I think he created one against the USA in 2015.
Damian is not the sharpest pencil, but he is strong and he used to have a pretty good offload 3 years ago. Meyer banned ofloading at the World Cup and we haven't seen it in DdA's game since. He either forgot or his crashballing is part of the game plan. Both Alistair and Rassie seem to prefer him at 12, so they apparently don't mind the stupid or it's part of The Plan.
Why pi ck on one of the better players
AO
Talking about crushes on players - what is this crush Mozart has on De Allende?
Is he back to his twice weekly craze about starting threads on De Allende and Du Toit?
Moz, why did the last 3 Bok coaches choose to play DdA at 12? He was the preferred choice at 12 since Jean wasn't available...wer e all 3 coaches stupid? What gives?
He was actually pretty poor in 2015, though he got a little better as the year progressed. I predicted that cutting Meyer might be detrimental to his game, and as it was, for the Boks, the scant quality he did produce fell off a cliff the following season.
As far as strength goes. No, not particularly. He gets bumped easily. His carries on the weekend largely consisted of being bumped and scurrying, the usual burrowing after slowing down or driving through a weak shoulder. All as I have stated all along. André powers through the tackle. He brings directness that Damian cannot. Damian has a natural tendency to drift out and crab. He did his best work in space. He is an outside centre, not an inside centre. He doesn't think like a 12, he doesn't have the instincts of a 12. On defence, he lacks real stopping power. His best tackles were catching runners low. I credited some of his stops as effective. Again, looking more like a 13.
If Damian can defend, he'd might be a better 13 than Kriel. Though he must work on his distribution. There were two attacks where he panicked and didn't know what to do. He can't sum up play. At least Kriel is decisive and quick. Kriel is significantly stronger and more forceful. Also has more urgency. Damian is tremendously passive.
His offloads which he was touted for were frantic, unconstructive and at times created pressure. Offloading for the sake of offloading doesn't help the team. I criticised Andre for that earlier in the season with one of his - which will be in the video I upload of him.
André has phenomenal spatial awareness and distribution. He is very calm and fluid on attack. He can link up with anyone. Defuse pressure, not create it and read play well. Rassie is making a mess of our backline because he is buying into nonsense. If he continues, it'll be his undoing.
Auge, I also think he is a more natural 13...not the best thinler on the deck...as for offloads, I recall him doing it often for WP/Stormers at the start of his career. He seemed like SBW II...not so anymore...not even close.
Auge, I also think he is a more natural 13...not the best thinler on the deck...as for offloads, I recall him doing it often for WP/Stormers at the start of his career. He seemed like SBW II...not so anymore...not even close.
Sonny ran into the seam of the defence and brought support into the game. He created space. I was never a big Sonny fan, but this he did well. The blindside wing had opportunities to run off him. Can you show me one example of this for Damian?
For the Stormers he has always been more effective in space. The pocket runner in box formations, lurking behind pods and put on or around, even outside, the edge of the defence. Rassie did it twice with those cut ball plays off lineouts. Now, the rugby public believe he is a powerful runner in traffic. This isn't the case. They believe he created space. He doesn't. They believe he brings people into the game. He doesn't. There's a mythos surrounding the player. Most of his offloads were after he was put in space out wide. What became of them? The Stormers attack was always too lateral, and he is a big part of that. We've seen this is a recurring problem for the Boks too.
Damian is at the very peak of his ability a C grade centre. What I find unforgivable is the way he is never held into account for the hordes of errors he commits. He made many on the weekend. He has even directly lost tests. We can have Pollard booed from the field, but one of the worst performing Boks I have ever seen is treated as a superstar. It's this bias and adoration of mediocrity that I cannot tolerate. André has comprehensively outplayed Damian all year, but is cast aside. Disgraceful.
I want Rassie to succeed, but he is making hard work of it. Already his record barely stands out from that of Coetzee.
It is always amazing to read any contribution of AO, He manage to make statements where he has no proof of anything bar his imagining dreams.
This is a typical classic contribution by him:-
"Damian is at the very peak of his ability a C grade centre. What I find unforgivable is the way he is never held into account for the hordes of errors he commits. He made many on the weekend. He has even directly lost tests. We can have Pollard booed from the field, but one of the worst performing Boks I have ever seen is treated as a superstar. It's this bias and adoration of mediocrity that I cannot tolerate. André has comprehensively outplayed Damian all year, but is cast aside. Disgraceful."
Lets look at the crazy statements:-
* "He is a Grade C center"
* "Never held to account for his hordes of errors"
* "Directly lost tests"
* "Pollard booed from the field"
* "But one of the worst performing Boks I have ever seen"
* "Andre has comprehensively outplayed Damian all year"
AO has no proof of any of the above - it is just strings of BS he dreamed up as catch phrases. Come now this is expected from a kindergarten kid ith zero knowledge of rugby finding a string of BS no one can ever imagine if he was a thinking human being.
It is always wise to proof statements - especially if they are airy-fairy BS - so as to proof that the contributor is not a total idiot.
Moz please be more specific ,you dont state which side he makes tries for !
I can think of one ........ 1st Test .v, Poms, wing off-balance, gets propped up by DudAllende & scores for Queen & country.
But he's playing to the Plan, smash forward, set up the next phase while the Bokke maak 'n plan on what's next..
Mike, I have provided evidence of every kind. What have you brought to the table? Nothing. Insults and lies. Great. I have covered much of his game in considerable detail. Who covered it more thoroughly? Noone. You have done absolutely nothing to mount a credible defence of Damian.
Like I predicted before the game, José Erasmus was going to park the tractor.
Listen dimness you have not provided a shred of evidence to support the BS above. All you claim was strings of utter nonsense invented by Mozart and you. I cannot see any evidence of your fantasy streak above and you have never produced anything.
You are apparently to o dim to get any message - provide any real and substantiated evidence, not the string of BS you always come up with.
Still waiting for you to apologize for the lie you spread about the 10:30 incident on Saturday!!!!!!!!!
There was an right handed chicken wing offload to a winger that resulted in a try.
I can't remember it it was a Stormers or Bok game though. It was his best play of 2018. He kinda took a hit, spun around and passed.
Anyone else remember the incident I'm talking about?
People are saying that some aren't physical enough, other guys aren't skillful enough etc to cement a starting spot.
DDA just is not smart or skilled enough to keep his grip on the jersey.
The best things I remember him doing is counter rucking on occasion.
This past weekend he had an embarrassment of riches in go forward ball. Nothing came of it.
Our only try came as a result of a quick hands by Whitely in little space, to put Nkosi into even less space. DDA had both the time and see space to do so on numerous occasions to the same player but never managed.
Combine his very few tries with his lack of ability to pass and maintain momentum and what do you have?
Our forwards did their job on Saturday. They had England by the throat.
The backs never capitalised.
@ Rooi
Maybe by that point they'd decided to take matters into their own hands.
Damian was very, very good at the breakdown in 2015. De Jongh and Damian were a lethal tandem. He did good work for the Boks there. He had a couple of moments this year, but really hasn't been a factor at all at the breakdown. As a carrier, he has very often made it difficult for us to retain possession.
The backs don't have distributors at centre. This is why we rely so much on Willie, he is the connection between the half backs and everyone else. What really frustrated me is that whenever Rassie plays André he doesn't implement the same open plays and patterns. He has it in his head Damian is a playmaker, and nothing seems to be changing that. Meyer opened the gameplan up immediately for Damian, but altered it based on what he could and could not do. Rassie is not responding to what is happening in front of him. His handling of the centres, the structure of the attack and his utilisation of personnel has been atrocious as far as the backs are concerned. If a player can't do anything useful running at a passive defence when his pack are bullying the opposition to the extent that they can't even get into your 22 for over 40 minutes, there is a big problem.
Our forwards were more skilled than our centres. If you ever review that game, watch Snyman, Steph, Whiteley. Then look at Damian and Kriel when they have the ball. We didn't see it much in this game, but in the RC we had both props making skillful close quarter passes. It's embarrassing. Worse, we have two centres who have provided us with these skills who are not getting rewarded. Rassie is a fool.
Dimness
"Mike, I have provided evidence of every kind. What have you brought to the table? Nothing. Insults and lies. Great. I have covered much of his game in considerable detail. Who covered it more thoroughly? Noone. You have done absolutely nothing to mount a credible defence of Damian."
I am not the one who claimed the cloud 9 statements. I asked for evidence and quoted what you wrote - and I got NO EVIDFENCE in return. You must never write unsubstantiated rubbish on site and then believe you have proven anything. Let us get the evidence and the matter can be discussed further on a logical basis.
You apparently fell for an outright lie by Mozart and now you are too cowardly to give reasons for your dribble.
Give the evidence I call for so it can be discussed - otherwise there is no reason why one can believe your make-believe stories.
This is the thing Aug.
There are guys on the board that obviously know the game quite well and played at school and after, while generally having sound opinions on games and players...yet they still rate De Allende and Kriel as our best pair.
I'm left with the impression that i must be missing something. Obviously none of us ever played professionally so maybe there is something at that tier of competion that you'd only understand if you'd been there? Venter also rates Kriel. Clearly Rassie rates De Allende and Kriel as well. So did Meyer and Coetzee. Though i think that Rassie is trying to phase Esterhuizen in and De Allende out. The consensus from on high, right now, is that they are ourt best options. It's a true head scratcher.
That's honestly my most unbiased opinion on this.
My gut on the other hand. It says that Kriel is a show pony and De Allende has shown us all he is ever going to...and it's not good enough. Maybe he's better suited to playing flank? He's just about big enough. Is he tough enough? hahahaha nuf said!
Show me in the game film. These same experts gave Damian a pass after directly conceding 2 tries and being blown open for two more, botching all his tackles, messing up a breakout attack with two support runners either side. Does that sound credible to you? He lost that test but was never held into account for it. Our rugby community is clueless. There is no mystery to all of this, merely a lack of honesty. We have the most dishonest sports community I have seen. A love of mediocrity abounds.
I have repeatedly challenged the Damian fans to defend him, they have yet to do so. Game film is readily available, why the absence of evidence?
Damian is too weak in the upper body to play any forward position. Kolisi would be a better 12 though.
Here is what you wrote:
* "He is a Grade C center"
* "Never held to account for his hordes of errors"
* "Directly lost tests"
* "Pollard booed from the field"
* "But one of the worst performing Boks I have ever seen"
* "Andre has comprehensively outplayed Damian all year"
Now back to your story when did the incidents happen that you mentioned above? Lets discuss what actually happen when you provided further facts.
Then give us - not the cloud nine story about how everybody bar you and Mozart are "clueless" examples of the rest of the stories you pieced together,
You have thus far produced nothing - but further drivel - so try again.
Plum, I'm not a DdA fanboy, but there is nobody clearly better ATM...same with Kriel at 13. I'll even be prepared to give De Jongh a look again...or Serfontein.
Andre has comprehensively outplayed Damian. Easily. Am was also better than Kriel.
@ Draad
Exactly Draad.
For me' it's a case of nobody else having been given enough of a chance and now we have to pick them on the basis of not having anyone sufficiently experienced.
And the fact they both have been given so much time and opportunity, but have yet to prove that they belong there, well that tells me that they shouldnt be there.
I'm with Rooi on shifting Pollard to 12.
Willemse at 10, right now though...that's a risk.
Maybe worthwile trying out agsint some of the lesser NH oppositon first. Jantjies is also ahead of Willemse in the queue for now and on the few occasions he's played with Pollard outside him, it's look like our best combinaton.
So, Jantjies, Pollard and Am?
T here is no way that that combo would not have done better on Saturday than what we saw happen.
When did Esterhuizen outplayed De Allende dimness? His defnse on Saturday was putrid - making 2 tackles and missing 2 He carried the ball 5 times and gained 5 meters. He lost ball possession twice. That was what happened on Saturday.
So lets look at what happened in the third test in June.
Tackles made 4 - tackle missed 3
Carried the ball 6 ties for a 25 meter territory gain beating 1 defender.
Not at all convincing at all - so I looked at the Super Rugby series as well. De Allende was rated by Foxsport at 41 points - Estehuizen at 34, That tells me he was just about satisfactory - De Allende was miles ahead of him.
Now proof to me that I am wrong and your daydreams not delusional.
When did Esterhuizen outplayed De Allende dimness? His defnse on Saturday was putrid - making 2 tackles and missing 2 He carried the ball 5 times and gained 5 meters. He lost ball possession twice. That was what happened on Saturday.
So lets look at what happened in the third test in June.
Tackles made 4 - tackle missed 3
Carried the ball 6 ties for a 25 meter territory gain beating 1 defender.
Not at all convincing at all - so I looked at the Super Rugby series as well. De Allende was rated by Foxsport at 41 points - Estehuizen at 34, That tells me he was just about satisfactory - De Allende was miles ahead of him.
Now proof to me that I am wrong and your daydreams not delusional.
Plum
I will always support improvements in the team and is not married to the idea of another center pairing - but so far I have not seen any better combination. I always was a big admirer of Vorster - but did he do enough to warrant selection? I do not think so.
Andre Esterhuizen is a strong plodder - and really ineffective. AO and Mozart make him out to be the 8th wonder of the world - but he is a very ineffective player with serious defense problems. I do not think he is the answer at all. Neither is Frans Steyn - he is even a worse plodder than Esterhuizen. The other option was Ruhan Janse van Rensburg - but he has also not succeed when he was give n a chance - but has had little rugby this year and my impression is that he has also gone off the boil.
I actually would bring Serfontein on Board as an alternative. That may be an answer to strengthening of the center pairing.
Eraasmus must have solid reasons why he sticks with De Allende and Kriel and I do not think that he ould change De Allende at this stage - he really has virtually no other options - the alternatives spoiled their own chances.
