Labuschagne to Captain Japan in their test against Fiji

This from news24:-

"Former Cheetahs and Bulls flanker Lappies Labuschagne will captain Japan on his Test debut when they tackle Fiji in Kamaishi on Saturday.

The 30-year-old played for the Cheetahs between 2011 and 2014, before playing for the Bulls in 2015 and 2016.

He then joined the Kubota Spears in Japan and also played Super Rugby for the Sunwolves.

Labuschagne has qualified for the Japanese national team having fulfilled World Rugby's three-year eligibility criteria.

Another South African, lock/flank Wimpie van der Walt, will be on the bench for the Pacific Nations Cup match on Saturday. He has already earned nine Test caps for Japan since making his debut in 2017.

"It's a massive honour and privilege to play in the Brave Blossoms jersey representing a great country like Japan," Labuschagne told the Japan Times."

Is this not the guy who was ranked in Foxsport as the best loosie in Super Rugby and the idiotic Meyer ignored when picking the Springbok squad as the best ball protector and recovering that series with the highest tackle count?   Was this not the case where Alberts and later on Juan Smith was picked and where he also picked the player who was a stand-in for Labuschagne at the Cheetahs as a 7

Maybe I am wrong, because our "experts"  on site is always right or think they are.  Lets take the following into account:-

*   Simpletons raved when Smith was picked to play against Argentina - has only test under Meyer.  He was an absolute disgrace in that game and he himself afterwards apologized for his foul-ups in the game.

*   AO - or whatever his user name was at that stage - wrote on site that Mohoje was a better loosie than McCaw,

*   Mozart still claims that Alberts was good in ball protection and recovery and at one stage wrote that he on his own pushed the whole opposition forward pack off the ball.   Alberts was too slow to get to breakdown points and when he did often enough stood around outside of rucks so that the ball could be passed to him for his "magnificent"  ball carries which resulted in an average gain of 2,2 meters per carry.  In all tests not ONE case where he recovered a ball from the opposition and make a turnover.   

 I am always amazed at what the claimed "experts" write on site.   That is why I think there knowledge of the game is near to ZERO.      

I said Mohoje was a better player than McCaw? Quote me. I dare you. I actually commented on that game last year. Two fails with one stone. 

Lappies: He was not Bok material. I can't imagine he'd have bettered Alberts running all over the English and forming a lethal breakdown and ball carrying trio with Thor and Louw - our last great and most successful loose trio. 

Juan Smith : He was not the player he was, obviously. He ran two runs for 2m, but he did make 8 tackles missing 2. He wasn't very prominent in the game overall, he did not turn up as a problem player like Lood. Seeing as he is the greatest Bok 7 since readmission, and we were struggling at 7 after Albert's injury, it was worth looking at Juan and seeing what he could do. As we learned throughout 2014, Coetzee was not the answer. Furthermore, who was raving? As I recall, everyone was cautiously optimistic at best. There were a lot of doubters though. Unless of course you can provide a quote. You are afterall the resident revisionist historian. 

AO

I am trying to tell you not to use Idiot Speak on site and you persisted with it.

You praised Mohoje as being better than McCaw in 2014 - CC has admit that as well.   Remember the other two comparisons you are famous for - Kirchner is a better full back than Folau and Morne Steyn is a better flyhalf than Carter,   It was in that period of utter idiocy that you came up with the Mohoje story.   So Mohoje was test material and Labuschagne was not. LMAO    

Alberts had been created as a power player - but he was slow, lazy and stupid - all in one- with zero ball sense.   He did have test average carry of 2,2 meters and a Super Rugby average carry of 1,8 meters.   That is an amazing carry average for any loosie.   Alberts NEVER ran over any opposing players and the claim that he did is as false as our site "experts" are.   Ask Read and other loosies about his tackling ability.  There was a Super Rugby game between the Sharks and the Cheetahs in I think 2013 - where Erasmus sored a try and was all over Alberts in all aspoects o the game.

Now to the Smith story - suddenly the site "experts" did  not rave about his selection for that Argentina test and the story the formost "expert" tells us Smith was not a problem player in that game and then adds the BS addition that De Jager was one.    As to Smith he was a problem player and he recognized it himself and apologized to the nation about his performance - I rather believe him than you I am afraid.   For a loosie 2 carries in a whole match making 2 meters is acceptable and yes - his tackling stats equates with the Alberts normal figures and for you it would be acceptable - it never was.   Be it as it may  Smith should never have been selected and he never was selected again.

We are so privileged to have rugby "experts" on site.  In the case of Labuschange he is not bok material - but he was selected not only as a team player but as Japan captain.  Remember what happened in the last test SA played against Japan - I think it was in 2015?

I am happy to say that whatever the site "experts" come up with take the opposite view and you will be correct.                      

Duplicat e

Bit sad really, imo.  ........ by all means pick him, but find a Jap for captain.

LMAO

Mozart was  the classic admirer that said 90%  of the role of the flyhalf is to kick balls and Omlett agree with him.  

By the way - you are right about AO being  "the least knowledgeable rugby poster on this site and should be treated as comic relief"  Nobody could have explained that one better - but dioes he really beat Mozart and Pakie for that description - I think he may win by a nose in that race.   

LMAO .