Marcel Brache

 I have a question and maybe we can have some debate on this. Let the guys that are all for the big guy also join and we can have a nice little Discussion as this has been bugging me for a few days.

Ek

I was not very impressed by Brache when he played for the Stormers - but we know that the backline of the Stormers were disfunctional.   However, in the recent CC games he played in against the Bulls and the Griquas he was a real star player.

Personally I have no problem with him playing on higher level - especially since he has the capacity to break the line and off-load effectively in tackle situationsn - ualities not really in evidence at present at Springbok level.. 

 Mike I don't know how much you have seen of him, But i agree the one or two times that he has played for the Stormers he was not that impressive. however the multiple time he has played for UCT, and WP teams in the last few years showed his promised. The thing is most of us only watch the big teams play and we forget that somwhere along the line a player might get lost in the system. Now this guy is by no means a Super star. What he is is a link, and his maturity in the way he does it these days gives me alot of confidance in him so far so that I would rather let him play inside centre than Jean or Juan.

Ek the guys will be tested next year at Super 15 level and will take a  pounding unles he gets stronger. He does however have talent and needs only now to work on his conditioning. Get up to 96 kg with no loss of speed and he will be in busines.

Jan Serfontein I believe  is already 96 kg. Pat Howard is already 100 kg. How big will the next generation of backline players be. They are not getting smaller.

that is part of the Argument Beeno, The bigger we go the more skill we lose, as we are trying to smash it up. I think we on the wrong path here. There shouldn't be this argument of how big will the next backline players be? The srgument should be how skillfull will the future backline players be irrelevant of their size. If they are big and skillfull good, if they are small and skillfull fine. as long as they are skilfull.

beeno the game is played on grass not a weight scale....for everyone involved in the game or those who has played the game. size is important but its not the alfa and omega of rugby. there are junior players here in stellies that bench 160kg and they weigh around 100 kg (this one person i am talking about is a flank) and he outmuscles everyone. its about explosive power and how it us used.

one can be big but then the flipside of getting bigger is losing speed and skill and it poses a different kettle of fish to keep evolving skillsets. the obsession with size is the main reason that our players are mindless donkeys. the players just need to be conditioned to not be overrun but skills and speed training should be paramount if and when on is a backline player. there is fine line that one needs to keep.