bOK VS bARBARIAS ...

TEAMS

South Africa: Jesse Kriel, Sergeal Petersen, Francois Venter, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Jamba Ulengo, Pat Lambie (captain), Rudy Paige, Nizaam Carr, Teboho Mohoje, Roelof Smit, Pieter-Steph du Toit, RG Snyman, Lourens Adriaanse, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Lizo Gqoboka, Trevor Nyakane, Eben Etzebeth, Jean-luc du Preez, Piet van Zyl, Tian Schoeman, Ruan Combrinck.

Barbarians: Melani Nanai, Matt Faddes, Seta Tamanivalu, Richard Buckman, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Robert du Preez, Andy Ellis (captain), Luke Whitelock, Jordan Taufua, Brad Shields, Michael Fatialofa, Martin Muller, Paddy Ryan, Akker van der Merwe, Reggie Goodes. Reserves: Andrew Ready, Schalk van der Merwe, Toby Smith, Sam Carter, Ruan Ackermann, Nic Stirzaker, Richie Mo'unga, Luke Morahan

 Must say ... I'm liking the look of the Boks side. Especially the backline

Agreed CC, there could be some real fireworks on Saturday. Unfortunately, they will still have been coached by Coetzee and company, so any flair will probably be well and truly squashed. Also, this team will have had very little time together which will probably also result in them playing poorly....which a few naysayers will no doubt pounce on. 

 And they have Paige as scrummie - which is an immediate jeopardy of the backline.   I am just worried about the loosie combination.  

 And they have Paige as scrummie - which is an immediate jeopardy of the backline.   I am just worried about the loosie combination.  

 Well to be fair on Paige, Mike ... he has a crisp pass and his service is quick from the back of the ruck. He doesn't try stupid things and as long as he gets the basics right he has my thumbs up.
Also ... unlike HouGat, I haven't seen a single two bounce pass from him yet.
I don't believe he weakens the back line at all.

I think Paige was and still is a poor player, unfortunately picked up to fill some quotas. Shaun Venter, his opposite number in the CC final, was 10x better than him (and he's not even selected). also, only thing Paige does quite well is looking at the big screen hahah...he thinks he'a a greek god or something!

 Q, Faf has gone off his rocker a bit lately. I'm no fan of Rudy, but he's not exactly worse than any of the other 9's...bar Venter. IMO Shaun was the best 9 x far in the CC...but the Cheeters played running rugby exclusively and we haven't seen much of his kicking game. A 9 needs to have a decent kicking game in test rugby...probably why he's not in the team.Having said that, I would have picked him in my squad and would have given him game time against the  Baba's at least. I'll pick him ahead of Van Zyl any day of the week and ...

 My problem with Paige is he is to my mind too often away from the action and turn up a bit late.   That shows a lack of ball sense - something a scrummy should have.
However, we have scrummie problems and even for the Bulls Van Zyl is preferred to Paige - who more often than not is on the Bulls bench.
I am a bit worried about Faf as well and the fact that Reinach could ultimately solve the problem.   I do rate Venter of the Cheetahs ahead of most of the other scrummies s - my problem with him is that he is not good enough under pressure.   He had none in the CC games this year.
I think we will have to wait until Super Rugby next year before real candidates would emerge.   
The problem scenario is that Meyer buggered up and did not allow for any potential candidates to come through in his four years as coach and stuck with the pedestrian Pienaar and sometimes he had Du Preez available - but the latter was more off with injuries than he was available to play.   So we would have to wait and see over the next 18 months how the scrummie situation develops.    

Reinach.......bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha.....they just drone on and on about these proven failures.

Rudy Pages does the basics of scrumhalf play to a decent standard. 
He has good pass and a kicking game. He offers little with ball in hand play or defence- but he will at least be a reliable- unlike the bumbling Hougaard who started the Springbok decline in the 2014 year end tour. A scrumhalf needs to be decisive at the ruck when clearing. It should be one movement. 
 It will be good to see how the centres go. If one of them does well- they will surely be on the bench for the England test. 

" He has good pass and a kicking game. He offers little with ball in hand play or defence- but he will at least be a reliable- unlike the bumbling Hougaard who started the Springbok decline in the 2015 year end tour."
There was no 2015 year end tour.....

?

 Of course my preferences would have been to see Shaun Venter at 9 but for some reason he never made the squad. Still rather puzzled about that.
I suppose it's the same with Mbonambi's selection. It doesn't make any sense ... especially when you have better players of colour available in the same position.
There were a few deserving players left out.
Any way, I'm pleased for guys like Sergeal, Franscois Venter (about friggin time), Rohan and of course Jamba Ulengo. These in my opinion are all deserving and could easily go on to great things if a little time were to be invested in them.
I am also rather curious to see how Jesse Kriel does at 15. He should be much better there and I hope he takes the opportunity with both hands.
We must however consider that these boys don't know each other and like BlueBok said they need time together to gell as a unit.
I too am a little concerned about the back row and from where I'm sitting that bench really sucks.
I'm feeling a little upbeat with the team and will cheer for them.




 

 Don't worry, Shark!
Ceradyne's only contribution to this board is to correct everyone. For some reason it gets him off.  
He never posts a team of his own. He never comes up with any original ideas. He doesn't risk anything at all ... instead he prefers to tear into those who do.
That's the sum of his stay here.
I wouldn't take anything he says to heart.




  

Oops......Coetzee must be beyond himself with the result.
I thought it was a poor performance generally but fortunately the Goats "A" team drew with the Goats "B" team.
The INDABA held recently only shows us that the Goats management has not got a clue and are way out of their depth in international rugby or first class rugby for that matter.
A major different skill set is required to manage such teams as opposed to fielding a team for a local social rugby game.
Dr Craven fortunately never lived to see this disaster.
Thankfully.