Should Duanne Vermeulen go to the world cup

To me Duanne had been the pinnacle of the modern bok player. He had speed, powere and strength. Great hands and could run like a wing in space. A fearless defender. 

Come July, he will be 37. Yet, he still hopes to play one more world cup.

As much as I love Duane, I simply feel it is time to call it a day. 

To me he was the reason why the boks won the world cup. He was the only player that stayed on and captained the team until the final minute. Unlike quotalisi that could only last 50 minutes. It was Duanne that did all the talking. Pushing the team and making sure that they stayed focus. 

Yet, it was Kwotalisi that got all the credit.

Yet, I think that he needs to call time now 

We have good enough players that can step up into the 8 position 

I agree…he was brilliant at the last WC, but Father Time has eroded his skills.

He did not play well for the Boks last year, but that was after a recent serious injury and operation.
His first few games were terrible - but he did improve a bit after a few games.

He will get some test time this year so we can see how good he is now. 

We might be able to squeeze one last season out of him - but he has to play much better than he did last season.

If we include the likes of Damian, Faf, Willemse, Arendse, Steph, Kolisi et al, who are we to question Thor's ability? Is ability really the final factor in selection? If not, then intangibles make him a certain squad selection, even if he is not better than Wiese. 

Ja, this is normally a coaches downfall for being to loyal for too long to their favourite players.

Pieter De Villiers held onto John Smit but in the end the team just got worse and we for knocked out in the quarters. 

If Rassie wants a wise head, what on earth is he doing with Deon Fourie. 

Duanne, and a few other players are beyond that point now. 

We do have a good draw in terms of fixtures given that it is a 7 day turn around. 

Well, it will be interesting to see who gets selected in the training squad. 

It is still a crime that Coetzee is not in the team. He is only 32, got size and skill and a great leader. The Bulls really struggled without him this season. 

He can play the exact same role as Francois Louw. 

The only thing that will bring him in is injuries to Kwagga and Deon

You're fudging the truth Korn, Smit was still the Premier booker in South Africa. At that point Bismarck wasn't even the third best hooker. The World Cup team was coached by Nienaber and his PR Manager Erasputin. They were much, much better on defence. We were one of the strongest teams in the WC, and lost through a Lambie overrun and very poor reffing. 

This reminds me of the debate on site in which  the selection of the 2015 WC squad was discussed.   At the time there as a string  of non-players promoted that ahas not played any rugby for up to 18 months and the result was that Meyer included 8 unplayable players in his WC squad.  

Vermeulen did not play rugby recently as a result of injury and when he did play he was substandard.    Any reputation selection is to my mind unaccpetable and to the detriment of the team.    If Vermeulen keeps on underperforming he should not eb in the WC squad.    

8 unplayable players? Such as? 

Ok Start with Morne Steyn, Kirchner and Willem Alberts.   Then look at the players with less than 100 minutes play in the whole tournament - Jean de Villiers, Matfield, Pienaar and a few others.  There were indeed 8 passengers in the WC squad as numerously times stated in player participation in the whole series.   There were 8 players who could not be played as starting players and some managed to start in 2 or less starting  teams - De Villiers and Matfield were two of those.             

Ok Start with Morne Steyn, Kirchner and Willem Alberts.   Then look at the players with less than 100 minutes play in the whole tournament - Jean de Villiers, Matfield, Pienaar and a few others.  There were indeed 8 passengers in the WC squad as numerously times stated in player participation in the whole series.   There were 8 players who could not be played as starting players and some managed to start in 2 or less starting  teams - De Villiers and Matfield were two of those.             

Mike is correct, Duanne came off a lengthy neck surgery, Fourie Du Preeze had knee problems and was playing in Japan. Mayfield retired and had to work his way back into fitness. Jean had massive knee surgery. Meyer took a massive gamble knowing his first choice players won't be fit until the knock outs. 

Duanne and Fourie did make a difference in that beautiful try where Duane broke off the back and reverse passed to Fourie to score in the corner and brake the deadlock. 

Kolisi is injured, but the boks don't have that many injuries. So most of the squad is fit. 

I just think Duanne may be fit but he simple doesn't have the same x factor he once had and is now just a ruck inspector and a traffic warden waving his arms to align our defence. Which he has been critical to how the boks arrange their defense. 

I think between Roos, Wiese and Kwagga we have enough cover. Then we have Louw that can play 7 and 8. 

Still no clue why Fourie is in the team. If you select that type of player, we're bound to concede penalties.

Especially how the game is carded at the moment. 

You lose momentum and it is a try on the other side. 

Great respect for Duanne as a player, Springbok and a sportsman but Father Time has come knocking and it is time for him to perhaps move into a coaching role.

I hope he is hired for the RWC as such.

1. Morne Steyn: Didn't put a foot wrong, in fact, he really showed up Lambie with several beautifully worked assists and breaks against the USA. He opened the game up. One of Meyer's big blunders was trusting in Lambie against NZ, where they pinned us back with kicks, and neither Pollard or Lambie could orchestrate the breaks Morné did with expert precision. 
2. Kirchner: He was one of the two best players against Japan. He cut them apart. He made one mistake throughout all of 2015, a bad clearance. 
3. Willem Alberts: Alberts never really featured, but it was a gamble. Everyone Meyer used to fill his spot failed. That included Marcel Coetzee and Steph. It was a gamble I don't take issue with. 
4. Jean de Villiers: He was the captain, and actually played well in 2015. Losing him really quite severely damaged our chances against NZ, as we saw with Damian's feeble defence and attack against them - as well as all his other tests. 
5. Matfield: He comprehensively outclassed both Steph and Lood. Lood was another who feebly cost us a final appearance. 
6. Pienaar: He was in great form in 2015. He didn't really put a foot wrong. I was never a Pienaar fan, but his service was fast and fluid, and kicking on point. 

L'Grande Merde

You always write SHIT on sit - the above takes the cake.   Morne - let me think a bit - as far as I can remember he played a total of  51 minutes rugby during the whole series  of  7 matches - he never started in one match during the world cup.   So he played well in the 52 minutes he played in the series?   Blaas my siel - how sick can you get.

Alberts was a gamble you could live with.   He could not play in any match in the series - Meyer tried a number of players at 7 - take for example - he tried Du Toit.   Alberts was selected for the Japan disaster - a half an hour before the match  Du Toit was told to play at 7 - a position he never played in since the 2012 Under 20 WC.   That type of situation should never happen in any WC series.   Only idiots would accept such a gamble.

When and in which matches did De Villiers play well in 2015?   Dimness he played against the Argentinians in Durban and did nothing in that game which the Springboks lost badly.   His next game was the Japan disaster - where he did nothing as well.

Kirchner played in the Japan disaster and not a single match subsequently.   He was totally unfit to play and that was it.  

Matfield - he played badly in the Japan disaster - he was ridiculously poor in that game - played for I believe 15 minutes in the Samoa game and walked off the field.    His next game was  in the WC semi against the AB's.   He was out-jumped in the first line out after he came on - it was on a Bok throw-in.    His next great achievement was to get a penalty turned around deep in the AB half when he got tough and tried to neck-wrestle an AB player.   Blaas my siel again.   

Let me remind you idiot that Meyer was told any application by him  for renewal of his Springbok contract would not be considered so that was the end of his Springbok coaching disaster.   He ended up coaching Stade Francais and after nearly destroying the Club was told to  resign - if not he would be fired.    On the plane back to SA he was joined by Alberts and Morne.                   

Michael, stay on the Beeno section, you aren't cut out for rugby discussions. 

Jean played against Argentina, yes. What did he do? 48m in 8 runs, compare that to Damian's 23m in 8 runs in the next game against the same opposition. Michael, you just cannot get it right, not even by accident. As per losing "badly", save that for the 2018 Massacre in Mendoza. The one you held Meyer accountable for. 

Jean was not the problem against Japan. Kirchner played against Japan, and then didn't play again? That proves what? He made nearly 90m in 8 runs, beat 3 defenders, 2 clean breaks and didn't miss a tackle. So he was a "disaster" because he played in the loss? It's interesting how you try to draw these types of conclusions. A player you don't like played in a loss, therefore you weave a narrative of them being guilty for the loss, merely by association. However, when we speak of Steph's low win percentage, that never seems to be a problem for you. It was also not a problem for you when Damian singlehandedly lost the 2018 Wallaby test, or the NZ semi, or the England test of 2018 at Twickenham, or the England test of 2021... it never seems to be a problem for you when these specifics are brought to attention. 

As per Morné? He showed more in that time than Lambie showed in his entire career. You really are a plonker Michael. 

Are you really trying to excuse PTSD? He was so talented it was said we should build the entire team around him! Remember that? What difference does it make what number was on his back? He couldn't carry, having made what would become the standard 1.7m in 10 carries. In an open game. He was a statue out there, and that immobility from the likes of Lood, and Steph really didn't do us any favours at all. Then there was Kriel, Lambie, Mvovo. Eddie Jones said they concentrated for two months on that game, and that he knew they'd face Lambie. He said they targetted his passivity and that was one of the biggest determiners for how the game unfolded. The axis between fixing 10, then 12, with a dumb 13. Good old fashioned Wallaby rugby. 

I shouldn't even entertain your nonsense, but thanks for the laughs Michael. 

Nee.