Chill...we're gonna be in the last 4 atleast.
Chill...we're gonna be in the last 4 atleast.
The older Boks are becoming more injury prone. Many are not going to make the next world cup, and if they do they will be past their best.
A bit like David Campesi at the 1995 Worldcup, a great but past his sell by date.
Apparently Steph Du Toit has just been injured in Japan.
Rassie did cap 57 players last year, so he is certainly testing out new players and combinations.
The tight five in particular needs to be rotated to bring in new talent to give them experience to be ready. Although it remains to be seen if they will be of the same quality.
Replacing Eztebeth may be impossible
Plum as you might have guessed, I agree we have already lost time on succession planning. And players like Etzebeth come along very rarely. If the group you mentioned can all play at their current level almost 3 years from now, it would be a miracle. More likely they would be like Vermeulen in 23, still useful, but not the player he was in 2019
We won’t replace like for like. And we are bound to be weaker in some positions….I see no great new locks on the horizon.
But there were plenty of soft spots in our 2023 performance. For example we had no game on the deck. And we were carrying a passenger in Kolisi who made one run in the three knockout games.
Our play was massively weighted to defense, it shouldn’t be hard to be more effective playing with the ball.
So I remain hopeful. This year is likely to be tough and may just be the motivation we need to
really change rather than pursuing the window dressing we saw in 24..
Our captain for 27 needs to be settled this year. And whether Brown is really adding value.
If Erasmus backs the wrong players for his 27 campaign, then we fucked.
We have to realistically start re building sooner than later.
Te fact is I do not thik thin gs are s di, as it seems to be. to some people, Before the 2019 RWC npdbody gav the Sprin gb oks to win and they did. Before the 2023 a lot of\ players waas at te time injued hen tehs qud was submitted and some of the injued players had very little gme time - for example Pollard a key playe waa not involved in any rugby for months and he was not in the squad in the last week in May 2023 as a result. IN the first match pf the eries Mrx were injured and replaced by Pollard in the squad, We had to use only one real hooker in the squad as.a esult and whwn Bongi was injured leaving the team without hooker for most of the final.
e have many younger players coming through the anks and in fact are the enwy of the wrld when it cmes to the talennt pool. As long as the Springboks remain the number 1 team in the world - they will remain in contention n 2027.
We are lucky to have so many quality loosies. Hannekom just keeps looking like a 100 cap loosie. Roos came back and fired last night in a Stormers side that didn't looks settled by had enough pedigree to match Racing for most of the game. Wiese will be there at the 27 WC too, and then there a good few more loosies.
We're totally fine at 6/7/8...as long as the 27 starters become regulars this year.
But where are the locks and props?
We won the last two WCs because we basically had the two world beating packs, one starting and on in the bench.
As it stands, when our current front rows retire...who do we have? Even and Mostert can't be replaced either, nobody comes close.
Marx and Oz will be the there. But outside of them, we are completely screwed for a right 5. At the very best I can see us having one decent front row. But I think we need to forget the idea that our second string will come in and dominate.
Seems harsh, right?
Okay then, pick the two front rows we'll use at the next WC. I'm just saying, whoever we're gonna use, they should already be standing out at franchise level.
Who/where are they?
I don't see them.
Props: Wilco Louw, Gerhard Steenekamp, Carlu Sadie, Thomas D Toit, What about the Lions Monster Asenathi Ntlabakanye , Jan Hendrik Wessels, Hanro Jacobs, Corne Weibach , Sazi Sandi, Mchunu, Swampie Swiegers …..there is more
Locks: Ruben V Heerden, JD Schickerling, Corne Rahl, Ruan Vermaak, Reinhardt Ludwig, Gerbrandt Grobbelaar, Adri Smith, Cobus Wiese….there is more.
Not to bad hey Plum ?:)
Who/where are they?
I don't see them.
All Springbok front row of Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw.
Starting front row
Ox, Wessels and Wilco.
On the bench.
Steenekamp, Marx, Tomas Du Toit.
Of course other contenders could force their way in.
I don't really see a problem with props barring injuries.
Eben, again barring injury, will still be a viable bench player
Our locks will be up to standard.
Loosies no problem. Here again Du Toit will be a valuable bench player.
Backs will be very good and hopefully Kolbe will make it.
We will also of course have the REDOUBTABLE Rassie. Rassie will continue the process of sifting through our player base and building the 2027 squad.
Of course to make doubly sure all goes well Rassie should be given a direct line to Mozzietard and Mampara power. Bwahahahahaha. Have these two got anything right!!!
Oh good …..Harrassmiss….’and from his cloak he drew an another ace’. Who is the singer?
Chris
Moz, we have general problem with fetchers.
I've been watching most of the URC and CP...and nobody, for any of the sides, is fetching at any level that one would consider him a true fetcher.
Luckily Bongi will retire soon and Marx will be starting. He's probably still our best fetcher.
I can't believe how bad the Sharks were yesterday at securing their own ball.
Oh what utter crap
The only irreplaceable in the pack is Eben
Ox, Steenkamp, Marx, Wilco, Thomas, RG and Wiese from our current side will be at the next WC
Add Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Roos and AH Venter as obvious inclusions
Plus the likes of Mchunu, Wessels, Sadie, Hanro Jacobs, Klopper, Grobelaar, Dweba, Moerat, Ruben v Heerden, Ruan Vermaak, Andre Smith, Jenkins, Rahl, JF v Heerden, Emile v Heerden, Cobus Wiese, Nortje, Buthelezi, Theunissen, BJ Dixon, Ruan Venter, Ludwig, Vincent Tsituka, Gumede, Horn, Manu Tsituka, Dayamani, JL du Preez, Dan du Preez and Morabe to choose from
We have forward options to burn
1. Ox 2. Marx 3. Wilco 4. RG 5. Ruben v Heerden 6. Hanekom 7. Wiese 8. Roos is hardly a struggling pack now is it?
Back up of 1. Steenkamp 2. AH Venter 3. Thomas du Toit 4. Ruan Vermaak 5. JF v Heerden 6. Manu Tsituka 7. Ruan Venter 8. Elrigh Louw
You forgot the 12 year old from Kuruman who got a rugby ball for his birthday on the weekend.
I mean, he has hands, feet, and a ball...how come he didn't make your list?
Oh fuck off your rugby ignorance shines bright given your take on our forwards for the the next WC
Let me guess - Marx, Ox, Steenkamp, Wilco, Thomas, RG, Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Roos and Wiese not good enough for you huh?
Utter rugby ignorance as usual
Marx, Hannekom, Wiese, Ox...and if RG is fit.
The rest? I dunno, Dave...how have they been performing? None of them are really dominating to the level where anyone could simply assume they are worthy replacements.
Roos, who knows? He started well but then played quite badly...and now he's back from injury and did okay on the weekend. He kept up well but got smashed back many times. I like him, but he could go either way.
Steenekamp has a few caps but didn't set the world on fire and can just about survive at Test level. Just about. Perhaps he'll improve.
Thomas and Wilco? Both of them have this habit of making people believe they are good scrummagers after performing well against weak opposition. But both of them crumble against real quality. We've seen that movie many times.
By the way, it's absolutely hilarious that you still think Roos is a better 8 than Wiese. The 8 jersey is Wiese's until he doesn't want it anymore. Legend.
When the fuck have Wilco and Thomas crumbled against good opposition - where do you suck this shit from
Steenkamp has been excellent for the Boks coming off the bench, what more do you want from a prop?
Roos is pure class
Any one of these younger forwards are as good as the likes that are on their way out except for Eben - they match Kitshoff, Bongi, Malherbe, Koch, Nyakane, Lood, Mostert, Kolisi and PSDT
Dave you forgot Mostert for the next WC.
Ja shit sorry I forgot him
13,811 posts
Has it dawned on everyone that almost our entire pack are retiring over the next couple of years.
...and we've hardly identified any worthwhile replacements.
Eben, PSDT, Bongi, Koch, Kitshoff, Mostert, Malherbe, Kolisi, Kwagga, Snyman, Marco VSD...all gone soon. And those that won't be gone by the WC will be 35/36 years old and quiet possibly the same type of liability that Jean and Matfield were in Japan under Meyer.
We could pretty much already pick a backline.
But unless Rassie pulls a rabbit out of the hat, we're screwed.
What makes it worse is that you can't exactly just drop these players yet because they're still good for a year or two. But the more loyalty you show them the less time you give the new guys to be ready for the WC.
All I know is that we need to find props and locks very quickly.