Boks for Rugby Championship

Front row Out with Bongi in with Akkers van der Merwe
Locks are fine
Both Du Preez twins needed?
Out with Paige in with FafOut with Rhule in with Combrink
Bring back Willie Le roux he would thrive in this environment
Is Frans Steyn still needed?  

 Beenz  Hougie was way worse than Paige. IMO, Vermaak is way better than Faf.

Ross Cronje looked a rather average plodder for much of his career but he's rapidly becoming our most important player. We look a lot more cohesive when he's there. Agree on Vermaak being our second best option.
Would love to see both Du Preez twins in the team but I can be patient. It will happen.
No need for the showpony Willie le Roux. Andries Coetzee is doing just fine and if he gets crocked, Warrick Gelant is the logical choice to replace him.
Well done Bokke, but despite the similar scoreline, it wasn't as fluent as last week. Lots of room for improvement.

 I think that there are a number of problems in the team and I am pleased that those are getting exposed before the RC.   Lets be realistic and get the situation within perspective.
Full back
Coetzee is very good and there is no need to even consider his replacement.  If he is not available then the answer is simple - bring in Le Roux. He will fit into the playing style that is developing.     
Wings
Rhule is a definite no-no.   He made 3 tackles and missed 5.     If that was counter-balanced by positive contribution in other aspects of play it would have been of help  but there were no such aspects on display.   The same problems are in evidence insofar as Leyds is concerned.   
I think the replacements should be Combrinck starting and for Nkosi, Mapimpi or Van Wyk to be the bench selection.
Centers 
I think we have at least 4 centers better than Steyn - inclusive of Vorster, Van Rensburg, De Allende and Venter.   Time to move on from Steyn and replaced him with a player who can make a positive contribution.  I think Steyn was brought in to replace Jantjies but that would allow him to destroy the whole backline.  
Under new management (Venter and Smith) Serfontein is a vastly improved player.   Kriel is showing some signs of life.   I have always said that under Meyer and Ludeke centers were drastically reduced to some component of a dead backline  and since they are gone the players' real contributions are coming to the fore.
Flyhalf
I was a bit upset with some aspects of Jantjies performance in the third test, but that may be the result of playing outside a seriously defective scrummie in Hougaard.
However, I would like to see how Pollard fits in under new management.   Taking into account what happened in the case of Serfotnein and Kriel I would say he will become a comprehensive flyhalf.   Aside from that we have a number of younger real thinking flyhalfs.   Those include Du Plessis, Du Preez and even Zeilinga.
Scrummie
The sooner we accept that Hougaard is not a scrummie's  backside the better it would be for SA Rugby,   He had a shocker today,   Funny enough  I think that Hougaard and De Klerk is cutting from the same cloth and both are causing problems insofar as backline play is concerned.  
Unfortunately Vermaak is not an investment for the future due to the age issue so it is time to move on.   I still think that Paige is a poor scrummie so the Bulls bench scrummie is not the answer either.   I would prefer Venter and Schreuder as a back up for Cronje.
Loosies
The loosie situation has been settled with Whiteley, Du Preez and Kolisi as the staring combination and with Kriel as back up.  
I was very impressed with what Du Toit contributed as no 8 today.   He was very good when he came on in that position.  
Locks
No problem here.   Etzebeth was very good today and so was De Jager when he came on.   
Props
I am glad that Dreyer was given a chance today.   He is just not good enough in scrumming and I do not think he is the answer.   Problem is that Coenie is not much better.   However, the combination of Malherbe and Coenie is a better proposition as tight heads.
I would start with Kitshoff and put Mtawarira on the bench. 
Hookers
Marx is an automatic selection.   The back up could come from Marais or Akker.   




            
   

 clevermike
 
Status: Hall Of Fame 
Posts: 26716RE: Boks for Rugby Championship
June 25, 2017, 00:07:4

Full back
Coetzee is very good and ids no need to even consider his replacement.  If he is not available then the answer is simple - bring in Le Roux. He will fit into the playing style that is developing.  
I agree. I would like to see Willie Leroux in this open style of game the Boks are playing. I would have Leroux on the wing, and cover fullback. He could be a good impact player

 Dreyer has never dominated at Super comp level. He is a fine forward outside the scrum but seems will be a liability in a test come scrum time. A fit Redelinghuys would be my choice. We do not have a great tighthead.  Malherbe and Coenie hopefully will prove adequate. 
I believe both Faf and Willie Le roux would thrive in this new set up. Akkers is a WORLD class hooker. I am amazed that he doesn't get the credit due to him. He should move to Stormers!Combrink is a must!
Another thing, is this fairly lightweight Bok pack physical enough.  Players like Bongi, Mostert, Kolisi, Kriel and Whitely   are small or smallish so how many of them can be on the park at the same time. Imagine a starting Bok pack with all five playing! If Mostert plays lock can you leave out Du Toit. He was very good at 7. Will Kolisi disappear against the abs?
One thing that happens so often. A players breaks free and has a run in the open. Suddenly he is world beater.
What is certain is that the Boks are far better motivated and playing more creative wide awake rugby. Many thanks to Venter.  Mallet and Beeno on the same paige.
Meanwhile Dr Mozzzz has had to reevaluate Stepfontein who is now playing a game more suited to his strengths and also  defending better.

 Yes, Beeno, we have heard Mozart criticize Serfontein for ages, time for him to be re-evaluat ed as he had a fantastic game.

 JW the good doctor has his hand full sidestepping his remarks about the defensive abilities of the Bok backline and of course the merits of Stepfontein.My guess he will be hoping to be pro ved right in the RC. What though is certain he was premature in making these calls. 

 
I'm not sure how many more times Franscois "Two Bounce Pass" HouGat will need to expose himself as a chump at test level?

It seems once burnt twice shy doesn't apply here.

Serfontein has shown some sudden form ... but we must bear in mind that it was against the hapless French.

He is no Vorster though ... no Janse van Rensburg either. Perhaps a good cover for 12 & 13 from the bench. No more. 

Bongi is a joke. My pick would be Edgar Marutllule.

As expected, Kolisi is not test material. No consistency. A flash in the pan ... and that against poor opposition. Useless. Cloete and Kriel are much better options.

I'm still holding thumbs for Jantjies. I know he's had a lot of room and time to do his thing and that this will be greatly reduced against proper opposition. We'll see how he copes. I wish Pat was fit and healthy.

Both wings need to be replaced in my opinion with Combrinck and Nkosi.

Coetzee is finding his feet ... slowly. Still not convinced though .

I am pleased that this sham of a test series is done with. Bring on the RC. 

I am inclined to think that the French have made us a lot more confident than we should be. As CC has said, the we'll know for sure where we stand in the Rugby Champs. Serfontein has done well, despite my expectations of him. I still have my doubts, but he has earned the right to be given a fair chance against top opposition. Kolisi is exactly the same for me. I don't like him in general, but he has done enough in this past series to at least be given a fair run. 
We are not anywhere near the level of the AB's, but I reckon we'll give the Aussies a good run for their money and we should beat the Argies.  

Not sure if this French side is significantly weaker than the current shambles that is the Wallabies, but I don't think it takes any rocket science to predict that the All Blacks will win the RC comfortably, with the Bokke second and the Pumas and Wallabies scrapping it out for the wooden spoon.

 Hougies nick name should be Temik (two step).
Farm boys will get the reference. Two steps and reciever is toast.