Radical Out of Position Selections That Might Work

There was potential for a discussion here. Willie has often functioned as a first receiver. Kolisi can't fuction as a forward but has more game breaking ability than either Damian or Kriel. Rassie has already played Pollard at 12 . Willemse can play 10 and 15, so 12 is not at all far fetched. The most radical move was Marx at 8, not one I punted. So, you blew your load prematurely. 

Good post Chippo. He has better distribition skills than Damian or Kriel. In space he can make more happen. He did link up well at times and set up Damian's try with a slick offload. Overall, as a forward, I saw nothing of note from him. He was only marginally better than Notsche.

@Saffex: Kolisi was a passenger all year. Where was he at the breakdown? Where was he on defence? What did he do to suggest he was.one of our best forwards? Mostert, Whiteley, Duane, Louw, Kits, Mal, Eben, RG all played many times better. Even worse. Where was his leadership? It was Eben rallying the troops with Kolisi watching on passively. 

Actually, he was present at breakdowns trying to affect a counter ruck or steal. So that is a fallacy. He wasn't very good at this. How many carries got over the gain line? Where were these carries? In space. Barely a handful of long runs bloated his stats. He can't carry the ball as a forward. He was often left amongst the backs, by Kriel, as the real forwards worked in groups. Not a forward. Whiteley, Mostert and Eben were better defenders. Our props were rock solid as well. Kolisi was a total passenger. 

Silly Billy 

You are onto your very own stupidity level again - go and see your shrink - you are in desperate need for help.   I know there is no cure for idiocy - but some stupid pills would keep you out of looney bins.     

Herr Lügnerin von Klugscheißer, 
It has been brought to my attention that you have relapsed, experiencing strong delusions of grandeur. I have enclosed a packet of jelly tots which should relieve you of your symptoms. If symptoms persist, I shall leave a coupon for a rattle. 



Doktor Auge

This is called an Aussie lineout. We've actually used this many times throughout last season. At least 8 times in Salta. We often have our openside flank as the designated receiver anyway, so a quick pass to the forward and we have attacking ball at the seam at the back of the lineout. Most of the time this was a rouse for a throw to Eben, behind Faf. If I remember correctly, we ran five consecutive lineouts against Argentina with Faf at the front of the lineout, and every ball went to Eben, and then one to 19. 

@Saffy: They did, whether you think they can't or not is irrelevant. As that's what they did. Kolisi didn't do any of the things you claim. Cite some references and we can evaluate your claims. 

If there is one person on the rugby field that should not jump in the lineout it is the scrumhalf...........

It is like having the prop take a penalty or being the last receiver on the wing. Or like having a plumber doing a brain operation, or a football player making a rugby tackle. Or having a midget play basketball, or an Ethiopian  summa wrestler. 

There's no way Faf could be a jumper. I don't have a problem with the play, but it was a little overdone at times.

Breaking those barriers one at a time. 

“It is like having the prop take a penalty or being the last receiver on the wing. ”

Props should never kick. Oh wait....

Man, Dunning. I remember the Wallabies were the Bok's last hope of winning the Tri Nations in 2005, they almost pulled it off, only for Dunning to concede a stupid penalty in their 22. He has a long list of shameful gaffs. Only Australia could produce a Dunning. 

No Ceradunce it is about a speciality. 

Let me make this simple. In school when a teacher selects a team, he puts the fat kid at prop, the tall kid at lock, the short kid at scrumhalf, the kid that can kick at 10, the fast kid on the wing, and so forth. (The weaklings like Ceradunce become the librarians, sing in the choir or become the cheerleader, mascots)

I suppose when your brain transplant was not successful, it was because you had a plumber use a hammer and chisel. Although maybe this was an improvement, who knows.

SB

Does the brain op with a hammer and chisel by a plumber applies to both Silly Billy and Ceradunce - I assume it was in both cases.   Did the plumber have available a microscope to find the brain of the two?   Would be ver y difficult to find it otherwise

Just to start a thread like this one is as Dave put it "what a load of crap".     

It would be "veey" difficult to fathom how one can omit 127 games worth of tackle data and not understand where they went wrong. Yes, brainless indeed. Little Mikey-Wikey's in glass houses and all that. 

Never fret, have a tissue...



There's a good lad.

Auge ... you're an idiot ... but one that thinks out the box from time to time.

I am glad you titled it ... "... that might work" ... cause chances of anything as absurd working is laughable.

The fittest players on the field is usually the loose forwards ... and according to stats taken a few years back, a really good openside flank can run up to 7km, flat out, in an 80 minute match.

On top of that, he has to hit the deck, wrestle bodies off, secure possession, distribute, get back on his feet, only to do it again 30m away ... and he has to do that all match long ... week in week out. That is why I found your comment on McCaw and Mohoje so funny.

There's no way in hell that Marx would survive that. In fact even half of that is beyond him, especially with his pace and coming in at 118kg.

It's all very nice to dream about slotting our best players in ... getting them on the field at the same time .. but sadly they have very specific skill sets ... body builds ... hand strength ... arm length ... pace ... fitness levels ... and their specific make up as a package is what landed them in a team as a specialist.

They are not "Jacks of All Trades" ...

Nice one, CC. You do so much better when you actually discuss something instead of "Waaaahahahaaaa"-ing all over the place.

Kolisi certainly has line breaking abilities, but too slow for 13 and as others have mentioned, not sure his distribution and judgment is up to scratch for that role despite him having a good offload. I don't share Dave's enthusiasm about his past test season though. There are numerous examples of him being involved in game changing moments in a negative way. One that immediately comes to mind is the penalty he and Snyman conspired to concede with pathetic breakdown work that all but cost us the home All Blacks test.

I think Marx is fine at hooker, although I would admit to being curious about seeing him get a shot at loosie.

I'm still not sold on Pollard at 12. I think his vulnerable tackling is going to be exposed in that position and he is our best flyhalf right now by a country mile. Haven't seen enough of Willemse to comment on that idea, but I don't get the impression that he's going to develop into a flyhalf that can run the show. You need more than a good step to do that. He may well be worth a shot at 12.

I think Le Roux can slot into the flyhalf position in an attacking role at certain times in the game. I wouldn't want him there for the entire game.

Aug

Speculating is always fun. People seem to think that because you're discussing something out of the ordinary that you are suggesting it happen.

They'd rather argue about their players vs your players endlessly. 

As for Kolisi in the back line. He has awareness issues. A few breaks he made last year came to naught because he failed to make easy offloads to support runners. If he is moved to the back line, he'd probably work on that. Something DDA still hasn't managed. A foot race between DDA and Kolisi...DDA might win, but by a tiny margin over 100m. 

Willie at 10. Willie is a great open field defender because his tackles are low and very technical. More often than not ends up with the ball carrier's ankles neatly wrapped up. At 10 he'd need to make more dead stops and I dunno if he'd manage that. 

My out of position players would be...

Combrink 10

Kwagga 12

Dayimani 13/11(how many of you agree that this guy is a loosie and that's where he must stay despite looking more dangerous than any other back in SA when slots into the line? No, name a more deadly looking back in SA right now.) Edit: Mapimpi...dammit!!!

Marx 8

Snyman 6

Ismael 13

Pollard 12/15

Then there is young Augustus(Mike's find). 188cm at +110kg.

Based on his build, and if you knew nothing else about him, where'd you say he plays? Perfect loosie or big centre? If Whitley was to small at 8 then so is this guy.

Creates a weird situation. He is an 8, now. Obviously good enough to be a pro. But the position he is playing was probably suggested to him during his school years. And he was big enough for it then. Yet now he is competing with guys two inches taller and 5 to 10kgs heavier.

So, he's fated to be an 8 and potentially never move either from that position or up into test rugby.

Unless he plays out of his socks for a good long time, we won't see him move up. It's one example where speculation is required, if we want to get our best players doing their best.

Of course most players are playing in the positions that best suite them. But some aren't. So why keep them there? Surely it's a waste.

Edit: I'm not saying that my list above are all players playing in positions that don't suite them best.

Have a guess what position Gary Kirtsten batted at during school and early pro days. And cricket is a lot less grey than than rugby.

Picking your position while still at school is like thinking you're gonna be with your high school sweetheart for ever. You won't. You're gonna grow and change, the world around you will change and the "game" itself will become something different. 

The only mistake is to remain steadfast in failure. 

Hell

This Aug oke can actually be really nice.

I prefer this Aug to the old Aug.

"Picking your position while still at school is like thinking you're gonna be with your high school sweetheart for ever. You won't."

You did? Good job man! You're the exception, not the rule.

Why are we all getting along?

This is killing me!

Hot damn Rooi! You started dating before i was even born.

My condolences to the lady 

Wow ... I sowed my wild oats till I was 30 ... then I got married ... 26 years later and I still have the same wench by my side.

As is expected ... she's crazy about me ...

""Hot damn Rooi! You started dating before i was even born."

Plum, we deal with some deeply enfeebled minds. It's all in the name:

Radical out of position selections that might work

Who knew the ghastly trinity would fall over their own feet? 

PS: It's too easy pressing Saffy's buttons. 

Aug

Speculating draws some people in and pushes others away. 

It'll always be like that.

Silly Billy

"Radical out of position selections that might work"

The mere examples quoted by you indicated that you are suffering from total rugby ignorance.   One would have taken that  realistic assessment of the players physical abilities and his capabilities would be the topic discussed - but that is way beyond your knowledge of the game and of the players concerned.