Jake putting the boot into Rassie

...New Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been heavily criticised by his World Cup-winning predecessor Jake White over the decision to allow loose forward Duane Vermeulen to miss this year's Rugby Championship.

White, who led the Springboks to the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, says allowing the influential Vermeulen to skip the competition in order to play club rugby in Japan shows Erasmus is not concerned enough about winning.

The southern hemisphere contest pitches South Africa against Argentina, Australia and world champions New Zealand home and away between August and October -- one year ahead of the World Cup in Japan.

"The only logical way to explain it is that, unlike other national coaches, Rassie is not worried about keeping his job," White wrote in a column on alloutrugby.com.

"There's no doubt in my mind that if his job depended on results over the next two years, there's no way Vermeulen would have been allowed to go to Japan."

The imposing Vermeulen played a key role in South Africa's success in June in their three-test series against England.

Vermeulen, 32, has just ended a three-year stint at Toulon in France and is joining a Super Rugby franchise next year after being convinced to return home by SA Rugby.

He has been allowed, however, to have a brief spell with Japan's Kubota Spears, a move which adds to the extensive exodus of South African rugby players to better-earning leagues.

"What I hear from the Bok camp is that we've got such a short time to prepare for the World Cup and that's why we're bringing back overseas players, even if they haven't played 30 Tests. But Vermeulen is allowed to go to Japan and there's a chance he won't play in South Africa before the World Cup," wrote White.

"This is not about vilifying Duane for playing in Japan. But if he is important enough to bring back from Toulon, and consider appointing him as the captain, why would you not have him involved in the next six tests against the best teams in the world? These are the same teams that the northern hemisphere heavyweights are so eager to test themselves against before the World Cup.

"I find it incredible that the Bok coach, after two of the worst seasons in team history, is under so little pressure that he's released the most impactful forward, who he just brought back from overseas. When players are allowed to negotiate where and when they're available to play for South Africa, that's how you lose your edge as a rugby powerhouse," White warned.

South Africa host Argentina in Durban on 18 August in their opening encounter of this year's Rugby Championship

ESPN

Not sure what Erasmus is supposed to do if a player makes himself unavailable...Also a big difference between playing in Japan and playing against the ABs in the RC so obviously Vermulean needs a break after a long season which is fair enough you would think. 

Not even sure Vermulean will be going to Japan if this article is anything to go by.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/duane-to-return-to-sa-after-new-bok-deal-report-20180723

Man some guys love to put the boot in, Eddie Jones is another one who does this. Seeing Vermulen play in the RC would be great but given his 32 year old body he might be better off with the lighter contact in Japan. He will need to make sure he gets enough test time before the RWC tho ugh.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/vermeulen-steps-white-says-erasmus-not-worried-keeping-job

Jake White is a praat, it is not he can be 100% sure that Rassie did not want him to play in this 4 nations. 

Bricy old fruit, White won the WC when Mitchell Henry was AB coach....if your facts are so screwed up no wonder your opinions are BS. 

Kinda says it all about the sheep in mouth fat lip....

Hang on oaks my good friend Brycy is doing his very best and nobody can ask for more!

What a  red letter day as ou JW makes a sensible post!!!!!

Jake must just accept Rassie is a step or two above him. Rassie however faces greater challenges than Jake d id.

SA players play for the buck. They have never enough of it and their loyalty goes to the highest bidder.

SARU do not have the money to compete. They do not have the money to compensate NH clubs when calling players for international duty.

White should keep quiet and not show his ignorance as badly as he did in this case.   Vermeulen played brilliantly in the first two tests in June and faded out badly in the third test.   After the second test he complained on TV about aches and pains and that being the case one has to accept that being the case - it raises serious question marks  about the longer term prospects of Vermeulen.   

The other problem is that he at 32  became soft in the NH club environment and there may even be questions about his fitness level as well.   

Frankly after what happened in the three test series - especially in the third test - Erasmus may have come to the conclusion that Vermeulen is not a good option to play in the WC in four or more consequent test  matches and will watch how he progress in future and give him a final run in the EOYT - where the slower NH fields would be more acceptable to Vermeulen.       

Daniel Du Preez played very well for the sharks last week.

After the second test he complained on TV about aches and pains and that being the case one has to accept that being the case - it raises serious question marks  about the longer term prospects of Vermeulen.  

Lately, a SA player explained that he could not afford a cosy house in the countryside in spite of his hefty wage. He was doomed in living in dense urban areas. Highly believable.

Now there is another SA player who chases the buck as SA players do and prefers to play in Japan instead of representing his country. At the end of the second test, the guy knew this and he should have told that he was fit as a butcher's dog. 

Guy made himself an exit door. He was fit and ready to go for the 4Ns but prefered the money.

Guy could not tell it as it is. His tale of poor condition is as credible as the tale of the other SA player who could not afford a house in the countryside.

Mozart

Vermeulen was nowhere to be seen in the third test -  he may have according to you been solid - but so is that top storey of yours.   

There is a problem here and I think Rassie will have to deal with it.   Either it was a lack of fitness or a string of minor and even some more serious aches and pains that are the problem.   Be it as it may Vermeulen will have to come to the party in the EOYT tests - unlike Meyer Erasmus is not going to empty the hospital wards to pick a WC squad.   

As the rest of the SA team.

Two tests out of three were played in altitude. The EN squad did not bother to train in altitude.

It is written on the walls.

This SA player took a diplomatic move and avoided telling where his motivation lies: money.

The incoming 4Ns and November tests results will give plenty of opportunities for SA people on this board to blame quota players.

Howzit STUPID!

People on this board blames stupid quota policies, not the players. We are glad that all players give their all. Much more than we can say about yhe admin and politicians.