15 Jessie Kriel, 14 S’bu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende
11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Frans Steyn, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Francois Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Interesting choices. Not a bad side, aside from Damian and Coetzee.
Apparently, Steyn was brought in to deputise as flyhalf for Pollard. Rassie must know that Elton is not to the cut so why not play Steyn and leave Pollard on the bench. Rassie is running out of time to find answers.
My team was given already. AO - just one thing - you apparently pray and hope that the Argentinians win the game - hence your mad suggestions as to players to be selected. So lets look where the players you picked was shit in previous tests.
* Frans Steyn's defense is substandard - always was both on test and Super Rugby level - his kicking game a disaster - breaking the SR record for possession handovers mostly through poor kicking in 2014 - and his defense is putrid to an extent that his Club did not play him at flyhalf or center this year and contracted Goosen and Serfontein to play in those positions an d from next year adding Pollard to the mix and letting the useless Fransie go
* Am's defense last year and on Saturday were nightmares amd he did less on Saturday;
* Erasmus asked the Lions last year to try out Mostert at 7 and they did for three matches and he was a total flop - so they moved him back to lock
Last year the center pairing you now want was playing in Argentina and their backline ran through the two centers you suggest like a sieve. It was not only the tackles they missed - it was also the cases where the two did not even try to make tackles - where things went totally wrong. Steyn is useless and I suspect that rather than him - Erasmus would have Esterhuizen on the bench - you need a bit of a rugby brain to play on test level and neither of the three can be credited with that.
Being in contention for the RC trophy - Erasmus would field his top team rather than the duds you prefer. No experimentation in the Salga test - it may happen again in the warm-up matches to follow.
The fact is I do not think Faf will play in the Salga test due to his concussion injury and the scrummies will be Jantjies and Reinach at scrummie.
The locks is likely to be De Jager, Etzebeth and Snyman on the bench.
Jantjies may be the bench flyhalf and Esterhuizen the bench center. Fransie will be nowhere in sight.
LMAO
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Frans is one of the best defenders we've had. Of all the SA backs I have seen, only Andre can match his power. Very versatile and skilled.
@Den: I'm not sure what Rassie is thinking. He keeps chopping and changing. I don't think Jantjies is useless, but Frans at 10 is a better option in a must-win knock-on style game. Better suited to Rassie's ultra conservative game based on physicality.
Dream on about Esterhuizen and Steyn as defenders. They are both poor and can be run around with ease.
He put Steyn in the side against the AB's to back up Pollard - but when De Allende and Am were replaced he used Steyn at 12 where he failed. Esterhuizen also failed against the Aussies - but Steyn was worse. so he will likely fall back on Esterhuizen as a bench player. Both are not test level players - his ex-Club got rid of Steyn because he was totally useless at Flyhalf and Center - but then you supported Morne when he was the bench player for Stade Francais to play as test flyhalf for SA - your latest suggestion is equally s tupid.
Duplication
I posted Esterhuizen's entire 2018 season, go show me how easy it was to run around him.
Interesting picks, but I would keep the team the same the one that played against the All Blacks.
I just feel that we need to try and get the combination right for the WC. I would use the other 2 remaining matches to give the other guys a run.
For me I would have
15 Le Roux / Kriel (Covers back 11,14, 13 15 )
14 Kolbe
13 Am
12 Steyn (In for Delande)
11 Nkosi
10 Pollard / Jantjies
9 Reinach / Jantjes (Faf Injured concussion)
8 Vermeulen
7 Louw
6 Coetzee / Kwagga
5 Mostert
4 RG / Etzebeth (The argies will try to get under Etz skin)
3 Nyakan / Koch
2 Marks / Bongi
1 Beast / Kitshoff
I have left some players out given that they had already played more than 100 min and we need to give some of the other a go without to much disruption
Kingcorm
Do you really think that in a match that can be a decider as to who wins the RC Cup Erasmus would experiment with players and bring in the players that made a major contribution to last years loss against Argentina?
I think despite all the hype by some - Erasmus would have evaluated what Steyn brings to the game and by now he would have about a 5% chance of being in the WC squad.
I think that Mostert will not play - he was doing nothing in the Tight 5 to add value and what he did around the park was so-so as well.
What did Vermeulen really do - somethings were positive, but a player that cost his team a lot giving away 10 out of the 16 po ints they scored means failure and bad failure at that.
Saffex has the best side bar Wilco Louw and Faf
In place of Louw put in Nyakane. Faf had concussion so start with Reinach or Jantjes.
Bench Beast, Bongi, Lood, Malherbe, Louw. Then Jantjes, Jantjes and Steyn.
So who would you pick Moz?
Mozart
As per normal you are attacking the truth again. Matfield was on and the first line-out was a SA throw-in - Read outjumped him and the AB's got a clean ball.
A few minutes later he caused a turnaround of a penalty that could have been converted easily.
Other than the two major bugger-ups he did squat of any value to the team.
As far as I can remember De Jager was replaced at roundabout minute 50 - Matfield he consequently had about 30 minutes playing time, In that 30 minutes he -
* made THREE tackles - on average one tackle every 10 minutes - in other words useless n defense,
* had THREE ball carries gaining 2 meters
Although De Jager missed a crucial tackle he made 14 tackles the time he was on. That means a tackle every 3,5 minutes - nearly 3 times better than Matfield.
So who was a name on the team sheets contributing ZERO - won by a distance MATFIELD ,
With Saffex and Beenz here.. Rainach and Schreuder LOL! Faf and Jantjies rule!
Draad
I do not think Faf would be used next week because of his concussion problem - so the scrummies will be Jantjies and Reinach. .
Faf might still take part. Failing a HIA doesn't necessarily mean a player has concussion.
The HIA is a safety measure where if there is any doubt the player will be failed.
After seeing a Dr a player may start his RTP protocols or he may be cleared fit for purpose.
Rassie might rest him in any case to give Cobus a start and Jantjies on the bench.
Shreuder is a poor man's Pienaar who was adored by Ulster fans I might add.
It's going to be hard on the forwards who were in the starting lineup to have a spring in their step, it's better if they came off the bench hence the reason for my selections. Think PSDT needs a complete rest from the game.
Denny
It was the second test after an injury lay-off of Du Toit of near to two month and he did very well against Australia and was doing his job well against the AB's - so I cannot see how a further rest would benefit him. Further game time would add value in his case I believe/ ,
Denny
It was the second test after an injury lay-off of Du Toit of near to two month and he did very well against Australia and was doing his job well against the AB's - so I cannot see how a further rest would benefit him. Further game time would add value in his case I believe/ ,
Last week's game was a physically brutal encounter, few forwards if any lift after such an experience.
Mozart
Playing the Argentine "B" team and you claimed Matfield was deserving of the MOM in the bronze play-off game. Matfield got the MOM as a farewell present - he was not the best player that day.
Matfield was shit in the semi - the fact you did not dispute my comments on that issue confirm that my observations were correct anyway.
Preferring Mostert after he failed at 7 playing for the Lions is typical; Mozart BS; Keep it up - you are extremely funny. LMAO
