Pierre Spies

I have been watcthing Spies' performance  in some detail and came to the conclusion that he forgets that he is playing rugby and in his dreams he catches all balls coming in his direction - in reality he messes up everytime a ball comes in his direction.

Another drip was Steyn - I am amazed that the ref did not blow his whistle when Steyn clearly knocked omn the ball - and so were nearly all the bulls and definitely all the Brumbies.   Also the commentators and most of the crowd.   The try of Stander should never have been a try.

Defimnite no -no for Sprongbok selection Spies ( I really do not know why I think of Oom Kaspaas anytime I look at his performances) - Olivier with his great hairdo - and Steyn 

Spies is probably one of the top five overrated Boks of all time.

i was keeping an eye on spies also, i found he had a decent workrate around the field, but made many errors that players in sprugby just shouldnt make, but he wasnt the only one. hes a behemoth of a player and his accelration is still therem but hes just seems to be missing something.

 Oh what complete crap, apart from that poor drop of the high ball, Spies had a great game with ball in hand, made yards all the time.

Saffex

Hope you have an opportunity to watch the game again - if you take off your blinkers - you may find out what I am writing about.     He made yards in time - say about 3 and then got tackled - fell like a tree and lost the ball time and again.    Mozart is right - he is completely overrated and is not fit for Springbok selection - despite the fact that he is predictable and do not know how to pass and retain balls.

Based on this weekends play - our best no 8 was Vermeulen by a proverbial mile.

 Mike your take on Spies is complete rubbish. Spies will walk the Bok side at 8 and thank goodness for that

Well said Mike....Spies, built like a Greek statue but evidently  with less moves.

If spies walks it, then its cos his a bull.

Spies' selection as a Bok no 8 will be heartily welcomed by the opposition - they know exactly how predicatable and consequently defeatable player he is.   Lets come up with somebody else that would produce the goods and not only because he is a Pink Bull - colour very applicable to him.

We don't have to speculate about Spies.....the history is a known. Here are the Player Ratings comments I could find from our Welsh/Aussie/Samoa matches at  the RWC. The Boks have suffered with this wet noodle for far too long:

8. Pierre Spies [4] – Insert the usual line about him going missing in tight games here. Doesn’t have the mongrel or the appetite for the collisions that is expected from a No. 8. Thank goodness Schalk has enough mongrel for both of them. Replaced by Willem Supersub Alberts [6], who brought more to the game in his short stint than Spies.

8: Pierre Spies – 5

Largely anonymous and conceded a breakdown penalty that saw the Welsh open their account.

8. Pierre Spies – 5/10
Was outplayed by opposite number Radike Samo in an oddly quiet game for Spies. His impact on the game was not felt as much as it usually is.

8: Pierre Spies – 6

One or two strong carries but his work rate around the park was beneath that of an international eighthman.   

08 Pierre Spies – 5
Anonymous. No surprise. Replaced by Willem Alberts who took the ball up strongly and added some grunt to the Bok effort.

Pierre Spies – 6/10
Better performance from the USN ambassador, still wish he was as good as his stats.

The myth of Spies is based on a few long runs early in his career. These days he is knocked over easily. And face it he cant tackle....Strauss ran through him to score last week. And he is much weaker in the tight loose than Samo or Reid.

We can no longer afford to concede the advantage at 8th man.

Beggars can not be choosers.

Spies has lost his mojo many moons ago and should go back to where he came from ....... wing.(Seems to me his problem partially is that whenever he receives or jumps for the ball, his eyes are closed - the bugger is not looking for the ball all the time).

Alberts for some unknown reason has also lost his mojo. He was brilliant @ 8 for the Lions, but upon arrival in Dirtbin, Plumtree tried to make him a 7 and that was picked up by Snorre. Alberts will never be a 7 - can you imagine him in the same role as McCaw or Pocock? - not even close. His extended (and it still continues) stunt at 7 has a negative effect on his nr.8 game.

Schalk @ 8 can work, especially with brilliant loosies like Coetzee, Brussow, Etsebeth (or is it Elstadt?) and Minie around. Schalk's competition is Vermeulen who, for me, is more a natural 8 than Schalk.

Vermeulen seems to me our answer @ 8 at this point in time.(both Schalk and Vermeulen are more than useful lineout men). And then last but not least, Age is on Vermeulen's side.

I said some seasons ago to many hoots of laughter that Vermulen was better than spies. Yes Pierre lacks mongrel as Moz says - just like wee matfield who was carried by the mighty Bakkies - and he should be dropped from the Boks saving something dramtic happening.  Something bad has gone wrong with spiesies since his illness.

Nebulas you surely mean Elstadt rather then Etzebeth who is a lock.

Dave stop clinging to your safety blanket. You have a point re JP but not spiesies.

Alberts is now no longer  a Bok contender. Maybe its Plumtree stuffing up a player again and Alberts needs to stick to 8 where his driving runs operate best. On this form he will no make it.

"Spies, built like a Greek statue but evidently  with less moves". Great one Denny!