Meyer's starting team might have some surprises

....to some fans that is. But if you accept he wants to start by winning, and really only has confidence in crash ball and kick and chase, things narrow down a bit.

I think Meyer wants taller chappies for the chase, will be worried about the lineout and so will supplement the jumpers by picking tall loosies and will not pick any Bok to start, who has not played in tests, where he has a choice. Kicking prowess trumps everything. With these restrictions in mind I believe he will choose as follows:

Lambie, JP, Jean, Fransie, Habana, Steyn and Pienaar

Beast, Bismarck, Jannie, Alberts, Flip Flop, Kruger, Kankowski and Spies.

I think he will keep Lambie rather than Kirchner, because the backlash on further Bools bias will be vicious if postings on other sites are typical of feelings.  Habana so overshadowed Basson, that even if the latter is the best jumper....he can't pull that one off. Pienaar will be chosen ahead of Hougaard, who at times looked like a deer in the headlights today and Pienaar is the much better kicker.

In the pack the front row is obvious, but the rest isn't. Flip Flop is his only capped lock....he will choose him. Having done that Kruger will get the nod. Among the loosies the fact that he chose Kankan at all suggests there is some support for him....and unlike Potgieter, Coetzee and  Daniels, he has test experience. I'm going with Kankan.

With Pienaar, and Lambie  providing lots of options.....only two backs will be chosen as subs. Hougaard and probably Olivier will get the nod.

That leaves 5 options in the pack. I think Kruger and Oosthuizen are picked. Etzebeth gets the lock nod....Chili ( after all he is a Bool) is chosen over the much superior Strauss.......and the  loosie sub spot  goes to Keegan Daniels ( a bit of political manna here).

Players with zero chance of getting in the 22 are Coetzee (who was outplayed by Minnie), Engelbrecht (especially after losing the Stormers game, even Bools must be  pissed), Jantjies...chip kicks aren't part of the plan, Mvovo who is too fragile on defence,Vermaak, van der Merwe and poor Adrian Strauss a lionhearted player.

Yes, that is more than likely going to happen. He would have done himself more favours by selecting Joe Pietersen.

Mozart

I agree with you on most of your selections with two possible exceptions and those are Pietersen and Coetzee.   Pietersen was done in by his poor display today and I think Mvovo would be in the starting line up.   Coertzee played at 6 today and outplayed every loosie on display in the Sharks game as well as the Bulls one.

I think that Kankan is not selected as a potential flank - he has not really played there ever.  He is there if Spies fails at no 8.   My own feeling is that Coetzee is a definite ahead of the other loosies.   As such that would mean a slight change.  

Insofar as bench players are concerned - the one definite NOT on the bench is Olivier.   I agree about two back line players -  Hougaard is one and the other could be another all rounder - and that would be Engelbrecht. or with much hessitation as he can only play at wing (he is not a cente's backside) is Pietersen     Olivier is too poor an all-round player and defender to qualify..

Amongst the orwards there are two certainties - namely Kruger and Oosthuizen.   Despite his poor display in recent games -  the other certainty is Chilliboy.   That leaves us with two options which could be a flank or lock and the other an all-rounder.   I think Meyer would pick Ertzebeth - if he is not starting ahead of Kruger - in which event Kruger will be on the bench, and Kankan to cover for a potential areocious performance by Spies.

Incidentally the poorest performer today of all the loosies was Alberts - hence his early replacement.   He could be used as an impact player - but I think he is on the way out.

The 6 interesting players that will be added to the squad of 32 is also very enlightening and then there are some players in the Junior team as well that could be destined for higher honours.   The six could come into the mix if one of the selected players gets injured.    This would leave the way open for a player like Malherbe who got yellow-carded - whilst a Bull player who did the same thing was left on the field.    He definitely outscrummed the Bulls props today and was better in the tight elements of the game. 

Yes Der Aristokrat - Pietersen is better by a mile than Kirchner - and so is Aplon.  Kirchner is bound to fall by the wayside - sooner rather than later. 

it has not been the best referee display by Kaplan today.   That 'try awarded today to Spies was no try at all and was the result of the wrong question asked by Kaplan and the spear tackle by the Bulls player should have been a yellow card as well.    I know that one objective of Kaplan always seems to be to favour the Bulls - but it did not work today - did it?     

Aplon is a better defender than Kirchner, Kirchner is the better runner by a considerable margin. Joe Pietersen is the more complete fullback of the three, whilst Lambie is just another fullback in the mix of little significance.