Bok contenders

This is a look at what we have. I will only include realistic choices and not the broader group.

Fullback: Willie, Coetzee & Jessie Kriel

Wings: Habana, JP, Senatla, Combrink, Sithole, Rhule, Kolbe & v/Wyk

Centres: de Allende, JJ, Mapoe, Vorster, Odendaal, Serfontein, Frans Steyn & Frans Venter

Flyhalves: Pollard, Jantjies, Goosen & Lambie

Scrumhalves: Hougaard, Faf de Klerk & Reinach

Props: Coenie, Beast, Jannie, Koch, Marcel v/d Merwe, Malherbe, Kitshoff, Thomas du Toit & Nyakane

Hookers: Bismark, Scara, Ackers & Strauss

Locks: Etzebeth, Willemse, PSDT, Lood, Jacques du Plessis, Lewies & Ruan Botha

Loosies: Vermeulen, Kolisi, Carr, Whiteley, Kriel, Brussouw, Arno Botha, CJ Stander, Labascagne, Mtembu, Elstadt, Coetzee & v/d Walt

Choose the best 31 from this group and we have the WC in the bag.

Fuck you really are stupid.......not only is that a good team, but apart from that.......my list contained 50 odd players of which a good few would not make the WC 31......and of the 31 selected only 15 take to the field you profoundly stupid idiot.

Would my starting 15 contain any in your team above.......yes, Marcel, Hougaard and possibly JP.......would I be happy with any of those players in my squad of 31, damn right I would as all are good enough to play test rugby.

You get it yet you idiot?

That is an awful team Truth constructed out of your list. In my view a team that would lose heavily to any of the other top 6 nations. You apparently dont agree Dave and there is the nub of the disagreement.

You think that almost any of our S15 players can make the grade....hell you selected basically 4 teams there, 80% of our S15 starters. But on average these teams struggle to beat the a good NZ S15 team. So how do they beat the best 15 ABs?

The answer is they dont.

The alternative view is there are 15 special players among the 60 you have selected. Players that have already proven themselves at test level....players who tend to keep their place until somebody clearly better arrives. 

It's the conflict of anybody can do it vs so me players are special. But it's a conflict resolved long ago....Rudolph vs Jake.....WCs are won by established teams.

What that idiot picked up from my list was what he perceived to be a weak side and shock shock Moz thought the same.......that is because useless players like Matfield, Morne and de Jongh are not in there.

Every player I mention above is test standard....the art is finding the best 15 from that list, not coming up with what that idiot Troooof came up and implying that I'd be taking on NZ with that side.

I'll help you Troof........my starting 15 and bench would be:

15. Willie 14. Jessie Kriel 13. de Allende 12. Serfontein 11. Senatla 10. Pollard 9. Hougaard 1. Kitshoff 2. Bismark 3. Ma rcel v/d Merwe 4. Willemse 5. Etzebeth 6. Coetzee 7. PSDT 8. Vermeulen (c)

16. Strauss 17. Beast 18. Malherbe 19. Jacques du Plessis 19. Arno Botha 20. Faf 21. Jantjies 23. Vorster

Well I am not going to drop Willie for Kriel and given Kriel has played on the wing, it makes sense I play him there as he is a must for the starting side.

I'd be happy with Kriel at 6

Mapoe has been good, but the likes of Serfontein and Vorster are better.

I am past Habana and JP, they are past it.

On form, I'd be tempted to start Faf at 9.......but Hougaard is my man. 

Ok here goes:

15. Willie 14. Sithole 13. de Allende 12. Serfontein 11. Senatla 10. Jantjies 9. Hougaard 1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Marcel 4. Willemse 5. Etzebeth 6. Kolisi 7. PSDT 8. Vermeulen

16. Strauss 17. Kitshoff 18. Nyakane 19. du Plessis 20. Carr 21. Faf 22. Pollard 23. Mapoe

I've gone one better with 8 players of colour......but would have been just as happy with Kolbe, Rhule, Mnisi, Paige, Scara, Habana, JP, Mvovo, Mbonambi or Mtembu in the mix. 

I don't select sides based on combinations, I select the best 15.......the best generally are the best because they are mentally tough.

One thing I would never do is select the likes of say Matfield just for experience sake or mental toughness.....he might have all that, but is a liability as a player  

de Jongh was fucking useless against England......went AWOL as he was way out of his depth.

He has done nothing all S15 in a winning side, why on earth would that change at a higher level huh?

The guy is physically not up to test rugby.....you cant have a little squirt trying to stop rampant test players head on, or expect him to impose his little frame on attack.

Most of test rugby is played in traffic, not wide open spaces seen in S15 rugby.......catch a bloody wake up. de Jongh is a joke.......talented little player who is just far too small to play test rugby. Would get tossed about like a little rag doll.

He was a disgrace against England........exposed for what he really is.......a little guy out of his depth. 87kg does not wash as a test 13, he is 10kg too light......its not even marginal......even clueless Meyer knows that 

There are a good few players in form that are hard to ignore......Coetzee, Jessie Kriel, Sithole, Combrink, de Allende, Vorster, Odendaal, Frans Venter, Mapoe, Jantjies, Faf, Kitshoff, Malherbe, Marcel v/d Merwe, Koch, Ackers, Jacques du Plessis, Ruan Botha (before his injury) Kolisi, Carr, Kriel and Whiteley  

As for lock, I think we have greater depth than ever.......I am a big fan of Etzebeth, Willemse, PSDT, Lood, du Plessis, Botha, Jean Kleyn and Lewies......sadly a few are injured and Meyer has ignorantly let Willemse slip his net.

I see Lestat is still bumbling along with his pathetically ignorant takes on players......what a yawn

As for Kriel having lost form, crap he has not......its more about the Bulls as a whole who have dipped in form.

Kriel has proved his class and needs investment, but our stupid coach will miss the boat.

Every player misses tackles, so the fact that AC beat Mapoe means stuff all. de Jongh gets owned in that fashion on a regular basis.

I would not start Mapoe at 13, but he would definitely feature as a true possibility.

My 3 centres would be 12. Serfontein, 13. de Allende and Vorster on the bench