No Even, no PSDT yet...

Switched on with 20 to go and imagine my surprise to see the Stormers making a real go of it despite lacking their first two names on the Bok list. Int eresting to say the least. 

 
Hey Plum ... It's probably because there's no-one pulling funny faces and breaking the concentration of the team.

Indeed, the Stompies look a better team without Bruno trying to be the tough guy.

When an ego's negative effect outweighs the positives it's host offers. 
Just odd to me is all. If Eben is such quality, why is his contribution not missed. Surely the Stormers without him should be a mere shadow of the team that includes him. 
There are myths on top of misrepresentations diluted in misunderstanding and mixed in with fallacies in this game of ours. 
Let's remove Mostert from a Lions game and see what happens. Granted his replacement will have the same mandate that he does. Regardless, his absence will be felt. There's the difference. And that's the type of Bok I want representing me. Give me a fighter. Not some front running twat who has been told his entire life how special he is.
Which of the two was told the most times that he'd be a Bok? Entitlement vs Hunger. Hunger wins every fking time, without fail.
Lions bias to the super-max on a Friday morning haha

 Plum
I am not normally using the Fantasy scores as an indication or real contribution in games - rather as an indication of the work rate of players.    Etzebeth consistently showed according to points gained a LOW work rate and that reduces his value as a player.   Du Toit is a high work rate player thus making more mistakes than it is possible with a low work rate player to make.   He is way ahead of Etzebeth in that point count despite the more frequent mistakes made by him.   .
The situation actually bothers me - Etzebeth have all the physical attributes required from a top class lock jet those attributes are rarely displayed in matches on a consistent basis.      

No stats measure the physical burden a player assumes.....the effort he puts in the rucks and mauls....the strength in the scrums. Wilco has been a rock in the scrums with Etzebeth behind him....today we were rolled up from the tighthead on two or three occassions. . We have to look beyond the obvious, and before we get giddy about how much better Stephanie's stats are, check his tackling stats. . Or don't and continue to believe all the myths.

 Mozart
You entirely missed what I wrote about points being an evaluation of work rate only.    Whether you like it or not Etzebeth's work rate has been low and that reduces his value in the team.  
I am sorry - but one rarely see a major contribution by Etzebeth.    I would always support Etzebeth - but I would like to see much more of him in all aspects of the game.   Just stating that he did a lot in the Tight 5 without really proven results is not of any real value and I do not believe in myths either.      

 Mozart
You entirely missed what I wrote about points being an evaluation of work rate only.    Whether you like it or not Etzebeth's work rate has been low and that reduces his value in the team.  
I am sorry - but one rarely see a major contribution by Etzebeth.    I would always support Etzebeth - but I would like to see much more of him in all aspects of the game.   Just stating that he did a lot in the Tight 5 without really proven results is not of any real value and I do not believe in myths either.      

Nobody can measure real work rate. But the Stormers scrum was never peeled back from the tighthead before this season....until today .....or do we think the Canes have a great scrum? And if not, what changed? . So what do you want your lock to do.....make 10 tackles a game and miss none. He does that. Take all his lineouts....he does that. Intimidate the opponents from throwing short in the lineouts by stealing balls...he does that. Run securely making hard yards.... he does that making more metres per carry than Stampkar, and he rarely loses the ball. . We have one player who would be in contention for a World team right now, and that's the player that gets regularly abused....and speculated about. Dumb stuff....really dumb.

 Fully agreed Moz. Our best player since Thor went abroad.

 If Etzebeth achieved the numbers you mentioned I may agree with you 0 but it never happened this year,   Let me put the matter plainly and in perspective what you referred to as numbers are what a good lock will produce game after game.
Let me be blunt -  I admire Etzebeth as a player - but what he produces is often not up too standard and generalizations would not help to remove that problem.     

 If Etzebeth achieved the numbers you mentioned I may agree with you 0 but it never happened this year,   Let me put the matter plainly and in perspective what you referred to as numbers are what a good lock will produce game after game.
Let me be blunt -  I admire Etzebeth as a player - but what he produces is often not up too standard and generalizations would not help to remove that problem.     

Highlanders 3 made...3 missed ......his one poor defensive outing Saders 9 tackles...no missed tackles . Lions 9 made...2 missed . Chiefs 3 tackles made...0 missed . Cheetahs10 made...1 missed . Kings 8 made...0 missed . Jaguares 9 made...0 missed . Bools 11 made ....0 missed So Etzebeth made all his tackles in 5 of the 8 games he has played. He made 62 of his 68 tackle attempts....91%. By contrast Stephanie has never made all his tackles and made 74 tackles but missed 19 for a completion percentage of under 80%.

 His average number of tackles made was less than 8 tackles per match  while the number of tackles attempted was 92 in the case of  Du Toit was 24 more than  Etzebeth's and his successful ones 12 more than Etzebeth's.   Most of Du Toit's tackles was in open field play - why those of Etzebeth's were in traffic.   The chances of missing open field tackles against mostly backline players is much higher than in the case of in traffic tackles.  
I would not concentrate on only tackling stats - but all aspects of play.    

 Eben is the best lock in the world. These mamparas are truly clueless.

 watching the tape. A freak try by Jodie Bar Rat and a try by Hurricanes whilst Stormers got a very harsh yellow. 

 Yes, it was a brilliant play Beeno. Overall it was men against boys in this game, kiwi teams vs SA teams don't offer much. Oz vs kiwi teams is even worse. 

 @Beeno 
Strangely the Stormers didnt sseem to miss him though. One would assume that his huge contributions would leave a chasm in the pack. But no. 
@Moz
Assuming Mike's numbers are correct. That is exactly what I am talking about. Those extra few tackles per match. That extra effort. Let's call it three per game and multiply it by the amount of players. That's 45 occasions where either a tackle is made or a player has at least put himself in a position to defend or counter ruck.
For me, if you wanna start for the Boks then you had better have above average stats in SR. Especially when it comes to controllables such as tackle count which is directly correlated to you reading of the game and the amount of effort you put into in. 

I dont think Eben is a bad player. Just that he is resting in his laurels at a time when the Boks and indeed SA rugby in general need fighters to stand up.
I'd like to see a side by side comparison of Mostert and Eben. My guess is that there is clear winner a cross the board. 

 
Mostert is tough and has no need to prove it. I've never seen him get involved in off the ball altercations. He's there to play rugby.

He is also a work horse that keeps going till the final whistle. Etzebeth on the other hand rests several times during a match. He simply goes missing for a spell ... many times at the most inopportune times.

I wonder if he's fit enough to play an entire half. We know the full 80 is beyond him. Maybe they should sub him after 20 and bring a real man on ... like Mostert.

If I had to place my life in either hands ... Mostert would be my man.