Play Allende at right wing

Allende represents one of our harder players to put away, but one who is an uncertain defender at centre. The chances are that uncertainty will eventually cost us. In addition Jean is our captain and will play if fit. And he is a far better inside centre than a 13. His main weapon is riding the tackle and offloading...and his defensive leadership is best deployed at 12.
At 13 we have Kriel, and a player who has impressed at centre, less so at wing. Perhaps it's not logical, but that's the way it has played out.

Right now it looks like right wing is a shoot out between the slowing JP and Mvovo, who has always been dominated by the athletic NZ/Oz wings. Not a very satisfactory choice, but they are experienced wings. Still given all this, why not give Allende a shot. He is a much more dangerous runner and his defensive uncertainties should be more easily covered on the wing.

 Mozart
This sounds logical until you came up with "His main weapon is riding the tackle and off-loading".  That is a nice theory - but I have not seen evidence of that in tests since 2013,  De Villiers when he scored that try in the Ellis Park test in 2013 was hard to tackle and went through Nonu on the tryline - but generally speaking he does not beat tackles anymore and he is not effective in off-loading balls.  
As to breaking lines and beating defenders De Allende is physically mu ch stronger and has beaten more defenders in this years Super 15 than De Villiers did in all Super series tournaments combined from 2012 to 2014.  De Allende is a much better passer and off=loader of the ball than De Villiers is at present.
When De Jongh was not available - and he should never have been in the mix anyway - and the center combination of the Stormers or WP comprised of De Allende and De Villiers, the latter always preferred to play at 13 outside of De Allende.  One wonders why that happened.
Be it as it may I think that De Villiers after his latest injury is shying away from too much contact - which is more prevalent at 12 than is in other backline positions - hence the situation which happened in both the games he came on from the bench (the World Team game) and the Argentine game in Durban.  He really was unconvincing in both games playing at 13.  
So why not play De Villiers on the wing then?  That is where he played frequently in the past and his recent injury does not make him slower than Pietersen is at present - even though De Villiers was clearly slower than he used to be.
This is the problem with Meyer's selections that make matters so much worse.  Meyer insisted on having De Villiers as captain despite serious question marks as to his present performance and now he has to juggle around a performing player so as to find space for De Villiers to play in the starting line-up.   Fact is that the local media also argued that De Villiers should not start, but be on the bench - but that would mean that the equally questionable and as a lock much worse Matfield has to start for the Springboks.
An unholy mess and that is a fact.                  

 
With the squad Meyer's selected we may not have a choice.

Problem with Jean at twelve is that we get no go forward. He isn't able to break defenses as easily as De Allende ... our backline stagnates.

Of what use is De Allende on the wing if he gets no ball?

I would much rather have him in the fray as often as possible than out on the wing where he'd probably only see the ball a few times each match ... if at all.


 

Jean is going to play if he is fit. Something that is still in doubt admittedly, but I would say it's more likely than not he will start. That's called a given in economics....a prior condition. Now solve from that forwards. And ffs keep it short Perv.

Moz, I get your logic here, but it would be stupid to break up the effective partnership between De Allende and Kriel. Meyer will play De Villiers if he is fit, and he does not really have a choice, because he neglected to blood a new captain when he had the chance. Instead he opted to go with a slightly too old De Villiers. Who over his career has been prone to serious injuries, which should already have had the alarm bells ringing for Meyer, but did not. Now he has a conundrum of his own making, do you play the better combination or do you include a great captain, and break the effective combination? Exactly the same problem exists with Matfield, Lood (or PS Du Toit) and Etzebeth. Two players brought in for their leadership abilities, at the expense of better players. 

Given Jean has to play as he is the captain, I'd stick him out the way on the wing and definitely retain the lethal de Allende/Kriel centre combo  

Moffie 
Since you call me perv - I will call you what you really are.  Bluebok is 100%.  Any real coach select his team on merit based on performance and not reputation and when the team was decided on that basis - the team captain and vice-captain is selected from the team so selected.   In this case we have a contra situation and now we have a case that performing players must make way for two under-performers, because they are in the captaincy and vice-captain positions.  
The only situation is that as a result of the defective selection process they now have a situation where they have to find a solution to the problem by doing the least possible damage to the team and that would be to -
*   play De Villiers on the wing - since there is already poor situation on the wing and playing him in that position would do less damage than it would be by playing him in a center position; and 
*   in the case of Matfield play him from the bench so as to ensure that our Tight 5 performance is optimized and not ruined like Matfield is certain to do.        

Well Moz this might have made sense some months ago...but on the eve of WC more than a little too late....your side must be had a definite purpose...experientation is far too late for RWC.....thats the problem facing SA rugby...panic stations...Heyneke has placed us in a gamble and predicament...he has tried to burn the candle at both ends...no thought of the future...played the safety game with too many old timers...no foresight into the future....he has played the game his way at the expense of future rugby...for the sake of self glorification (more likely preservation) ..no enterprise or venture over 4 years...

 Kriel will probably be the one who's at wing, if JDV is certain to start. 

Yep APD, Meyer will cock it up somehow  

 APD
With respect I think that would be the wrong move.   The breaking up of the De Allende - Kriel  center combination would be wrong and weaken the team.  De Villiers will do lss damage on the wing than he would at either 12 or 13.  

 Not saying I agree with it Mike, I just think that's what Meyer will do. Unfortunately, the other wing in place of Habana that i would have taken is none of the ones who have been picked in the squad. (Hougaard)

 This is a stupid situation to be in.  Half Meyer's own doing and half interference from SARU. Combrink and Kitshof ( some others too)would have been given at least some game time if they were white... I think... but quotas  does not explain the sellections of some other white players that shouldn't be there. IMO,  that's the biggest problem with quotas.  If a non white player does not perform up to standard,  he is branded as a quota,  and although he might have his better games,  many would always think of him as a race forced selection. If a white player is in the same boat,  it's because he just can't make the step up, or the coach is an idiot,  like in the rest of the world! Very unfair on the players involved! I also think some non white players were unlucky to miss out. Long story,  I know.  Point being,  we can't blame the coach for everything,  but neither can we excuse him.  He had 4 years and we should have been better prepared in basically all positions.

Crap he is to blame he makes the selections and has had more than enough time to find the best players regardless of colour.
Hell think of the list of quality black players he has shown none or little investment in.....Kolbe, Sithole, Sinatla, Rhule, Ulengo, Mapoe, Mnisi, Jantjies, Paige, Nyakane, Scara, Mbonambi, Oupa, Mtembu and Carr.

What utter nonsense. Sure let's play our captain on the wing where he can be divorced, not only from the forward play but also our backline play. jean has never let the Boks down and he won't at this WC. 

Jean makes all five tackles ....Allende makes 4 of 7, Jean gains 47 metres  and a clean break in  8 runs. Allende makes 11 metres in 11 runs. All this over hyped bs about how bad Jean is and how great Allende is despite allowing Kuridrani to run over him to lose the Aussie test is a joke,
In a WC final Jean is our best option at centre....by a mile.

He is no longer good enough to be playing test rugby. Has not had a noteworthy test in 2 years...is finished, reinforced by the serious injury he has only just recovered from. Why on earth would you want him closer to the action when de Allende and Kriel are a 100 fold better.
Jean is going to be the weak link in the backs as will du Preez.
In the forwards Matfield will have that honour.....the worst selection of the lot, closely followed by Louw and Alberts.
None of these players should have made the squad let alone the starting 15.
Believing Jean and Matfield are the best in their respective positions is insulting beyond words....its laughable 

Rubbish. He is scarcely older than Conrad Smith who was t he MOM against Oz. there is a legitimate question whether he is over his recent injury.....but I think he probably will be. And a fit Jean has got so much more nous, competitiveness and nerve than our younger chaps, it's not even close. 

Jean has not had a good test in 2 years.....compared to de Allende and Kriel who beat defenders at will....its not even close. Jean is done....he no longer adds value. Breaking the de Allende / Kriel combo is suicide....stupidity of the highest order.
Only a fool would break the combo that had the rugby world waxing lyrical after the Oz and NZ tests.....add Jean to the equation and with it ends our attacking clout.
Jean has nous he just does not have the hardware to be effective anymore. He was done some time ago along with du Preez, Pienaar, Matfield and co

In your opinion. In my opinion he has been our best centre in every match he played recently. Certainly way better than Allende against the Bargies at home.
In a WC Allende and Kriel will be closely marked....and heavily tested defensively. Neither of them has a clue as to when to bring up the line. A combination of the two youngsters is folly , appealing to the unsophisticated rugby mind.
So Jean anchors from 12 and we pick Kriel the smarter player at 13... Putting JJ on the wing instead of either of our non competitive choices. Case closed. 

 Mozart
Your idea of being better is what relates to 2013 - there was nothing concrete about Jean last year.   Jean was bad against the Argentinians in Durban and everyone realized that and the papers reported on it as well.   He in fact caused the disruption of the backline and in one move was put into space and did squat because he has lost his pace completely.
The antique ideas you have about players and performances are standard BS on your part as well.   You are all about reputation - never about actual performance.   You have no case - so there can be no case closed.          

So when Kriel does exactly the same thing he is running a great line, but Jean is put into space. And I do have a case, my team got chosen....your team is playing in the CC.

 The fact that Meyer is a fool in selecting players without regard to PERFORMANCE is strictly in line with your standard foolishness.  Nobody gives the Springboks the remotest chance of getting anywhere in the upcoming WC because of the selection chaos Meyer got himself into.
I do not care whether the players I support plays in the CC - what I do know is that they would have done better than the non-performing donkeys Meyer selected for his squad.   This is a repeat of the 2011 WC - but only worse - because the players are four years older and 4 times worse than they were in 2011.    

Aha, back to the age rationalization. You really don't have anything else.

 Age has nothing to do with it - I always said that age is not a factor - performance is.  The age items you constantly post on this site iro other codes of sport indicates an obsession with age of sportsmen - I do not really do anything on the issue of age and when i do it is in response to your age idiocy postings.
The fact that the players are worse than they were in 2011 is also an issue.  De Villiers himself said that the older you get as a player - the harder you have to train to maintain your previous performance levels.   Do you really think the players getting older has no impact on their performance?   And do you really think that players like Matfield, De Villiers and Du Preez train harder than they used to?  De Villiers perhaps - but his injuries prevented the harder training that would have been required in his case.
     

 
The best possible center pair from those selected by Meyer for this WC is De Allende and Kriel.

That's a no brainer.

Jean would only be an option because of his captaincy and truth be told there are other options for that too.

Bottom line is that we do not need Jean at all. He's just going to get in the way ... the same bothersome fly that John Smit was in 2011.

If Jean is selected and he probably will be then having him on the wing is silly ... being capt and all.

Meyer has made a right mess of these selections.

He's now going to reap the rewards of his stupidity.

 
Duplicated

 Jean had agood game agaisnt teh Argies. His pace was fine.I am with Dr Moz on this. Allende on the wing and jean at 12. Good call.
Given the squad selected backline to first try:
Du Preez, Pollard. Habana, Jean, Kriel, Allende and Willie.
Pack:Beast, Bissie, JannieEben Lood.Louw, Burger (8) Vermuelen (7)
The anc will have a fit! 

 
Delusional as usual.

 Beeno
I am afraid that I am not as optimistic as you are about De Villiers.  Do you really think he is a better 12 than De Allende?  

 

So Moz your team got chosen - you must be really proud of their recent record - 5 wins from 13 tests against the major nations and down to 5 in the rankings......man you have low standards.......but I do love the way you choose to ignore the above stats in your blind support for your losing team. I take it in business you did the same? That's a serious question......did you back losers back then?