Thanks Dave
I said intitially that Du Toit would be captain in this test - as per normal my comments were 100% correct.
I think that Esterhuizen is in the squad to give him another chance on test level - but I think his selection would kill the backline.
By the way Gooen had a brilliant game against Leinster and I think he is also available as a backup flyhalf when needed by the Springboks.
Ja Maaik...you predicted his captaincy for this match...I'm surprised he picked a overseas player as a once off captain...but I'm really glad for PSDT.
Clearly Erasmus really rates Mostert. Hendrikse at 10 is an interesting call, I hope he plays a bit with Williams. And Esterhozen is a massive step up on Dud.
Dave I burst out laughing reading your idea of Esterhozen outside Dud. Put the best offloading center outside a center who doesn’t offload…brilliant!
Obviously the genius totally disagrees with you on Mostert.
Grow up, stop behaving like a stink drolletjie.
In Erastopia all a 13 needs to do is rush up quickly on the opposing 13….clearly not Esterhozen’s long suit. And as we saw with Mo’unga embarrassing Dud, we can’t rely on Dud’s instincts at 13.
Really good team, as per usual. I have some questions on certain players but glad to see that he didn't pick 14 rookies like he did in the past.
Marx is a risk given that this is his first game in 9 months and wonder whether they are rushing him. I would let him join the end of year tour and allow him more time to recover. Probably don't rate Dwebe.
Hendrikse hardly played at 10 for the lions and will now sit behind Masuka at the sharks, but he showed some good form the the lions and versatility. Apparently he is a better kicker than Libbok.
Mpimpi is questionable and probably don't need him at all but with all our front line wingers injured we probably need the experience
I see the Welsh team in it’s entirety has one less Cap than Etzebeth…….
Dave did you watch Snyman against Glasgow ?
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Lood with his arms tied behind his back is better than fucking useless Mostert
You can't tie Lood's arms behind his back, his shoulders will pop out.
Dave
What about ball protection and recovery by he players - where Mostert is not a factor at all. He has never turned over ball possssion by the Springboks in such cases because even backline players pushed him off the ball and that cause ball loses by the Springboks.
That deficiency to my mind is the worst component of Mostert during test games and show up his deficiency as a Tight five player especially.
As to Esterhuizen I think maybe I am prejudiced against him - but it goes abck to 2014 when he caused the loss off the Under 20 final by knocking on a ball with an open tryline ahead of him. That caused he SA under 20 to lose the final with a 1 point difference. I also saw him playing for the Sharks subsequently and he certainly was not a house on fire. I have not seen much of Esterhuizen in subsequent yars and where he played in the Wales test in 2018 he made meters in ball carries - but at the end of each carry he lost possession of the ball and the Springboks were put on the back foot.
However, I accept that playing in the UK in matchs I neve watched he may be better than I think he really is and accept your opinion on him at present.
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So you have been telling us Esterhozen is useless….but you haven’t watched him play one club game up north. As for the nonsense about Mostert being useless in the rucks. He is the first player to the ball time and time again. And show me a lock that powers through the rucks. Dud Toit certainly doesn’t, and as a flank never, ever, turns over a ball
Shit from Mozart - Mostert may be first at breakdowns and that is where he is pushed out of rucks by backline players. When Mostert make tackles opponents go forward - when good forward tight 5 members defend the opposing player carrying the ball does not go forward - in the case of Mostert they do - making it easier to recover balls from them.
There is a huge difference between Du Toit and Mostert - Du Toit is a key player with ball sense and have contributed to SA winning the 2019 and 2023 WC's. In 2019 he was Player of he Year and in 2023 the final match Player of the Match. So show me the difference - Mostert at best is a fringe player for the Springboks and the best he can do is to be somwtimes on the bench.
By the way I do not watch club matches in the NH regularly unless it involves SA teams. There is one thing I believe in and that is there are differences between playing in club matches and in tests. There are many examples where players do well on club level an fail on test level.
In the case of his test the Welsh team is not the strongest one around - so selection of Mostert is not based on performances to be expected from him when tests are played against top international teams. Fact is I think Mostert will by the end of this season be out of contention for test team selection.
Players going forward in tackles is the most normal thing in rugby.