SA Team of the week

There were some really questionable performances this weekend amongst players who should have done better = especially some of the Springboks.   However to my mind the following players showed some real potential:-
15  SP Marais14  Cheslyn Kolbe13  EW Viljoen12  Rohan Janse van Rensburg11  Raymond Rhule10  Jean-Luc du Plessis  9  Jano Vermaak  8  Hanro Liebenberg  7  Siya Kolisi  6  Rynhardt Ekhardt  5  Pieter-Steph du Toit  4  Eben Etzebeth  3  Wilco Louw  2  Anton Marais  1  Tendai Mtawarire
The high-lighted players were real top class


Potential contenders not listed:-
14  Cheslyn Kolbe13  Harold Vorster 12  Damian de Allende10  Fred Zeilinga  9  Tiaan Meyer  7  Ruan Ackermann/Jean-Luc du Preez  Real disappointments:-
Pollard, Jantjies. De Klerk, Jaco Kriel,  Franco Mostert. Malcolm Marx 

    

A good week for the Kolbe twins then?

 Lolz

Actually the OOm has come up with a pretty decent team.

Dumb-Luc Dupreez appears to lack even basic finesse or skills. 
I thought Eztebeth was very clumsy and predictable. He showed poor ball protection in the tackle. Everyone and their grandmother know how to tackle Eztabeth these days. 
Steph Dutoit had another great game. His work rate is very high- and he helps clear rucks better than anyone- retain quick possession.
I thought I saw 2 Cheslin Kolbe's on the pitch. 
Rohan Van Rensburg is a big backline player- even bigger than Jean Devilliers. When he got his pace up on that try- not many players would have made one on one tackles on him. (Not even 3 Kolbe's)
Pollard make have already peaked as a player. He is very lead-footed for a backline player, with a minimal step. Hopefully, he gets fit soon- he got out -played by Schoeman- who is barely a curry cup standard player at 10. 
Kolisi had perhaps the best game i have seen from him. His work rate was higher than usual, and he was involved at the breakdown

Etzebeth made a magnificent back tackle and steal off ismael after Stephanie missed him...Stephanie made none Etzebeth won all his lineouts in good order.....Stephanie lost one of his. Etzebeth made 7 tackles and missed none, Stephanie made 8 and missed 5 including the tackle on Liebenburg for a try. Etzebeth was penalized once...Stephanie drew 2 penalties Etzebeth made only 5 metres, Stephanie 6......but at least Etzebeth beat a tackle. Stephanie is active and aggressive, which is good. But his tackling is not great, you can't be a great tackler and get stepped by Lood de Jager. and he concedes too many turnovers....nor is he noney in the lineouts. At the moment he is considerably less effective in what he tries to do than other mobile locks like Itoje. Meantime Etzebeth does a lot of the necessary power stuff week in week out.

 I watched out for Etzebeth and was not impressed by him - he definitely was not better than Du Toit who was the MOM as implied by Mozart.   He was again getting at least two stats dismally wrong.   Etzebeth  made 8 carries gaining 4 meters and Du Toit 7 carries gaining 24 meters.   That comes from ESPN.   Etzebeth got stripped of at least one ball in a carry towards the end of the game.    What I have seen is that he is rather clumsy in his ball carries. 
 

Kolisi was the player of the round for me.

You are right about the running stats, they were corrected as they often are after what I assume is some kind of review....much of du Toit's 24 metres came from a pick and go, still didn't beat a tackle though. What was also corrected, which you don't mention, is the tackling stats......Etzebeth goes to 11 tackles/none missed.....Stephanie goes to 7 tackles/5 missed. He missed almost half his tackles. The point being we have to be objective about these players. Stephanie got the MOM award, but as 3k says Kolisi was probably most deserving, or perhaps even one of the young props.

 Stooge - he off-loaded and passed the ball - did no t run into the first defender and get tackled easily like Etzebeth.      

 Stooge - he off-loaded and passed the ball - did no t run into the first defender and get tackled easily like Etzebeth.      

He offloaded twice and lost the ball twice.....Etzebeth offloaded once and lost the ball once.......Stephanie made no turnovers, Etzebeth made one. Do the math. And then do 11 tackles none missed vs 7 tackles 5 missed.

Mozart
On two occasions the Bull were penalized for hanging on to balls on the ground when Du Toit was able to make turnovers - for heavens sake why do you not watch games properly.   
By the way Du Toit never had a ball taken out of his hands easily - like happened in the case of Etzebeth.    

Nope...but he just had his head handed to him by Ismael and the ball ripped off him by Snyman in the lineout. Look you may think..... the vast majority of Bok fans may think he is the answer. I still remember his inept play on the YE tour, buying the same dummy twice against the Poms, losing our last chance lineout against Italy.....generally being outplayed by the NH locks.

 Mozart
You also thought that Matfield and Alberts were the answer in 2015 and the most experienced team in the history of Springbok rugby was the way to go -  remember Japan. 
What you think and what experts think is as far away from the East than the West is - so keep us entertained with your thinking - it is hilariously funny.   What is so trafgic though is that you think your prejudice is what count.       

I do remember Japan. I remember newbie Oosthuizen getting himself yellow carded and powder puff newbie Jessie Kriel, your man, having his head handed to him for the winning try. Then I remember Lomp being monstered in the semi Not one of these new players circa 2014 can be called established Springboks.

 Burt you do not remember the bugger-ups made by Matfield, Burger, Bismarck, Piemaar and co.   The above were "established" Springboks - who should have retired years ago.  Matfield was physically deficient and the real BS was the result.
I was never a great Kriell fan - he was better in some of the tests he played in than De Jongh, but that does not say much.   Your blaming of players for missed tackles - often falsely - as the only reason for losses is a real joke and a stupid  one at that.   No single player loses a test like the Japan one - the bugger-ups was made by the team as a whole.  
I also do not believe in what Meyer called a game plan and even Matfield ignored it - he was one of the main reasons for he loss.      

 Good team, I thought that the lions and cheetahs games was the low light of weekend. Sharks should have beaten the reds but don't look like they can play. I starting to think that Lambie is just not as good as a player of his exprience should be. Made really poor decisions and kicks. 
Rohan saved the gam for the lions, showed really good pace for a fat bloke weighing 110kg. 
Stormers looked really good and probably the only contender of the SA teams. 
Lets see if SP Marais can keep up his form. We desperately need to see some decent 9, 13 and 15 come through this year. 
Trevor Nkjane got completely destroyed, and to think that the bulls gave up Louw for Trevor and the kid is only 21, keeping Malherbe on the bench. 
I just hope the bulls drop Paige, seems to panic under pressure and could marshall his forwards. 
I just hope the bulls bring in Andre Warner, played out of his skin in the Brisbane 10's and got some fantastic pace, not to mention his size that suits a modern day 9

Yes sometimes a single player does lose a test....Kriel makes his tackle the Boks win. Use what little brains you have man, and stop spouting these hackneyed beliefs.

 Mozart - Kriel makes the tackle and all the other bugger-ups are forgotten and there were plenty of those - so many one can write a book about it.

 Exactly....it happens all the time.