Boks Match 22- For Year End Tour

 1. Beast

2. Strauss(captain)

3. Jannie

4. Ezbeth

5. Bekker- if their is anything left of him

6. Louw

7. Alberts.

8. Vermulen

9. Ruan Piennar

10. Pat Lambie

12. Whitehead- specialist inside center, good distributor to create space for the outside backs

13. Jean Devilliers

14. JP

11. Habana

15. Bob Kirchner(The incumbent, although I would prefer Aplon but I know Meyer will be loyal)

Bench

Wing-Rhule (form player in curry cup). I would even consider bringing him of the bench and moving Habana or JP to fullback during the game. This would have 3 very strong attacking players on the field

Fullback- Aplon, can also cover wing.

Prop- Kitshoff

Hooker- Chilly Boy

Outside Center- Mapoe- can cover wing

Center- Dejong(can cover both positions)

Loose forward- Coetzee- can cover most positions in the backrow.

Lock- Flip Van Der Merve

Sharkbok, no one can be wrong here because it is all down to personal opinion but that backline you named seems very boring. It seems like you have the right idea with Lambie and Whitehead and want to play attacking rugby and then you go in reverse with Kirchener and De Villiers. We need a shake up there.

It has already been established that JDV is not a 13. Maybe he could have made the transition earlier in his career when he was a lot younger but it seems now, experience is hindering his ability to be expressive and a 13 must be expressive and try things on attack. Jacque Fourie was good at that. Conrad Smith for the AB's is opposite to that age factor though. He just keeps getting better with age and thats why he is the best 13 in the world. Personally, I think if Jacque Fourie played with guys like SBW, Dan Carter and Nonu, he could very well have been the best 13 of his era.

I would like to see a backline of (and its hard for me to judge as I dont get to see Currie Cup)

9 - Reinach

10 - Lambie

11 - Habana

12 - De Villiers

13 - Jordaan

14 - Pietersen

15 - Taute

Now I know that looks like a backline full of Sharks players but that has nothing to do with the fact that I am a Sharks supporter. The Sharks play good running rugby and that backline will run the ball. Jean will be there for experience as things could go pear having two new test centres and I just dont know if Whitehead is big or fast enough for international level to be honest. Having said that, Frans Steyn still has to come back and then De Villiers is likely to miss out. I would not throw Taute away just yet. He is a good player but I think he is a little out his depth at centre at this age. He could be our next Jacque Fourie and we all know Jacque made a name for himself at 15 for the Lions and Boks before growing into the 13 role.

The reason Taute "went missing" against the AB's is because his only exposure at 13 was at Currie cup level barring a few games for Lions in Super rugby before he was injured. In the Currie cup he is playing teams that kick the ball away all the time so its easy easier to defend. He just needed to attack once in a while really. Playing the AB's who run the ball, exposed him a bit. He will learn from it though so his future still looks bright at 13, just not now. Let him become a regular in a position he knows. When he finds his feet and is confident in his role in the team, we can look at changing but by then, Jordaan would have become a very decent Bok 13 barring injuries.

As for Reinach, I saw him play a little before I left SA. I could be way out of left field but I see he scores lots of tries and is a strong player. We need a scrumhalf that can score tries. I was badly hoping Hougaard would be that man but he just looks below par in the Bok jersey all of a sudden.

Boklogic

Basically I am a great admirer of Reinach - he had an excellent game against the Griquas and showed real class.   There was one minor mistake - he did a Hougaard kick that was charged down.   However, I do believe he is our scrummie of the future.    He has ball sense and the mere gact that the Sharks prefer him to the bumbling McCleod showed that he has what it takes.

As to a choice of a center - my first choice based on numerous happenings in the past season on both Super 15 level and in the CC - remains Jordaan.   I want to mention one example.   Who affected the turnover that led to the McCleod try on Friday - it was Jordaan that robbed the ball that ended up with Pietersen and let to a top try.   Enough said.   Incidentally Whitehead is at best average - Jordaan has proven time and again he is way above average - a very clever player.

That brings me to Francois Steyn 0 he will have a lot to prove in Syper 15 next year.   He may be able to make the grade in that position in Super 15 - I say MAY, I doubt very much whether he will succeed.  

In essence I support your backline selection.   In future - with Jean De Villiers out of the picture - I would move Jordaan to 12 - based on his performance in the Super 15 final and again look at Taute at 13.   I don't think we have much of a choice there.   Venter - who is keeping Serfontein our of the Bulls team - is at best mediocre and the latter has shown nothing since the Junior WC.    Rumours have it that Taute is going to the Stormers and he would get ample opportunities to play at 13 there.   They are not going to leave out Pietersen and Aplon - so Taute is the choice at center ahead of the useless De Jongh - who showed nothing in Super 15 and less when he played on CC level. .De Jongh also fluffed a potential try against the Wallabies - a further example why he is past tense.

Personally I think Meyer is going to explore combination development in the EOYT and then watch out what happens in the Super Series - before he decides on the future composition of the backline.   I personally think that would be the best way forward - since I doubt very much if De Villiers will last to the bext Championship as inside center,

Incidentally - there is one point I do agree with Sharkbok and that is on Rhule - he is just superb at CC level.  Mapoe is a gamble - a very strong runner and ball carrier that will nor be effective on international level - he is not a player with ball sense that can really be effective and on international level he will be defended against very easily..  .   

I do not think that Chilliboi is really in the picture at all anymore - he kust does not make the grade at all.    

 .     

Ag nee man that side has not moved on enough.

My side would be:

15. Lambie 14. JP 13. Taute 12. Whitehead 11. Habana 10. Jantjies 9. Hougaard 1. Beast 2. Strauss (c) 3. Jannie 4. Etzebeth 5. Bekker 6. Louw 7. Coetzee 8. Vermeulen 16. Pienaar 17. JJ Engelbrecht 18. Jordaan 19. Kitshoff  20. Chiliboy 21. Steph du Toit  22. CJ Stander

the reality is meyer is after results first and foremost, so there will be little consideration given to starting new players, unless they come of the bench and even then they wont be brand new debutants.

IMO meyers 22 for the Boks EOYT give or take a few players,,,
1 beast, 2 a strauss, 3 j du plesiss, 4 e ezebeth, 5 a bekker, 6 f louw, 7 w alberts, 8 d vermeulen, 9 r pienaar, 10 e janties, 11 f hougaard, 12 JDV, 13 jp pieterson, 14 b habana, 15 z krichner
16 t liebenberg, 17 p ciliers, 18 f van der mewe, 19 m coetzee, 20 p lambies, 21 j taute, 22 de jong

but here would be my starting Bok XV,,,
1 s kitshoff, 2 a strauss, 3 j du plessis, 4 e ezebeth, 5 a bressler, 6 f louw, 7 m coetzee, 8 d vermeulen, 9 f hougaard, 10 e janties, 11 b habana, 12 JDV, 13 jp pieterson, 14 j taute, 15 p lambie
16 beast, 17 d fourie, 18 a bekker, 19 w alberts, 20 r pienaar, 21 j de jong, 22 z krichner

one thing that i still think will happen is that meyer will pick jp at center. taute is still class and meyer realises this, so he will still get selected, but in my teak i would have him on the wing, where his time at fullback will serve him well for positioning and where the defensive descions arent as complex as the centers. taute has the makings of being a great center one day, but now is not that time.
meyer needs to bring in kitshoff now, still not sold on malharbre, but i have been sold on the ginga power house since day 1, i dont think i know a single prop who has his workrate in the world except owen franks.
a bressler is IMO like ezebet and been the form locks of SA in 2012, he should hopefully get a shot, but i doubt thats going to happen, i would be surprised to see hi get picked in the squad at all.