RE: RE: RE: Matfield's lock selection for tests

It is hard to imagine how Matfield - a top line out player - would know much about the other functions of locks since he spent more time in the backline than in the engine room, the newspaper report on the issue in News24 reads as follows:-

"Legendary former Springbok lock Victor Matfield has picked his Bok lock pairing for the upcoming three-Test series against England.  Matfield said he had been impressed by the performances this season of Bulls lock Lood de Jager.

But when De Jager was this week ruled out for four months with a chest muscle tear, Matfield had to rethink his Springbok lock combination.

In an interview with Netwerk24, Matfield said he would pick the Stormers’ Pieter-Steph du Toit at No 5 and the Bulls’ RG Snyman at No 4.

In future, Snyman could become a top-notch international No 5 but for the moment Matfield would pick him in the No 4 jumper.    

“I worked a lot with RG when he was a junior and he has potential as a No 5. He has done well there in the lineouts, but it’s a different story at Test level. It’s maybe a good idea to now give him exposure.”

Playing in the No 4 jersey at alongside the more experienced Du Toit would take some pressure off Snyman, Matfield added.

Another Springbok lock, Eben Etzebeth, has been sidelined since last year with a shoulder injury and it’s debatable whether he’ll be ready for the England series.      The Boks open their 2018 Test season with a clash against Wales in Washington DC on June 2, before flying back to South Africa for the England series.

The first Test against England is scheduled for Ellis Park in Johannesburg on June 9, followed by Tests in Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium, June 16) and Cape Town (Newlands, June 23).

The Bok squad for the Tests will be named on Saturday, May 26."

Personally I think Matfield is right about De Jager - but have reservations about Snyman.  He sis a hard worker - but on the dim side when playing.    However, he is in th absence of Etzebeth and Schickerling the only possible no 4.    

Mike, Snyman is the right man for the a  more fluid role. He's not the right man if we're looking for grunt.

De Jager is showing more potential than he ever has, in my book anyway. Mitchel is probably to thank for that.

It's tricky because of the top locks in SA nobody genuinely leads the pack by a good distance. Not like Matfield did anyway, in his own way.

Eben could lead the pack but i think that guy has gotten shit coaching his entire career. He seems to repeat actions that keep the other locks in touching distance. He refuses to hit gaps and put players in space the way Brodie and even Lood  is doing now. And he still struggles to make timely impacts at ruck time. His ball retention in hits also suffers as consequence of his insistence to run over people.

For me, he needs to be smarter and had he had good coaches he'd be a lot wiser and influential then he presently is.

Snyman seemingly offers a lot of what Eben fails to. PSDT is a mix of the two and Lood looks to be trying to be more of an all round athlete.

Overall, not a horrible bunch to pick from but it would be nice if at least one of them was an out and out game changer type.

Lood De Jager is a 4 lock ... or at least he was.

Snyman is also a 4 lock ... and so are Etzebeth and Pieter Steff Du Toit.

The only specialist 5 lock that's eligible is Mostert. He was also recorded as the best lock in last season's competition, stealing more opposition ball than anyone else ... and that includes the "best lock in the world".

The logical thing to do is to return Du Toit to the 4 jersey, where he belongs, and include Mostert in at 5.

Snyman is a solid player ... but ... he needs to up his game dramatically if he's to compete with Du Toit and Mostert.

He wouldn't make my squad.

I'd rather go find Willemse and bring him back.

CC

I have not seen  Willemse play for many months.  He relocated to Montpellier - but rarely starts for them /   I do not know what he can do can or cannot do anymore and I don't think Rassie knows either,   Reputation selections are bad news and since so many players go sour in French - what is Willemse at present capable of - especially since club players in France seem to be deteriorating,,

However, to be fair I checked the team sheets over the past 4 weeks and found that -Willemse 

*   started for Montpellier twicel

*   was on the bench once and 

*   did not feature at all in the fourth gme.

He did statistically quite  well in one game -  but was very average in the other two games.   Not the hottest property in France,      

By the way Di Toit has never played  as a no 4 lock - so how com e he is one?      

Paul Willemse was a talent destined to go places. We all expected his climb up the ranks but then he surprised us all by leaving.

He doesn't have a reputation so I'm not sure what you're on about. 

Right now we have Etzebeth, Schickerling and Lood out of the picture ... leaving Du Toit, Mostert and Snyman.

What harm would come from inviting Willemse to challenge for a spot in the Bok team?

Stats mean nothing to me. I know you use it as your Bible. It explains a lot about your posts content these days.

As far as I know Du Toit was a 4 lock all his live. He was slotted in at 5, much like Lood when the 5 spot was taken by another.

Snyman blows hot and cold. He has impressed in one match this season. There is no consistency in his play. He is not ready for the big step up if you ask me. I wouldn't consider him at this stage.

Another lock playing good rugby is Ruan Botha. What a pity Eben, Lood and Schickerling are out!

CC

I am sure that playing in France is in fact to the detriment of players - the level played is not as high as it should be and the players are physically not on the standard they should be,    We have seen that too many tiomes in the past when selections proved to be seriously problematic.   

Willemse should never have gone to France when he did.  If he stayed on and did what is expected from him in the SA environment he certainly would be a candidate.   I did not see him play this year and the only thing I could do was to look at his stats - which were not so hot in the matches he played in.   I do not regard stats as the alpha and omega - they are merely a supportive measure of the whole issue.    However, what is evident is that Rassie uses stats as part of the issues he uses to determine selectability.  It would not be the stats we use - they are detailed stats programmes which would cost us a huge amount of money to get access to - he will use those - not the stats we use on site.   

As to Du Toit - he came into notice in the Under 20WC in 2012 when he was utilized  as a blindside flank.   He afterwards played for the Sharks, Stormers and the Springboks either as a no 5 lock or on rare occasions as a blindside flank.   He never played at 4 in any rugby after his school years.   So I do not know where your info about him playing at 4 came from.  

I also have my doubt about Snyman as a 4 - he tends to lose it because he make msitakes that earn him cards - that shows a top storey deficiency.   In the absence of Etzebeth, De Jager and Schickerling we do have a serious problem at 4 - so were will Meyer go in this case?   I guess nobody knows at present. .           

Snyman is not too shabby either.....I'd have him with Elzebeth.