I like to make calls on players and here is one for the future. Bulls centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, last years SA Schools centre and by all accounts should be in the Baby Bok squad. The 18 year old is currently playing for the Bulls Vodacom Cup side and is a real handful. He would be at 106kg. To go with his size, he has plenty of pace and skill. They predict big things from this lad. He plays 12 or 13 and was the top try scorer in schools rugby last year
He looks like Pat Lambies younger and bigger brother
The only sensible thing you have ever said
Saf... Who the hell r u having a conversation with???
lol all on your own?
Saffex
Looks very impressie - but just one question. I cannot remember his name being in the Under 20 EC side, Id he in?
No he is not in the side, he is only 18, he will be in next years side. But by all accounts he should be in the side.
Seems like Theron has missed a few good players this year......the biggest omission being Tyler Fisher, its pathetic that he was left out. He scored more tries than any other player in the U19 comp. The other players to miss out are Neethling Fouche the best prop at that age group and Sharks S15 player Sean Robinson.
Chippo, look closely!!
This youngster look as much like Lambie as Hougaard looks like Blade Runner. Remarkable.
The kid is built like a brick shithouse. At 106kg aged 18 he must have taken some stopping.......it's not difficult to work out how he managed to score the most tries by a school boy last year and I see he scored a try in each of his internationals against Wales, England and France.
Lets hope we get to see him sooner than later.
Saf...
having a blond moment here....
still dunno why u were speaking to yourself.
Chippo. A bit slow? Look closely. Fattex........ Saffex........... The first is obvioulsy a spoof account. I already noticed it when I read the first Fattex post.
@cer and saf...
haha my bad.
Was using an iPad, so text was a bit small.
lol wonder who it is?
Beeno? Mozfart?
Looks like a great prospect snapster. I recall the song and dance the uninformed made when we agreed on a 90kg benchmark for centers. As you suggested 90 kg is looking a bit on the small side these days and 95 kg maybe about the lowercenter limit. Kids like this make it apprent that 100 KG is clearly on the cards but the oaks find it hard to keep pace with the modern game!!!!
Chippo look no further than saSUE/aka StormingED.! Hehehehehehe
Hasbeen....the symptoms have been there for all to see......you have caught Dave's player by the lb disease. I was able to confirm the diagnosis when you waxed lyrical about Greyling yesterday. I'll take Aplon.
Saffex & Hasbeeno.... Still obsessed by size I see!
You just don't get it do you... The ABs are always smaller but somehow manage to beat you more often than not.
Agree with Mozart. I'm far more nervous when Aplon gets the ball as opposed to Fatty Stein or your other bigger backs!
moooo la and Dr Moz youseem to forget that Jake white sorte dou tthe Bok backs for the world cup.There were no midgets in the side.
Using a sub performing seyn shows the bankruptcy o your arguments.
I raised the issues a number of years ago giving stats at that time how z and nz backs were bigger than our guys - Jake must have read my post and taken action. (Moz will no doubt recall this seminal masterpiece)
The sensible position to take is assess players on what they do. The top coaches are doing this and hence the rarity of small backs.
My apoplogies to all the small oaks posting here but we have to deal with the facts of the game and not sentiment and flights of fancy. Rugby is not really a game for small oaks. The exceptions prove the rule.
Beeno
I think we know very little about this kid. What we do know he is heavy for his age and from the phto seems to be very muscular. In a schoolboy environment that would make him an outstanding player in any position..
What we yet have to see is wheter he meetswith two other requirements, namely -
* does he have the speed requirement of a backline player; and
* does he have the requiements attached to ball sense and reading of games.
I mean a strong boy like that can run riot in a school situation - but not necessarily when he gets to adult performance. I would like tos eee how he performs later on in his career as a player - and so should all of us. Remember - this is not the first case of a promsising big schoolboy that turnes sur and ended up amongst the forwards. Even Etzebeth at school played center in his early school years and ended up as a lock forward. Same can be said of Burden.
I think obsession with size only can have poor consequences and we only have to look at Francois Steyn in this case. Francois is not really a center - he has in his game style the tendency to bulldoze opponents like a forward would do (rarely successfully) and crashball far too much - whilst forgetting about players outside of him. As Mozart said he can be a good full back - but he has speed problems in such a case.
The size issue can obviously be a factor - but successful players cannot use physical strength only - the other qualities must also be in evidence. Size to my mind is one thing - if size is not accompanied by supporting quaities - it really becomes a negative.
However, since he is now playing for the Vodacom Cup side of the Bulls I will take a good hard look at thim - when opprtunities arise (not all Vodacom matches are in fact broadcasted) and can then see what he prodices on adult level.
The kid is 18 and playing for the Bulls Vodacom Cup side....ie adult rugby!! It has already been mentioned that he has speed, read the original post.
He has scored as many tries as he has had performances for the Vodacom Cup side.........you get the picture?
As for big guy over small guy in the modern game - no contest, these small guys would not even make my squad of 36. The only time a small guy merits consideration, is if he is special. We don't have any special small players. The modern game is about size and skill.
Moola, stop speaking shit, the AB side is no smaller than the Bok side. Your backs are usually bigger.....Nonu, SBW and your wings tend to be brutes. Hell even Carter at 10 is bigger than any Bok 10.
Saffex.... Nonu yes, but no way is Carter bigger than Morne Steyn!! And you'd hardly call Jane a brute of a winger!
I repeat, Aplon scares me with the ball in hand, Pies Steyn doesn't worry me in the slightest except for his foul play.
Moola get your facts straight Carter weighs 94kg, Morne Steyn 91kg........Jane wont be playing for the AB's this year and is no smaller than Habana.
Aplon does not play test rugby for a reason - he was exposed and does not even make the wider squad.
Saffex
By the way - I can remember noww. I did watch part of the Bulls-Griffon's game in which Van Rensburg played and saw one of the two tries he scored. There were no defenders near him and he scored without any tacklers in sight. He was not particularly speedy though - but that may be the result of the absence of potential tacklers. He is very big though - in line with the stats provided. After the Griffons were slaughtered in the first half - I really lost interest, since they really are a very poor side. The Pietermaritzburg warm-up game of the Sharks was also against the Griffons and they lost by something like 69 points to 3 and even Steyn - twho did not make any impression in attacking play by the Sharks Super 15 campaign - scored a try in that game.
I will watch out for him in the final stages of the Vodacom Cup that is against stronger opposition and that will be broadcasted - and will get a clearer picture of the guy then..
Those that know him say he is not only about size, that he has pace and skill to make it all the way as a centre. He was in the extended Bulls S15 squad as a schoolboy.
I am not sure why Theron has not included him in the Baby Bok squad.......seems like he has missed a few great players this year, none more so than centre Tyler Fisher. The Sharks are up in arms that Fisher did not make the squad, given he was the top try scorer in the U19 competition last season.
I have questions marks against Theron, he has a habit of missing good players. Marcel Coetzee and Lood de Jager last year, Janse v/Rensburg, Fisher, Sean Robinson and Neethling Fouche this year
