Jan Serfontein for Bok 12

We have lost Frans this weekend, had the Baby Boks not been playing in the final this Friday, I would have preferred to see him at 12 ahead of Olvier. This kid is pure class

Saffex

We disagree often on issues - but in this case I agree totally.   He should be Junior Player of the Year and the sooner he gets a chance on higher level - the better.

 Plus with Wynand Leaving the Bulls soon, we might see serfontein in a bok jersey sooner rather than Later. He just needs to usurp Venter at the bulls first. Imagine Sadie on fire, with Serfontein inside him, damn that can be a good combo. Yes i know sadie has not fired yet. I am just waiting, cause a guy can't be that good one year and useless the next.

i dont think he is ready for the big leagues yet. maybe in year or so but he needs to be developed and i fear the bulls dont have the right backline personal and skills development to do his talent justice. i fear he will turn into another wynand "battering ram" which will bash into his opposing number to only setup another phase for the bulls fowards. i really hope he moves to another province.

 From the looks of it the Cheetahs backline will probably be his best fit, but will he get gametime. ahhhh choices choice for the younones. Too bad he can't move, already on contract at the bulls.

oh well lets hope he gets the help he needs to develop into a great center....if history serves as a barometer he wont get all the tools he needs to be the best

Talk of shoving serfontein straight into the Boks is not sound thinking at all. Do not assume he can make this big jump and have the same impact. Allow the guy to play some super rugby first and then see how ready he is. Or take him on tour and let him play some mid week matchs.

There is a vast gap between junior level and playing the best in the world!!! Sanity oh sanity where hast thou fled.

Stop being so conservative Beeno. If the choice was between Olivier and Serfontein at 12 for the Boks, I'd select Serfontein

i would also chance my hand with serftontein but that is all up to the selectors and coach. really hope they select young players and try to blood them with the current crop of players. to be honest we need to build for rwc 2015 now...20 year olds is a perfect stepping stone to start from and the younger they are in the system the better

What a joke. Wynand has been your man year in an year out Saapp. Even when scored one try in 35 odd tests....he was still your man. And now you want to start a kid in diapers ahead of him. It would even be disastrous for the kid.Your selection model has some serious problems.

i am really happy wynand is going overseas...so happy in fact i wont mind packing his bags for him

Moz given your conservative outlook, I'm hardly surprised to hear your take. Get real, Olivier has always been my back-up 12, what is with you and never stating the facts when it comes to me. Instead you twist them in some warped way to make a point. I have NEVER selected Olivier ahead of Jean and Frans at 12 and you know it. Its the same with countless players, hell in your books I selected Ludik at 15 and Murray at 13 for the Boks? Somehow Deysel gets thrown in as well.

I have always backed Olivier, but he is done, much like a number his age are. If it was a choice between Olivier and Serfontein for the Bok 12 spot, I'd select Serfontein and why not? The guy should walk the U20 player of the year award, have you seen him play? I guess not

Er Dave point out where I said you would choose Olivier ahead of Jean? The fact is you always rated Olivier.....just as you always rated Ludik and Murray. If they got chosen for the Boks, eg because of injury, you would have jumped up and down in glee. Engelbrecht is now in that group as was Sadie before he totally tanked.

My point is none of these players have a prayer of outplaying their direct TN opponent....so why pick em?

As for this youngster, time will tell, but that time isn't now. You don't catapult a player into tests before he plays CC and S15. In fact you can't make an informed judgement as to how good he is, until he he plays at top level, with the increases in tempo and shrinkage in space that implies. Until he confirms he can still look good when the opposition is test calibre....we don't have a clue as to his potential.

This is ironic, because your undying support of Olivier came precisely from his performance in junior rugby. And here you are abandoning one junior attachment for another. Learning isn't a strong point!

Wrong Moz, a player like Olivier was always good enough for test rugby, but he was not better than Jean. Olivier at his best was no worse than SBW now or a player like McCabe for Oz now.

If a player is good enough he is old enough and at times players have started test rugby having played little or no first class rugby - James O'Connor being an example, Halfpenny being another.

I dont recall seeing Olivier at U20 level, but I am not sure what your point is here? I raved about Etzebeth last year as an U20, he is a Bok now. Serfontein looks in the same league, the likeness to Danie Gerber has been thrown about - not my call mind you.

My point however, was that if it was a choice between Olivier and Serfontein, I would go with the kid as the old man is done

Moz and Saffex

I don't want to get involved in a disagreement on the issue of Serfontei.   I think he is better than Olivier was at the stage that Olivier was a Junior.    I also think that Serfontein is an excellent prospect and would like to see him on the squad for the Springboks - but he will not start since they have Francois Steyn as no 12.   Howver, in the longer run - he will definitely be one of the better centers in SA.   He could be around in the case of injuries and also when Jean ultimately leave the game.   However - Jean is captain for the rest of this year and if successful may even be next year.

im a big fan of this serfontein and if hes been playing all year the way he did in his game against the argentinians, then IRB junior player of the year for sure. but being good at u20 level dosent mean ur going to be good at spXV level, let alone international.

he needs to go through the proper channels and build and earn his Bok jersey. to say nothing of the lack of synergy he would have with everyone in the team.