One has to look at the experiences we had with foreign based club players to play for the Springboks during the past 18 months and deal with the experience non a fair and reasonable basis;-
Francois Steyn
Francois Steyn got back from France after completion of his contract in France and was in very poor physical condition. After playing two games for the Springboks and the following saga unfolded:-
* He turned out to be too fat and unfit. What he produced was t in concert with Morne Steyn to reduce the attacking play by the backline to Zero.
* He crashballed 80% of the time and any potential attack died with him. and he was instrumental in reducing even the limited backline attacking options to zero.
* On a number o occasions his relieving kicks rolled along the ground and placed he Springboks under serious preesure.
* He got injured and was off for nearly five months. On his return to the Sharks it was found that he was even fatter and more unft than he was on his return from France.
* As a result his defence also disintegrate and he was dropped from the starting line-up and put on the bench.
* After his return in October to play CC rugby and after coming from the bench in the semi and starting in the final - Meyer took one look at him and realized he actually produced nothing in the Final and was not worthy to be in the EOYT squad.
In February it would be 21 months after his return - it would mean that he can participate in the Super 15 next year. 18 month after his return from France is still overweight and unacceptably slow - will he be in better physical condition than he was on his return from France? I have serious oubts about that one.
Ruan Pienaar
The second player drafted in was Ruan Pienaar from Ulster. Before his departure for Ireland, he was a livewire scrummie, who oozed ball sense and inventive play. On his return, it was clear that his inventiveness was coached out of him and he became a typical NH kicking scrummie.
He had his moments in the team over the past 18 months, but je was nothing better than averahe in his performances - he did not let the team down, but he also produced only an extremely limited number of good moves as a scrummie. Bog rdinary is the best description as to his performances.
Francois Louw
Francois Louw at 27 was one of the younger players called up to play in the critical open side flank position. There never really was a problem with his physical condition. In general his performances were above average and in some games really good, but he also had his poor days at the office - like happened on Saturday.
Gurthro Steenkamp
Meyer invited him to joinm the EOYT squad last year. He was fat and obviously unfit and could last about 15 minutes on the field of play. For that reason he rarely play as a starting prop for Toulouse and place him on the bench - using him for the circa last 20 minutes of their gamss. Whenevr he started for Toulouse - the Toulouse scrum was in disarray.
Meyer brought him into the starting lineup for two tests in the OK last year - and th 20 minute maximum became apparent immediately - butr h coulkd not be replaced before halftime and in the second half of those game ganes he was benched.
Meyer had him in the squad for all the games played this year - but only used him from the bench. His most notable achievement since his return to the Springbok team is his uncanny ability to give away penalties in scrum situations.
One of the worst selections ever.
Fourie du Preez
Fourie came back and was put on the bench for the Argentina game in Soweto. In the game where the Springboks ran riot - he showed touches of brilliance.
Everyone was impressed with his performance and was all agog about using him in the home leg tests of the RC against the Wallabies and he All Blacks. Against the Wallabies he had a very average performance. His strategic kicks were generally too far for effective follow-up and a few of his passes went astray - a very average performance at best.
In the All Black test a week later he showed about the same as he did in the Wallabies test - but seemingly ran out of steam during he game - a very average performance.
He was back on Saturday against Wales and in general had a very good game. There were very few blemishesm like his kicks in the main remnainbing too far for effective follow - up and two wild passes - one of which resulted in serious problems for the Springboks.
We have no better in SA and one can only hope that Meyer realise that he cannot play every week and rest him against Scotland - otherwise he may run out of steam again.
Jacque Fourie
On the whole slow and unfit and made a mess of defence on Saturday - generally worthless in attack.. He obviously is no physically up to test standard and unless he shows a really remarkable improvement - he has nothing to offer to the Springboks.
JP Pietersen
Aftyer a relatively poor year for the Sharks - he went off to Japan and came back in thes ame condition as Fourie - same comments apply in his case.
COMMENTS
There were only two players who has shown above-average performances since their return and those are Louw and Du Preez. The rest barely manage average performances with some serious negatives also in evidence
