all one can expect. Nonsense a great blindsider can fetch, can open field tackle, can offload and can break tackles. Dud Toit can do none of those things.

As for Rooos I’d expect a junior Bok 8 to do well against Portugal. Rooos had an embarrassing outing. That’s why he’s gone, not because Eluckmiss has to ‘look at’ Louw.

Which is why Eluckmiss is looking at Louw….it’s you that’s being childish Dave. He had a poor game, but given the opposition he had a shocker.

Lost possession for a direct opposition try….got isolated which caused Arendse to get carded trying to protect him… in 12 runs he managed to beat 1 tackle? And the opposition was a team ranked 15th in the world. I’d call that a shocker.

Sorry to hear that…..perhaps that has affected his play in the last few months. Sounds like a rotator cuff issue….that’s a nasty recovery, several friends have had that procedure.

I’d agree with you Dave, but apparently it happened months almost a year ago. See you can see he’s carrying the left shoulder low