How did the Samoa and Alberts calls work out for you......

 When Alberts initially signed with the Sharks I was not overly optimistic. I thought he was just another Diesel like Donkey. However he soon displayed all round skills that show he is an intelligent player.

I think the Sharks may have missed Alberts even more than Bismaark this year in the SuperXV. Of the 2 players injured surely these 2 were the most felt.

I would rate him as one of the most physical players in world rugby at the moment. Having one looseforward that is a bruiser is good I think, especially for the first 55-60 minutes and then maybe bring on a faster loose forward once the game opens up in the last quarter. On Sky Sports Thinus Delport said that he thought Alberts made the most difference to the boks in terms of physicality.

New Zealand SuperXV teams, as well as OZ ones will often move the ball away from the Bulls pack as quick as possibale, and throw the ball from side to side to tire out the bigger SA forwards.

By dictating the style of play these teams are able to overcome the strengths of the big South African ball carriers and instead make this strength a weakness as it favours the smaller forwards which are more mobile.

That is if of course if they are allowed to dictate play.

When the big Bulls forwards dictate the style of play and keep if direct to first dominate the advantage line before going wide, teams often experience horrific losses to the Bulls especially at Loftus. In this regard it is also vital that ruck play is up to standard to allow our strong carriers to run onto quick recycled multi-phase play.

The same applies to Alberts. If the opposition are dictating the style of play and throwing the ball from side to side his mobility will come into question. If the Boks dictate the style of play and win the battle of the advantage line and collisions, then Alberts physicality will be a big factor in achieving this. Alberts is like a heavy weight boxer that tires out the opposition

Something that all South Africa teams have in common is that they have to win the battle of the advantage line to win tournaments. It is not one dimensional because the outside backs are then brought into the game with space, but it is the vital ingredient for SA teams to beat the top teams.

Alberts made a big difference today. Mike, please stop using stats out of context. You just need to watch the show real to see what a difference he made. Alberts may have not eaten up the meters but he pulled in 2 or 3 players at a time and still managed with his momentum to give go forward ball. When other players try to do it they normally end up losing the ball. His hits were massive, key in driving players back. 

I also think that kolisi stood up well today. Even though he got knocked down, he still managed to stop the big prop. Not many players can stop a stampeding front rower. There is nothing wrong with him. 

My back row combo would be.

6.louw, 7. Alberts 8. Vermeulen, sub kolisi. Kolisi can play any position in the backrow and has plenty of gas. 

Quantitative stats vs Qualitative stats-

 http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/ALGEBRA/AD1/qualquant.htm

Denial ....bitter, twisted denial. It often follows big early mouth.

I have said from the beginning, "Willen Alberts needs to be playing well for us to win a WC or RC!" He is our best number 7 currently. No other flank in SA is as good at "softening" up the opposition via big carries and tackles.

Mike, you seem a little fixated on the fact that he is not mobile enough. He is plenty mobile. Besides, we dont want to be playing into the AB's hands. With Willie and JJ playing pretty well now, we now have a backline that can attack a little. With guys like Alberts, Louw, Botha, Vermuelen doing the grunt work, we set up an awesome platform for the backs to have a crack. Vermuelen and Botha will have to fight out the 8 jersey though. Maybe Vermuelen for now with Botha on the bench to cover 7 and 8.

Dont forget, Alberts was instrumental in getting the Sharks into the super rugby final of last year. He is a world class blindside flanker and its a no brainer that the man should play. I told you all a long time ago that its actually sad to see some of the shit posted about Willem and the fact that he gets written off. He is our best 7 since Juan Smith.

ps..To all the guys saying Jake and Eddie Jones were shit. What do you think of the job Eddie is doing with Japan. Sure Wales are a depleted team and all the rest but when last did Japan win 4 test matches against WC opposition?

Status: Rugby Legend
Posts: 5590 RE: How did the Samoa and Alberts calls work out for you......
June 23, 2013, 15:06:43

Mozart

I used the ESPN stats in this case - just like you do when you attempt to discredit a player and you ignore when you wish to hide the deficiencies of your favoured players.............

Pot.......................... kettle..................

 So if your argument is we have a back of the lineout issue without Spies, I'd tend to agree. The loose forward trio has to balance rucking/mauling power, power defense and wide defence, power running and backline linking etc. If Botha was there to balance Alberts and Louw I would be fine.....without him it becomes more complex. Depending on resources, sometimes you have to sarifiice balance to get three really effective players.

 As far as I am concerned Mike has a point. The point is a simple one. If you are playing the abs at Loftus is a loose trio of Louw, Vermulen and Alberts the right one. Fine against Engalnd at twicks. needed perhaps agaisnt a very physical Samaon side. However It is posssible that a trio of Louw, Botha and Lappies may do better.

We need to find out.

I reject any notion that one size fits all regardless. 

 Beeno, I guess we will never know until it happens but I think that loose forward trio of Louw, Alberts and Vermuelen will be great against any team. Lappies to come off the bench and add further mobility if needed. Its never really been our forwards. Our forwards have always matched and bettered the AB's most of the time. We let ourselves down the min our backs get the ball. 

I am excited to see what this backline does against the AB's with our forward back in command. I just hope we get the 15 man display that we are capable of. Every combination firing all at once instead of the patches that we have become accustomed too. 

Seeing Kirchener in the stands made me laugh. Now that we see Willie creating tries it just put into perspective how bad Kirchener actually is. We became so used to him just being "solid" but creating nothing that it was normal. Cant believe he got so many test matches under the belt!

@boklogic great point....if all depends on what meyers tactics will be....if we feed the all blacks attacking machine with aimless kicking and the bash em up front style we will run them close and the balance of AB's team will pip us...stats prove that our mindset against the AB and wallies does simply not work.......but that being said if we keep this pattern and personal and we run at them (as i feel there biggest weakness is defening for longer periods of time) we can rout them. The AB pack is not poor not poor at all and we need to accept that we can overpower them but we use this current parttern and run at them mark my words AB were coming for you.

@mike i agree 100% picking a backrow is about 1 thing and 1 thing only balance i am for one am a firm believer is selecting role based players. alberts is one if the best ball carriers in the game but that should be his role and his role alone. if you pick him you cant select a player like vermeulen as they are in terms of roles very very simliar. though if you pick a alberts, louw and coetzee for example you have a ball carrier a flank with range and speed and a hybrid player that is neither a full out breakdown specialst or full out ball carrier in the sense of the word.. in terms of line out ablity you will lose out but with the small amount of line outs compared to rucks in terms fo numbers wise its not a train smash.

in terms of spies spies is neither here nor there and cant be a realistic first choice pick. his lacks the mongrel for a 8th man and alberts can be a much more effective player for me in the current setup that spies. with the wealth of talent we do have i really do think we can pick the right personal.....

 Nah Carpet Muncher..Throw the kitchen sink at them..Have Etzebeth, Steph Du Toit, Alberts, Louw, Vermuelen, Bismarck, Beast and Jannie running at them all day. Create space on the outside eventually. They can never match us for physicality with a pack like that. Cane and Messam will be stopped in their tracks.

Only way to beat the AB's is over power them and grind them down! Cant do that with Kolisi's and co!