Gelant
Nkosi
Am
de Allende
Kolbe
Pollard
Reinach
Vermeulen
Smith
Brits
du Toit
Snyman
Kitshoff
Mbonambi
Malherbe
Marx
Mtawarira
du Toit (T)
Mostert
Louw
de Klerk
Willemse
Steyn
The jabs require two elements from the opposition - pace and forward dominance so here goes:p
15 Le Roux
14 Nkosi
13 Am
12 De Allende
11 Kolbe
10 Pollard
9 Reinach
8 Vermeulen
7 Du Toit
6 Kolisi
5 De Jager
4 Etzebeth
3 Malherbe
2 Mbonambi
1 Mtawarira
16 Marx. 17 Kitshoff, 18 Koch, 19 Snyman, 20 Smith, 21 Jantjies, 22 Willemse, 23 Mapimpi
15 Willie LeRoux
14 Kolbe
13 Am
12 De Allende
11 Mapimpi (I prefer Nkosi, but a bit late to change now).
10 Pollard
9 Faff
8 Vermeulen
7 Du Toit
6 Francois Louw (However, Kolisi will be chosen for nation-building)
5 De Jager
4 Etzebeth
3 Malherbe
2 Mbonambi
1 Mtawarira
Bench:
Is it 7 players on the bench, or 8 players? I thought it was 7
15 Kolbe
14 Nkosi
13 Am
12 De Allende
11 Mapimpi
10 Pollard
9 De Klerk
8 Vermeulen
7 PS du Toit
6 Kolisi (capt)
5 Snyman
4 Etzebeth
3 T du Toit
2 Mbonambi
1 Mtawarira
SB
It is always 8 - 2 props, 1 hooker, 1 lock, 1 loosie, 1 scrummie and 2 other backline players, Some teams sometimes play 2 backline players and adds a forward - it happened in the Canada - SA game I believe.
In the case of your team I think the Springboks will need more pace than Louw and Steyn could provide.
Dup
Starters:
Gelant, Nkosi, de Allende, Steyn, Kolbe, Pollard, Reinach, Beast, Marx, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Snyman, Smith, du Toit (WP), Vermeulen (Capt).
Bench:
Kock, du Toit (Sharks), Brits, Mostert, Willemse, H. Jantjies, Am, Mapimpi.
Easy as pie
Elton Jantjies at 10 bwhaaahaaaaa
My team ... good, but beatable)
Here goes:
15 Le Roux (not too brilliant lately)
14 Nkosi
13 Am
12 De Allende
11 Kolbe
10 Pollard
9 Reinach (weak point)
8 Vermeulen
7 Du Toit (he is my modern equivalent for Juan Smith)
6 Kolisi (weak point)
5 De Jager
4 Etzebeth (weak point)
3 Malherbe (weak point)
2 Mbonambi
1 Mtawarira
16 Marx. 17 Kitshoff, 18 Koch, 19 Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Mapimpi
The biggest change I'd like to see is Nkosi over Mapimpi. Warrior vs Connect The D ots.
In the above there is a lot of talk about Steyn and Louw - but there is no talk about "horses for courses", If it was against a slower NH team like Wales the selection of Louw and Steyn might be justified, but the game is against speedsters - not the slow coaches the Japanese beat thus far in the WC.
I think that Erasmus in the Japan test will not veer far from the team that beat the Japanese in the warm-up game. He is only going to look at potentially leaving out Mostert from the day team - the latter was not good enough thus far in any WC games and so far Snyman was in the main part of the "bomb: squad".
The worrying factor is that Pollard thus far is not very hot and Steyn is even less so. Steyn's defense thus far in the WC was not very hot - against the Canadians it was seriously poor - and the fact is that defense is extremely important in the series.
It was indeed a pity that Co etzee was sent back from the WC - he is already playing for Uklster again and was apparently not as serious an injury as was originally thought, I would have preferred him to Louw 100%.
15. Kwagga
14. Kwagga
13. Kwagga
12. Kwagga
11. Kwagga
10. Pollard
9. Faf
1. Kitshoff
2. Marx
3. Malherbe
4. Snyman
5. Snyman
6. Snyman
7. Snyman
8. Snyman
Bench
4 x Kwagga
4 x Snyman
I think this is a well balanced side.
Saffex ur team at the top seems to be best team SA could put on the park - I dont know any changes they would / could make...
Main reason Ireland lost was they started a second string team... can't see SA having any trouble at least 20pts+ in this match... main thing is to keep injury / suspension free in key positions... as I dont think saffas have enough depth to go on and win GF without a pollard / marx / even faf...
1. Kitshoff (no choice here ... best loosehead in the squad)
2. Marx
3. Malherbe (no decent alternative)
4. Snyman
5. Lood
6. Kwagga (only recognised fetcher) would have
preferred Jaco Kriel
7. Du Toit
8. Vermeulen (best of the elderly folks ... sadly best 8 left at home)
9. Jantjies
10 Pollard
(cpt)
11 Nkosi
12 De Allende (no decent alternative)
13 Am (useless ... no choice here)
14 Le Roux (useless but an improvement on Mapimpi)
15 Kolbe
16 Brits (no choice here ... better than the midget)
17 Beast (no choice here)
18 Koch
19 Etzebeth
20 Mostert - (no choice here ... Louw is simply not test match material and the quota outa should be sent home)
21 Reinach - (better than the over rated Faff)
22 Gelant - (no choice here ... simply useless but better than the useless Steyn)
23 Willemse - (no choice ... very green ... can cover 10, well barely)
Saffex has a good side.
Given the high tempo first half the Japs play I would start with Bongi who looks more energetic and mobile. Hence also Kitshoff starting. Hence also Kock at tight head on the bench.
I would prefer Britz as the loosie reserve. Kwagga has been a flop. Britz is fast, has superb vision and is creative. Tougher also than Kwagga.
Saffex has a good side but maybe Herschel should be initiated as the starter and not the bench for a change..wary of Faf' s box kicks against the Blossoms...glad to see Kolbe fit
Plum,
Get set for Chippo to give you the family connection for Kwagga and Snyman.
It's pretty obvious why my teams the best team. Pollard can't tackle as a 10 and he's better carrying than any of the other 12s. This guy is an upgrade. Steyj is better than Am and Kriel is injured and is sure as hell a better idea than Gelant and Nkosi. Sure, play these guys at 13 in a quarter final against a team you've never beat before... what could possibly frickin go wrong hahaha...
You got a triple fetcher loose trio and they can all carry the ball. That's gonna give your backs a ton of ball and now that you got two centres that can play the ball out your only strength... the wings... can get into the game. Tada! Obvious solution to your shitty problems of not being able to get any attack going. And if you wanna kick you can kick all across your backs. It's so simple but you can't even get THAT.
I like Willemse as a 10 but it would be dumb as hell to play him at 10 now in a knockoff game. Elton whether you love him or hate him is a better passer of the ball than Pawlard and will get that ball wide and much more quickly. Play to your strengths and that is your wings not your totally dumb big plodders.
Sorry you got triggered bitch. See you in the finals if you don't get skewered by the locals... again. Let's see where your big fat arrogant mouth leads you.
Oh anf it sure sounds like you care a lot. Man you are such a damn queen. Think you're better than everyone else wake the hell up you are a sad pathetic joke. Get that into your thick skull dumbass!
Ha! Got your sorry ass beat huh fat boy?? Go cry to mum my about the big bad colonial assault you just took. Hahahaha!
Dave
Come at me bro Is another name Liza Page aka AO is using to punt his BS on site is worthy of ignoring, Not worth responding to that idiot,
I'd have Kolbe at 15 and Mapimpi and Nkosi on the wings that way there's speed in the back three. Willie would be on the bench. Reinach is playing with confidence and rewarded by starting off the bench. Bongi would start ahead of Marx. The balance of the team picks itself, six of one half a dozen of another but perhaps Snyman ahead of Lood.
Any objections to Kolbe at 15 then go with Malherbe.
Kolbe at 15 does mitigate the size disadvantage later on against more physical teams, but that shouldn't be a problem against Japan. That said, he does punch well above his weight. If the rest of the line is secure, his defence is generally sound. He is our most effective right wing. Mapimpi and Kolbe, with Nkosi next in line.
I don't rate Thomas or Koch. Malherbe has fa llen well off the pace this year. For all the negativity coming Marx' way, he is still statistically our most effective hooker against serious competition. Some seem to be deceived by the Brits delusion. Mbonambi is a solid performer, he has genuinely played very well. His tackling stats are especially strong.
The back row is an unnecessarily complicated situation. Rassie has no intention of remaining coach after this WC, so why not be bold and demote Kolisi? We don't have a clear blindsider outside of Mostert. Louw must start, that is imperative.
The halfbacks are easier, as Faf is the best distributor of the three 9s. Reinach doesn't have the skills to be a quality test 9, his passing remains poor. At best, he showed that he can run very fast and hack the ball downfield. He wasn't required to send pin-point high balls down on a quality defensive unit. He is thus much the same as he ever was. Faf is our disruptor and a key catalyst of structured and opportunistic attacking movement.
Pollard, contrary to opinion, is still our premier 10. There was talk of Frans occupying flyhalf, and that isn't a bad option given the current Bok blueprint, however, he is the best 12 in the squad. Our only realistic option. Am is our best 13, still underrated. If we lose either Am or Frans, we become significantly more vulnerable.
Willie is still important at 15, though we haven't seen the very best of him under Rassie's very limited gameplan. Remember that, the gameplan is failing our players.
When you watch the Boks, look at the arrangement of players, where they are moving the ball and how they are moving cross the width of the field from each phase. There are very obvious patterns and directions to our play. When you see our attack is struggling, you'll see that our patterns and plays are not effective. This is a gameplan issue.
Good post ad I'm glad you're not objecting to my alternative at Fullback.
