Bok Team for 2nd Arg Test

15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 78 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 5pts (1t)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 55 caps, 60 pts (12t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 65 caps, 45 pts, (9t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 32 caps, 110 pts (22t)
10 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 77 caps, 156 pts (11t, 10c, 24p, 3d)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) – 9 caps, 10 pts (2t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 17 caps, 0 pts
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 63 caps, 15 pts (3t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 70 caps, 35 pts (7t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 63 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 105 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 53 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 54 caps, 65 pts (13t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 66 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 51 caps, 55 pts (11t)
17 – Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks) – 14 caps, 0 pts
18 – Vincent Koch (Wasps) – 36 caps, 0 pts
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 58 caps, 10 pts (2t)
20 – Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 64 caps, 15 pts (3t)
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 26 caps, 15 pts (3t)
22 – Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles) – 41 caps, 25 pts (5t)
23 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 5 pts (1t)

I think this team was pre-selected way before when. Maybe just at 10 probably the only bit they did not plan for. 

Just hope Fat Frans can play the entire game as there is no-one else to cover. 

Only 2 backs, again?!!!

Saffex, you must have remembered Any Goode, English player that kept coming back to the premiership, out of shape, but still managed to play a full game and have an impact. The commentators even joked that he 'retired' just to miss pre-season training. 

If Frans can make his kicks, defend his channel and get his passes away without an intercept I think we will be okay. 

But it doesn't look like a team that is after bonus points. Will have to see what happens in the wobbly game

Go Fransie !

I agree Goode was shit, but all he could do is kick, and kick very well, but watch this. Its hilarious 

My comment is that attacks in the channel by the Argentinians will expose Steyn's defense and he has no idea about strategic kicking and less about getting backline attacks going.    I am sorry - but Steyn is a liability at flyhalf and a bad one at that.    Remember that incident in the WC Final when the English was attacking and loss ball possession =- there was a 3 player overlap outside of him and he kicked the ball downfield straight to where  an English player was and started a counter-attack stopped by Du Toit.    That is typical Steyn play - slow thinking and poor execution. .    

I think this will be Vermeulen's final game in the Green and Gold and a fitting reward for his service to the Springboks.

Fransie I think still has quite a few games to go before he receives his reward.

Who else can they rely on to fill most if not all positions in the backline.

Certainly not the WP flyhalf.

I for one hope it is the last game for Vermeulen and Frans. Love both of these players, wish Frans had less of an ego way back when and didn't chase a pay cheque in France. Vermeulen is another player that got left out in the cold for many years before being selected of the boks. Exactly the same thing that is happening to Roos. 

It would be a crime if Roos doesn't make it to the World Cup. 

We need to get some youngster in with enough games. 

Hendrikse is coming into his own and will be at 10 caps soon, Moody already got 2. but I would prefer that almost all players have at least 10 caps before the World Cup. 

But we are taking some pensioners with us this time. 

but Steyn is a liability at flyhalf and a bad one at that.

So many comments playing scary scary games about a player who is going to fill a position that has no strategical importance in SA rugby schemings.

One could think that people from empoverished SA have other urgent matters than making up issues.

This, though, gives an angle to watch the game and size up how much of a liability this player is going to be.

This player's performances will be scrutinized.

Trad, you are right, the boks don't allow their 10s to be playmaker, rather kick wide or kick it down the line. Let the scrum half decide what to do with the ball, which is kick first 

And Dud Toit comes back to provide his usual blend of missed lineout balls, botched fetching attempts, one metre runs, process tackles…..and daft loafing out on the wing. What a pain!

If we have to rely on Willemse as the kicker at #10 in WC games we are going to go down.

He might be a good player at #15 but great he is not at #10.

Just look at his kicks in the last game against the Pumas.

We need Pollard at #10 and one of the young players either from the Lions or the Junior Boks asap.

That player must go on the EOTY tour and get the feel of the Springbok play and understanding,

The sooner the better.

SSDD....what will be interesting to see is how R&N will instruct Frans to play on Sat and How long will he last?.....After him it will most Probably be willie taken over that role...Jesse " Lost " Kriel does nothing special and even struggles doing the basic things.....well actually it doesn't really Matter, as our Backline is actually just extra loose Forwards...prone to crash it up and form rucks, hunting for the Penalties....with Duh Allendig the top crash Baller in the world....not something to be proud of.

One little story - Willemse converted the kick that won the Springboks the first test in this series against the AB's from wide out.  He can kick  at goal - but had an off day in the last test against Argentina.      

Hopefully du Toit can match Mostert's MOM game last week , 17 tackles & definitely no time for pirouetting outside wingers for our Franco.

well actually it doesn't really Matter, as our Backline is actually just extra loose Forwards

Agreed.

I agree with you Saffex, we need dominant forwards that can knock players back. It help swings the momentum and force attacks to go deeper and try to go around the tackler. Mostert just flops all over the place, looks very busy but is he really effective. 

PSDT has his problems but if he was that bad, how on earth did he get the player of the year for a number 7. Injuries make very hard for players to hit that level of performance. So many great players like Carter had their own off games after coming back from injuries. 

But we should just ask is the worst of PDST better than Louw or Mostert or any other seven. 

Hopefully he will be full fit and we will see a better performance. 

Really big pack of forwards that was picked. All our tall timber is over 125 kgs, you have Marx, Kittshoff and Belly Flop Malherbe. Not to mention Wiese and Wee Kolisi as the smallest players. 

Going to be a grinding battle up front, not sure the Bargies will be ready for this. But with the likes of Arendse on the bench, could see the game open up like it did last week towards the end. 

It is not fool proof and if the intensity is not there it can seriously backfire. Bargies can manage, but can they managed it the whole game. 

The ABs coped really well in the 2nd test, but that was because we had players coming off early due to poor selections. All the players seem to be fit and shouldn't come off until the 55th minute. 

Just hope the early injury Gods stay away and we can win with a bonus point. But will have to see what happens in the morning between Aus and NZ

Wrong question Corn we should be asking if the best of Dud Toit is equal to the worst of Mostert. 

Mostert’s record as a starting Bok, 22 won 9 lost. Dud Toit’s record as a starting Bok since Mostert started….ie over exactly the same period… Boks  won 18 lost 14. Is there any Bok in recent years who has a better winning record?

So history says when Dud Toit starts we win 56% of the time…..when Mostert starts we win 71% of the time. Statistically that’s a significant difference. Why….basically while Dud is show boating and in the wrong place most of the time, Mostert plays relentlessly to the ball.

The Boks are better when Mostert starts.

Himmel - m friend Mozart still continue with promoting Mostert when effectively he is a dud unable to play as either a loosie or a lock.    And then he tals about when Du Toit starts in tests  the Springboks win less tests than when Mostert starts.   Utter BS - since rugby is a team sport and individual contributions can add value only and tests can still be lost despite positive contributions by some players.    You can only blame in dividual players when they effectively buggered up badly and cause losses.

Mostert was dropped from the starting line-up when he buggered up badly in the WC match against the AB's effectively by missing a tackle that directly resulted in the scoring of a try by the AB's.   The Springboks could have won the test was it not for that try.    His dropping from the starting line-up was fully justified.     When he came on in the final he was the one player that did not meet requirements and buggered up totally an excellent try scoring opportunity by the Springboks just before halftime.

Mostert does not have the physicality to compete in breakdown ball protection and recovery - neither is he used in lineouts anymore because he is physically deficient.    His tackles  are weak with tackled players going forward and he routinely has to get other players to assist him in tackling of players.    His open field tackles are basically non-existent.

With Mostert on as a loosie and Steyn around - the Springbok defense in the channel will evaporate and I do think that will cause a loss by the Springboks.                 

Frans has only enough gas for half the game. We've seen it for awhile now at the Cheetahs. 

It’s a team game….but if an individual can’t make a difference, why are you carping about Mostert? Of course an individual makes a difference. Mostert makes the Boks a more winning team because of the aggregate of positive things he does in a game….many of which fans don’t even register.

If an individual do make a real contribution it is obviously important and must be recognized.   What is Mostert's real contribution?   Outside of "process tackles"   his contribution is ZERO.   Tackles made by him are weak - with players going forward in tackles and without tackle assistance by other players - are worthless,    He is incapable to make open field tackles anyway - a number of incidents in matches proved it conclusively - attacking players just ran through his tackles and that is why Mostert is basically a backup player that should in fact should have been  replaced by a more capable player.     

No ball protection and recovery at breakdowns (he is just pushed away easily even by backline players -  and harmless in line-outs makes Mostert not a useful loosie and a total wreck as a lock.