Coach57,555 posts
07 Aug 2013, 13:19
#1
07 Aug 2013, 13:19#1
Please refer to the following article:-
"SARU CEO Jurie Roux has admitted that the number of Springbok players plying their trade abroad may be trimmed in the future.
Ten members of Heyneke Meyer's 30-man squad for the Rugby Championship will be turning out either in Europe, the United Kingdom or Japan following the conclusion of the competition. This is in stark contrast to in previous years when few - if any - players not competing in domestic competitions were considered for selection.
Roux says that this selection policy may not remain going forward, with a limitation on players based abroad being pondered.
"Yes, it's something we are considering. But within the context of a constantly changing industry that is fast developing into a global sport rather than just being a national sport in terms of opportunities offered," Roux told Die Burger.
"Players playing locally will always get first consideration, provided that the selectors have faith in their abilities.
"However, we are in a unique current situation with six players (Kirchner, Habana, Steyn, Vermaak, Kruger and Ralepelle), who were part of the Bok squad this past year, now deciding to go overseas. You can't just replace so many players in the middle of the season.
"But these players know their chances of playing for South Africa in future cannot be guaranteed."
Roux admitted that the mass of players moving overseas was of concern to SARU and is a point that will be investigated."
Has Meyer finally lost his marbles? He included nine overseas players in the 30 member squad for the RC and Roux would not have made the comments quoted above - if there was not an outcry about it.
Of the 9 overseas based players or players moving overseas soon - the following are real duds that should not have been anywhere near the squad:-
* Guthro Steenlkamp - cannot even make his club starting line-up
* Zane Kirchner - poor form in Super 15
* Juandre Kruger - no grunt at all
The following are players with Question marks over them:-
* Ruan Pienaar - below par this year for Ulster
* Fourie du Preez - can his Japanese form really be considered
* Vermaak - not really top notch
* Morne Steyn - one-dimentional and not irreplaceable - collapse under pressure
* Chilliboi Rallepele - third in line as hooker
That leaves us with only two players that is to my mind are top notch and those are Bryan Habana and Francois Louw.
Add to that the other duds in Meyer's squad - Willem Alberts, Juan de Jongh, Flip van der Merwe and Franco van der Merwe and we really are in deep shit.
I think SARU should limit the number of foreign-based players to be in the squad to TWO PLAYERS - who are in fact not replaceable easily in the team. The rest are replaceable and need to be out of consideration the moment they sign foreign contracts.
Meyer's conduct is a further reason for players departing from SA - and he should have been told that outright by SARU especially since half of the players selected are not really of international standard in any event. The man is a real nutcase - especially if borne in mind that of the 9 players listed above 7 are Bulls - or players that played for the Bulls in the past. Why are we thus tormented when it comes to this coach?
