DDA/Kriel or AE/Moodie-Hooker?

Does anybody still doubt that the Boks are better with AE and Moodie in midfield?

Yes, Dave, I already know that you're gonna say that AE and DDA are the same player and you want Willemse at 12.

Saturday was a perfect example of how toothless the Boks are with Donkey boy at 12. For once in his life he actually got a break and offloaded and we got a try from that passage of play. But we all know how incredibly rare that is. We all saw that for the rest of the game and how we relied on snipes from the ruck and Sacha's brilliance to create scores. Same as we have to do every time Donkey-Kriel suck the life out the middle of the field.

I wont rant too much. But I am interested to know if anybody here still thinks that DDA is our best 12?

Here is the scary part...

I have a feeling that Rassie wants Hooker to be a like-for-like replacement for DDA. I think he sees in Ethan a chap that could give him what DDA does.

Do we agree that it would be a massive shame to turn our second brightest talent into a mindless zombie?

For me, Hooker has excellent software and his hardware is liquid cooled. I'm yet to see him make a bad decision. I've always said that in my view Willemse's brilliance is in large part down to his ability to understand when to attack and when to protect possession. Hooker strikes me as having that same excellent risk management ability. AE might be the strongest backline player in rugby right now and is yet to have a bad game for the Boks.

We have so many options for 12, and I'd really love for somebody to make a convincing case for why DDA should be the first choice.

As for Jessica, lol...it's basically impossible to make a case for her so I won't task anyone with that.

Willemse at 12 all day long - for me it’s not even up for debate - it’s not even close

Right now it has to be Willemse and once he is invested there, there will be no dislodging him. He is just too classy, has so much to offer that our other options don’t

The next best option is Hooker but we have practically no evidence of what he has to offer us at 12 so it’s all based on potential and hope. Let’s see him at 12 for the Sharks for a season to give us an idea of what he can do there. He has been good on the wing but it’s so much harder to impress at 12

13 is open to options - I like Moodie at 13, I love the potential in JJ, you can’t help but not notice Henco v Wyk and of course if Willemse owns the 12 spot then Hooker is clearly an option at 13. And of course there is the very impressive SA schools Markus Muller in a year or two

Plum

I am sorry to disagree. I do not think AE has the ncessary skill set, pace and decisionmaking as a top class center, He is strong enough to play a serious role in any backline position. He is now used in a position where his physical strength can be utilized better than at center and his decisionmaking is not a much needed ability a loosie compared to center,

I think Dave is right - that that Hooker will be better at 13 and that s where to my mind he has both the speed and strength is vey important. To my mind he is going to be better used than at inside cneter,

I am not sure when the situation is going to change - at present De Allende is according experts still the top inmside center in the world, the top inside center At present his only successful replacment would be Willemse,

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For me this hinges on Sacha. Right now he is a one man attacking weapon. We need to find him a partner that he gels with. The kid is smart and creative. We need the Barrett/Nonu…Larkham/Horan solution. Who is Sacha’s Horan…a dangerous player who can geld, but can rip defences on his own and still bring his outside backs into play. Esterhozen has been waiting to play that role. But for a back of 31 the WC may be too late.

Ester huizen attacking ability in 2 tests to eesult in 1 try assist and 2 tries amde for him by other players, That prove he si no even close to eb a real attacking force to augment backline attacks, I t never hapepned since 2018 and is not going to ahppen at the age of 33 in 2027

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So you still want Dud Allende?

Not really. As long as world rugby experts find him acceptabel I woud not quesion it, What hacve e got that is beter than him - obny Willemse - not one other player,

It’s so obvious who Sacha’s partner should be - it’s Willemse - no other player in SA comes even close. It’s not even up for debate

Esterhuizen is another de Allende and at 31 and the new hybrid role - forget him, he won’t even be considered and rightly so. It would be Rassie settling with his second best post DA if he selected AE - it won’t happen

Hooker looks closer to the DA/AE model but time will tell - we need to see him operating at 12 for a season before we can judge - unfortunately for him, the Sharks have AE at 12 so he won’t see much game time at 12 which is really sad for his development