Ex Keo
Snapster will have a fit hearing this. Keo picks Jean and Jaque as the Bok centers for WC 2015!!
Every South African rugby supporter is a selector. So who is your pick – by the position – and in an ideal world? Today the focus is on inside centre.
The boys at SA Rugby Magazine and myself will be picking our ideal Bok XV over the next two weeks.
Every day will be a different position. Check it out and pick your team here. You go into a draw to win two tickets to the Springboks v All Blacks at Ellis Park. Air fares and accommodation included.
It’s not about just who is fit at the moment. We want to establish the ideal Fans XV in the build-up to the World Cup.
Who, by weight of public opinion, is the ideal Bok run on XV.
Today I look at inside centre. My pick is Jean de Villiers.(For this year sure but 2o15? maybe but its uncertain)
Jan Serfontein is the future at inside centre and his big World Cup will be in 2019, if he remains injury free, but I feel De Villiers still has one World Cup in him. I also believe he is the best inside centre in South Africa and one of the best in the world.(Agree as it stands now)
His experience is invaluable. He commands respect internationally and he has presence. The midfield combination of De Villiers and Fourie would still rank among the most imposing in the game. Factor in Serfontein to come off the bench and you are looking at something special.(And JJ ??? Wing?)
De Villiers understands the nuances of Test rugby, just like Tana Umanga did for the All Blacks. The New Zealanders erred in not taking Umanga to the 2007 World Cup. His experience would have been a huge asset and De Villiers can play a similar role in 2015.
The national coach and Stormers management simply have to manage him effectively in the next 18 months. He also captains my team.
On Wednesday I looked at outside centre. There is only one player for me. Jaque Fourie.
He was the best outside centre in the game before he left for Japan and he is good enough to reclaim that position when he returns in 2015 to challenge for a World Cup place.
Fourie is like Wallabies legend George Smith. It doesn’t matter that he has been playing in Japan for the last two seasons. It may have added longevity to his career and I could still see him playing a season or two in Europe post the 2015 World Cup.
Fourie is the package deal at No 13. The closest to Fourie in South Africa is JJ Engelbrecht, in terms of power and pace. But Englebrecht doesn’t yet have the experience of Fourie and he doesn’t have the natural understanding of defensive structures. He is an investment and he will play in the Rugby Championship. But in an ideal Bok XV with an eye on the 2015 World Cup, Fourie is my man.
The right wing position has belonged exclusively to one man since 2006 – and he is JP Pietersen.
The former Sharks winger’s only weakness is his line kicking game. It has never been good, but outside of that he offers everything that s good about a world class winger. He is imposing in physique, strong in the tackle and invariably uses the touchline well. He will be at his peak in 2015, given he was just 21 years-old when he won the World Cup in 2007.
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who assisted Jake White with the Boks in the 2007 World Cup campaign, rated Pietersen the better rugby player over Bryan Habana. Jones said Habana was an outstanding athlete and a very good rugby player but that that as far as wingers go Pietersen was the more complete winger. Jones referred to Pietersen’s ‘functional intelligence’ as one of his qualities as a winger.
Jones said this functional intelligence on a rugby field meant the player read the game well and understood the nuances of wing play. His off the ball contribution was as good as his impact with ball in hand.
My pick on Monday at fullback: Jaco Taute.
I know he is currently injured but I am thinking in terms of having the best available side to win back the World Cup. Who would I play in a World Cup final at Twickenham?
Taute experienced a horror season with the Stormers and got injured early in the season. But a fit Taute would be my choice to start at fullback for the Springboks.
I’d utilise Wille le Roux as an impact player or on the wing as a starting option. Taute, in competitions like the Rugby Championship and end-of-year tours to Europe and the United Kingdom, offers greater solidity and presence at fullback. He has a strong kicking game and his physicality and pace could add a dimension to the potency of the Bok back-three unit.
Taute’s skill set complements the likes of Bryan Habana and say Le Roux on the wing, or even a Gio Aplon or Bjorn Basson. But I feel the Boks in their build towards the World Cup, have to invest in Taute more as a fullback than outside centre.
Here’s what the boys at SA Rugby Magazine think.
Now let me know what you think.
My ideal Bok XV so far (with 2015 World Cup in mind)
15. Jaco Taute
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Jean de Villiers (capt)
