Being Meyer thread.....select the Bok team for Oz

the thing is having alberts and vermeulen in the same trio does give you some of the best ball carriers in world rugby but you cant pare them with a player like louw which for a opensider is way to slow and heavy. brussouw would have complimented vermeulen and alberts perfectly in my view but needless to say meyer burned that bridge with his rubbish selection policys a long time ago.

kolisi, louw and alberts might be my pic but without a brussouw there the rucks will still be a massive issue. at least they will have some toe and range on them in terms of the packs extension around the park. lappies for me is a massive player in terms of his skillset and to be fair i would pick him ahead of alberts but he is not in the squad...

the real trio for me would have been brussouw lappies and louw. where louw can act for what he is meant for that is playing more of a blindside role. louw is not a open sider period.

the rest of the team picks itself i will pick piet van zyl before schreuder though @ mike but your team looks the best that there could be

given the Boks poor travelling reocrd and just how well du preez went in sowetto, i would prob get du preez too, but not bakkies.

1 beast, 2 a strauss, 3 j du plesiss, 4 e ezebteh, 5 j kruger, 6 s kolisi, 7 m coetzee, 8 d vermeulen, 9 f du preez, 10 m steyn, 11 b habana, 12 JDV, 13 j serfontein, 14 jj englebrechet, 15 w le roux
16 bizzy, 17 l adriannse, 18 c oosthuizen, 19 f van der mewe, 20 w alberts, 21 p van zyl, 22 p lambie, 23 z krichner

didnt bother picking any players not in the squad, but IMO theres still enough talent in the squad to get the job done.
the Boks mobility will be really tested against the tasman countries, btu something tells me that meyer is going to paly it safe and play to the Boks strengths which will be uprfront power to set the platform for the Boks and any of there attacking opportunity which will be based on tactics of the fifa variety.

they could still do it though, but i doubt, wallabies at suncorp is a tough ask for any team and All blacks at eden park is another level up from that.

would never rule out the Boks, but wallabies by 15.

Both teams & coaches under pressure! This will make for a tough game. Boks should win scrims but will have a real hard time @ the breakdown because of the speed of oz loosies. 

Imo it will be a matter of who can impose there style of play. Like Sasuke, I hate to go against the Boks but oz @ home, I think the Boks will loose unless it rains like hell.

 I'd make wholesale changes for we can no longer live with Basson, Morne, Pienaar, Kruger and Alberts..........but neither will we progress by retaining Jean, Louw and Jannie. I see no point in playing du Preez who is only available for NZ and Oz at home........my side would be:

15. Willie 14. de Allende 13. JJ 12. Serfontein 11. Habana 10. Lambie 9. v/Zyl 1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Coenie 4. de Jager 5. Etzebeth 6. Brussouw 7. Elstadt 8. CJ Stander

16. Strauss 17. Nkanyne 18. Jannie 19. Jacques du Plessis 20. Kolisi 21. Reinach 22. Jean 23. Mvovo

 What's up with CJ Stander, I know he's playing footy in Ireland but is he also trying to qualify for Ireland?

Moz:  "I would commit all my financial reserves to get du Preez to play. Likewise Bakkies" Agreed - our success against NZ and OZ to a lesser extend depends on the availability of those 2. Those who try to predict that Bakkies will fail because of what happened to Guthro are not comparing apples with apples. Guthro was never a dangerous prop (that is why Jake White preferred Os du Randt). Bakkies was/still is(?) a player all other teams feared and he said recently that he is ready should Meyer need him.

On the selection of the loosies. It seems to me quite a few posters do not follow what happens in our current CC competition. Those who do will hopefully have noticed the decline in efficiency of Lappies (and Van der Walt) since Brussow left for Japan. Since their promotion, the Lions are again playing as a team and it is quite noticeable how Minnie has overshadowed his opposition. If the ABs can tolerate the penalties McCaw concedes, then we could do the same with Minnie. Any loosie worth his money will always play close to the offside rule and sometimes overstep that line.No matter who we select, we will have a problem with speed amongst the loosies. This will be solve only when Arno Botha is back.

I agree down the line. I have wondered for some time why Minnie doesn't get a shot....he is a hard man. If we are going to achieve an edge up front nice, industrious chaps like Coetzee have to be avoided. Coetzee isn't going to challenge McCaw....Minnie won't fail from lack of trying. Warriors are what we need.

For once i agree with Saffex here. Wholesale changes need to be made. Firstly we need a new coach. Meyer has had his chance and has proved totally deviod of any imagination and has shown no developemental skills in bringing younger players through. When we loose badly in the away tests i hope the heirachy get rid of him. Who is next and should be appointed is a whole new debate. If Quade was a Bok it would put a whole new meaning on the word 'toxic'.

15. Willie 14. Eberson 13. JJ 12. Serfontein 11. Habana (c) 10. Lambie 9. v/Zyl 1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Coenie 4. de Jager 5. Etzebeth 6. Lappies 7. Siya 8. Vermeulen

16. Strauss 17. Nkanyne 18. Kitshoff 19. Jacques du Plessis 20. Coetzeei 21. Reinach 22. Jean 23. Mvovo

I was going to read this thread, but I stopped at................

"...And Bakkies Botha has been playing club games - equivalent to CC games in SA - for the past two years......

to stay true to the name of the thread if i was meyer i would resign.....

to stay true to the name of the thread if i was meyer i would resign.....

 Just gota laugh when some okes leave JDV out of the team at the moment. What dont you okes get that he is our best fucken back!

1 Coenie

2 Bismarck

3 Jannie

4 Etzebeth

5 Bekker

6 Fourie

7 Alberts

8 Vermuelen

9 Du Preez

10 Steyn (who else right now. At least he can kick if nothing else)

11 Habana

12 De Villiers

13 Serfontein

14 Le Roux (only coz JP unavailable)

15 Ludik

16 Strauss

17 Coenie

18 Nyakane

19 Willemse

20 Louw

21 Kockett

22 Lambie

23 JJ

 Blikkies you make a point I have made before. Labbers andDe Jager have faded. Probably becasue Cheetahs play theit front line players into the ground. 

Right now were in a point in time where young players like Malherbe, Du Toit Jan Labbers, Reinach etc etc are not quite there but coming up fast. In 2014 some of thes yougsters will be ready amd will give imetus to the Boks.

A very god Bok side is emmeging. Meyer is blending in youth well. 

Muncher please resign yourself to studying rugby 101 page 2 - I am assuming some progess! 

Pooooie I seem to recall something about him wanting to play for Ireland. Its horrendous this player drain.

Vermeulen is doing us proud at 8 since his return. No way I would bring Stander in to replace him. That's just stupid ... Stupid!!

De Allende at 14 ... you gotta be kidding ... right???

Jean on the bench with JJ in the starting 15 .... ???

Coenie at tighthead ... ??? Elstadt our starting blindside flank??? Jacques Du Plessis on the bench.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Good one Stupid!!!

For a moment there I thought you were being serious!!!!

Ever thought of buying yourself a red nose??

Moz, Don't mind your team excepting for Pienaar and Alberts, won't even bench them pair. Like the idea of Bakkies even if only for a short stint.

 1. Beast

2. Bismarck

3. Jaanni

4. Etzebeth

5. De Jager

6. Brussow

7, Louw

8. Vemuelen

9. Du Preez

10. Steyn

11. Habana

12, De VIliers

13. Eberson

14. Le Roux

15. Lambie

16. Struss

17.Coenie

18. Lorens

18.  Alberts

19.  Labbaschagne

20. Pretorius

21.  Serfontein

22. Engelbreght

Well, that's my first post here. As an AB fan I used to post (more often read posts than post myself because it takes me a while to write in English) at abs.com but they banned them, then I went to Planet Rugby and the same (well, they didn't ban it but now you need to post through facebook, twitter or something like that and I don't have any account and won't make one for that). So that's one of the last places where it's possible to post (and read posts)about rugby and here I am. Greetings to everybody
About beeing Meyer and selecting the bok team, I would go with:

1. Oosthuizen, 2. Strauss/du Plessis (both are world class) 3. du Plessis
4. Etzebeth, 5. Bekker
6. Brussow (if he can't, Minnie) 7. Labuschagne, 8. van der Valt
9. Reinach 10. Steyn (Goosen when fit)
12. de Villiers 13. Serfontein
11. Habana 14. JJ Engelbrecht 15. le Roux

As all the people here I agree that Basson is not a test player and almost all would change JJ from center to the wing where his defense mistakes and missed tackles could be less significant. I don't like Morné at all but he's playing very solid this year's tests and untill Goosen is fit I would continue with him, Lambie has blocked his progress this year and doesn't provide anything better. Both Steyn and JdV won't continue beeing springbok in a long term but this year they are the solid base of the backline.
At scrumm-half, du Preez had a good match but he entered the field when the argies were totally broken so I don't see his performance as a reason to choose him. I would choose here a prospect for the future (RWC) and IMO there's no doubt that Cobus Reinach is the one.
The backrow seem to be the most controversial. In the last match the springbok loose trio was completely outplayed and as consecuence came the problems for the whole team. It's quite clear that they are just good ball carriers and nothing more. Their lack of mobility is a big issue, the boks need a trully openside flanker who fights the breakdowns as Brussow and if he's not available Minnie (impressive against bulls). The Cheetahs' backrow is IMO the best and the most equilibrate one.  Labuschagne has been (with Luatua) the best blindside of the SR comp by far and I think he deserves a chance. I'm sure he would take the opportunity as Luatua has taken. And van der Walt makes everything right, he reminds me Read.
 

welcome ABasquefan.....and i must say you started with a bang as well.....i would not mind that team at all....has great balance and skills not to sure about the 8th man there but the rest great team.

Abasquefan: welcome mate! 

There are about 5 of us Ab.com posters here. Some good rugby chat on here mixed in with some fun & idiocy, lol

 For the Aus / NZ away leg I would leave all of the French based players. It can't be good for the boks to have these guys fly to France and then week later fly to Aus and then start a test match 3 days later. Absolutely no way. I would tell the froggies that they can keep them until SA need them to prepare for the home games.

My team would be, Starting with an all sharks front row.

1.Beast
2. Bismark
3. Jannie

- Nkanja, Strauss, Coenie on the bench

4. Estebeth
5. Van Der Merwe

- Lock options are a bit bare need a specialist 5, Like the look of Lood, but to early to expose him to the Allblacks and Aussies

6. Coetzee
7. Kolisi
8. Vermeulen

- Alberts on the Bench, Louw is a foreigner to me, have to really pacy flankers to compete against hooper and co and Vermeulen to provide the grunt

9 Reinach,  Van Zyl on the bench
10 Lambie, Gambling on Jantjies

Chose the sharks combo

12 Serfontein
13 De Villiers

11 JJ
14 Mvovo
15 Willie

Back devision is a bit bare

I think with the right game plan, this team can do some real damage

Thanks carpetmuncher and just win.

@just win,
yeah, last days I've been reading some posts here, specially those about the bledisloe refs and there were some very funny talking about a conspiracy btwin the IRB, the saffa refs and the aussie refs to make the AB win (!!!!). Really funny.
I read also that you're in Germany with your wife, I hope everything goes right with her illness. Best regards for both of you from the basque country

 Abf: yeah, the blaming the refs thing is led by that leader of men beano1. He has a good sense of humor but problem is he is serious on the refs thing, lol

Are you in the fantasy rugby? You did really well in s15 comp!

wife is doing fine mate, thanks for asking.

1. Beast

2. Strauss

3. JdP

4. EE

5. Kruger

6. Brussow

7. Labuschagne

8. Vermuelen 

9. FdP

10. Morne

11. Habana

12. JDV

13. Ebersohn 

14. JJ

15. Willie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

16. Bismark

17. Coenie

18. Bekker

19. Kolisi

20. Alberts

21. Van Zyl

22. Serfontein

23. Lambie

@justwin,
yeah I'm in the Fantasy rugby, cannot miss it. But the Rugby Championship is not the comp where I give my best (?), last year I finised in the bottom of the table. I'm more a long round runner and the SR suits me better