Jannie isnt a great runner with the ball and he misses a lot of tackles. But he is a proven tighthead prop that for 6 years has taken on the best in the world in crucial pressure situations. His one notable failure was against the Bargies this year....but we got them first in the RC and frankly they troubled everybody...we were less prepared.
Since then he has been strong in the scrums....and there were times we dominated the aussies and got the better of the ABs. I'm not talking about the end of tests, when the best props had been subbed...I'm talking about the times when both packs were really trying.
We dont know if there is any other tighthead in the country who can do that. To me Malherbe was on the deck as much as Jannie. i have never seen him dominate an opponent at CC, S15 or test level. And Marcel looks to me as if he is scrumming up all the time....he too had a hard time against the Lions in the S15.
So I hope these Lions props are for real.
I hope Heyneke selects Beast and Dreyer as his starting front row with Schalk vd Merwe and Marcell doing bench duties.
It is time up for Jannie while Coenie should take a break of say 4 - 6 months to make a full recovery.
What a delight was it to watch Schalk vd Merwe destroying Stevens who has played in 39 tests for England.
Ceradyne (nee man, vra vir Ed om dit te verander na Vlagman )
Blikkies, Stevens has been a hasbeen () for a few years now.
You are much closer to UK rugby - so I believe what you are saying.
But on the other hand, dont forwards, and especially the less mobile ones, i.e. props tend to have a longer shelf life than the rest of the team? Os is an example.
