Prior to the start of the season, I was of the opinion that Spies's days in the Springbok jersey were over, but in the first two rounds of Super Rugby, it looks as though he is the form SA no.8. I must add now that he has only been the best of a poor bunch, but the best none the less. With Meyer as Bok coach I reckon we may well see everybody's favourite, Spies, back in the Springbok jersey.
Honestly dont know how he could have been the best 8 in the first two rounds. Weak and gutless player in every single game.
Rugby107, that may be, but who was better?
Philip van der Walt was pretty good for the Cheetahs in a losing cause.
Agreed Rooi, v/d Walt has been the best of the bunch. He had a damn fine game in his first outing. The rest have been solid at best, with Spies the best of the rest
Rooi and Saff, you guys are probably right about Van Der Walt, but his perfromance was hardly stellar! Never enough to get him into the Bok squad ahead of one of Meyers favourites. Look, it is early days and I am sure things will change during the course of the season, but Spies will always have an easier road to the bok team than one of the new kids on the block. As it stands, with Spies and VDF Walt being more a less on par, Spies is looking good for a call up.
bluebok, I'm not saying Van der Walt should be the Springbok number 8, I'm saying he's been the best SA performer so far this season in the #8 jersey.
My feelings on who should be the Springbok back row are well known on this forum . . . I say pick the Sharks as the Bok starters and the replacements.
#6 Marcel Coetzee
#7 Willem Alberts
#8 Ryan Kankowski (or Keegan Daniel)
It's then out of Jacques Botes, Jean Deysel and Keegan/Kanko for the bench.
Actually blue, v/d Walt had a stand out performance against the Bulls and should have won MOM. That instead went to Morne for his kicking which is bullshit in itself.
Meyer will select Spies as his 8, but this is a mistake. My contenders for 8 are Coetzee, Arno Botha, Vermeulen and v/d Walt
7 years ago I was in the Spies camp, thinking he was the best thing since sliced bread, but those days are long gone, and bar some miraculous Super Rugby season, I would not have him in the Springbok Starting line-up. The thing is, of your four picks there is still a question mark over Coetzee, and his ability to cut it at the top level. According to your comments in another thread, Kolisi has been good while playing for a losing team, and if Vermeulen has also been good enough to warrant his sellection as a Bok, then where are the issues with the Stormers forwards? The problem is simple, neither player has, as well as most of the other Stormers forwards, played well enough to earn a call up. Having said that, Vermeullen will probably play again for the Boks this year, but no Kolisi. I have not seen enough of Botha and VD Walt, but from what I have seen, they certainly have the potential.
Blue, Coetzee has already proved he has what it takes to play test rugby. We have a number of test quality young loosies in Coetzee, Kolisi, Elstadt, v/d Walt, Botha and I'd secure CJ Stander's services as well if I was the Bok coach.
I used to be a huge Spies fan as well, but he lacks mongrel.
The issue with the Stormers forwards is the tightfive. They have no grunt with the likes of Cilliers, Fourie and de Kock Steenkamp in the engine room
