Meyer identifies players who have it

Ex an article by keo appearing in the Business Day Sports Supplement which executives like me get sapster!  No sharing coffe mugs as in your damp underground london basement office daveou!!!

Meyer actually makes some good noises and I wish I had this electronically so I could post more details.

Briefly then, he mentions Etzebeth in glowing terms. Likes he controlled aggression - not a hot head like the young Bakkies was. Thinks he will be a special internatioanl player.

Also Goosen is very highly rated - a rare breed of player who at 20 plays with the confidence andmaturity of a veteran.

These players are mentioned:

Goosen, Etzebeth, Coenie, Coetzee, Taute, Stander and JJ Engelbrecht. He also singles out Adriaan Strauss as bolstering his hooker reserves and as a possibe  Bok captain. He is very impressed with Duanne Vermuelen who would have been chosen if he had been available.

Only trouble is I am always 100% clear on who Meyer is punting and who Keo is punting!!

Glaring ommission is Elsatdt. Thankfully Meyer appears to recognise that Strauss  is way ahead of the average chilli Boy.

He says these players should feature at internatioanl level within the next 18 months or sooner

Well, It appears that Meyer and myself are on the same page re Adriaan Strauss. When I suggested him as interim Kapitan a few weeks ago the idea was frowned upon. Wat se jy nou Beeno Hmmm....not such a bad idea afterall especially for those who believe in picking their captain first. Sure Bismark is suppose to be the No1 Hooker in the country but with the dearth of choices for the Bok captaincy circumstances have changed dramatically. And let's face it JDV is not really the ideal choice to lead the Boks unless of course there is no-one else better for the role. Strauss leads from the front, he's a fine hooker, outstanding in general play, has the heart of a Lion and is a genuine rugga man who does not go MIA, above all he has the respect of the players. If Bismark has to be warming the bench then so be it, until of course a final decision is made on who is going to lead the Boks to the next WC. But  in the interim,Meyer can do a lot worse by not picking Adriaan.

Denny I am a great admirer of Adriaan Strauss and he is probably, apart from Schalk possibly, the best captain In South Africa. 

That said I would be loath to drop Bisse if we were playing a powerful pack. Bissie is the real deal.He Etzebeth, Schalk, Vermulen and Elstadt are the hard men we need. But it would not be a disaster if Strauss were picked. He is a fine player and excellent leader. 

I do not think Jean will let the side down as a captain either.  He certainly will get the nod at 13. Taute can understudy him for now.

Strauss has been good but I would choose Chili as the back up to Bismark

And who would you choose as Bok Captain?

Thats the million dollar question. If Jean De villiers is selected then he could be captain......otherwise Pierre Spies.

Agreed blue, Bismark walks it with his eyes closed and I'd have Chiliboy as my back-up. Chiliboy did not need a mention from Meyer as he is already part of the Bok 22.

As for captain, you choose your best 15 players and select a captain from those 15. You dont select a captain because he happens to be a good one, if he is not the best in his position - its called basics unless of course you want to sell the Bok side short.

What makes Strauss such a good captain anyway, same can be said of Schalk and co. The only standout captain we had was Smit, the current crop hardly set the world alight in the leadership stakes. Josh Strauss looks the best leader of the S15 lot

I am just throwing this out there, but Chilli has been a bok captain before, and he has had a very good 12 months or so. Now, I will be the first to admit that I was very pissed off when he was included in the Springbok mix a few years ago, because he hadn't earned it. But things have changed and he is playing some good rugga at the moment. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not saying he is better or worse than Strauss, but he is an option. Strauss is a more traditional front rower Strong, heavy etc, while Chilli is more of a modern hooker, that plays like a loosie/fetcher. Horses for courses may be the answer, depending on the opposition.

Ps. I don't think Chilli is the answer as captain, just a possible candidate to back up Bizzie from the bench. Maybe a captain of the future.....

I can only post a link here for those that want to hear.

some Info, seems Adriaan strauss is a very big candidate.

http://www.unionsportsmag.co.za/adriaan-strauss-to-captain-the-boks-via-ballzradio/#more-3387

Agreed, Chiliboy was a token a few years back but has come on in a big way in the past 18 months and is on a par with Strauss, he has the edge for political reasons, but it a merit player through and through. Bismark is the best hooker in the game, Strauss and Chiliboy are right up there though

 Blue2...where do you live in OZ or NZ.

No way is Chilliboy in the same class as Strauss or Bismark.

Spies for Captain...whow you must really dislike SA rugby.

Remember not everyting has to be BLUE!!!!

Regards.