That he could be even fatter than he was last year? I watched him playing cricket and he looked to me as having gainied another 5 kgs - pure lard. In 2013 he specialized in being active on the field of play for 20% of the time - this year will it be 15%?
Cleancut
Is s bloody hot today and the only amusement is spending time in the lukewarm pool and fishing - and the objects take the bait like it is unbelievable. First Sasue - now you..
But his (Alberts') gut is way to big for anyones comfort and also for a rugby player.
Cleancut
Seriously now - Alberts is not fantasy selection material - he is way too limited for that. I think this year for loosie a combination would be Labuschagne, Arno Botha and Luatua - with the bench being either Reid, Hooper or Braid. Anyway those plus Sam Cane are the seven loosies that will be the best point scorers. They were last year and a repeat is highly likely this year
Alberts will never get more than 12 points on Foxsport and more than 140 on Test Rugby - that is just not good enough.
Sun Tzu
If he needs three or four defenders one would assume that he also beats some defenders. In essence over a two year period he beat one defender when carrying balls. For the rest he never did and that is shown in statistics. He is normally tackled by the first defender he comes up against - that is a proven fact.
The strong ball carrier - what a joke. He may have three or four carries in a game - and mostly never reached the gain line.
Another problem is his defence. He misses important tackles routinely and even in a reportedly good game against the French he missed 4 tackles. In any event his tackle count for a loosie is low - more in line with that of a prop.
He does not pas balls and he has no ball skills at all.
That is dear Alberts and no amount of hype about how strong a ball carrier he is will counter the actual facts. A low-work rate player at best. Low number of carries - low tackle count - to which you can add no role in line-outs - no role in tackle ball protection - no contribution to open field play.
Please - if you want to make statement - prove it by fact not meaningless words.
Mozart
You are wrong here. I look at actual performances - not make-believe and hype. Alberts statistical record is weirdly poor and his work rate low. Those are facts.
We were b eaten by the AB's easily because of three liabilities in the tests - Morne Steyn, Sloth Alberts and JJ - and that is a fact of life. Between the three of them they could have prevented 4 tries scored by the AB's in the Ellis Park test - they did not and that was the end of the game.
WA is certainly not fat, Mike...just big with different muscle structure...rather like Wahl Baartman of old...he's tough and strong and used as the battering ram in a simplistic sense...a tiger tank versus a sherman if you like...very effective on European fields...a very useful weapon in the right conditions...different approaches in different games relating to the different conditions...he is a crucial and effectual part of the weaponry.
WC 2015 is all about Europe...wet and soggy fields...Kaiser Willem will be in his element and he is going to be a key player in these conditions...there's no doubt about that.
Labuschagne is now 25 Freddie....I'm writing him off at my peril. Test loosies show earlier than that. Just another DOm OOm
selection, that shows a lack of appreciation for the difference between test rugby and S15.
Mozart
It shows one thing - that a failure on Super 15 level has no chance of being not so on test level. But one cannot put facts in front of you - a person who deviously use stats when it fits his argument and ignored it when it does not.
This case of Alberts - just give me an honest answer:-
* Did Alberts missed the tackle on Reid did let to the Ben Smith try at Ellis Park - Yes or No;
* Did instead of trying to recover the ball from a tackled Aaron Smith - Alberts fell over his own feet - allowing Messam to score his first try - Yes or No
* Did Alberts miss four tackles in the French test - Yes or No
And another wisdom of the sneaky Mozart:-
"Labuschagne is now 25 Freddie....I'm writing him off at my peril. Test loosies show earlier than that."
How do you account for Alberts being 27 when he was first selected for the Springbok team? Please explain - poison pen.
Mozart
Talking utter bullshit again and when asked to explain the statement he comes up with the answer Juan Smith. Good answer - Alberts was not good enough before age 27 because of Juan Smith - but he is good enough now. He never was good enough then and he is not good enough now at the age of 30.
I must admit - it seems as if SA supporters of players like Morne Steyn and Alberts have a death wish inasmuch as they support mediocrities for selection to the Springbok team and then wonder why the team cannot beat the AB's.
Better still they blame anyone else in the team - but the mediocre players they support for losses and want to convince thinking people that they are correct. It reminds me of a movie I once saw called "Ship of Fools". Howeve r, the fools seems to concentrate on this Board and the captain of the fools are none other than Mozart..
Mozart
Talking utter bullshit again and when asked to explain the statement he comes up with the answer Juan Smith. Good answer - Alberts was not good enough before age 27 because of Juan Smith - but he is good enough now. He never was good enough then and he is not good enough now at the age of 30.
I must admit - it seems as if SA supporters of players like Morne Steyn and Alberts have a death wish inasmuch as they support mediocrities for selection to the Springbok team and then wonder why the team cannot beat the AB's.
Better still they blame anyone else in the team - but the mediocre players they support for losses and want to convince thinking people that they are correct. It reminds me of a movie I once saw called "Ship of Fools". Howeve r, the fools seems to concentrate on this Board and the captain of the fools are none other than Mozart..
Mozart
I will be fair in this case. Juan Smith and Schalk Burger were real loosies. Danie Rossouw was more a lock than a loosie. Alberts is more a prop than a loosie.
Burger and Smith have got good distributional ball skills - they could pass balls and catch balls as well - Alberts have none of those. Burger and Smith could carry balls in all facets of play and had enough speed - Alberts cannot do that basic function of a loose - because of speed deficiency. Burger and Smith helped in breakdown ball recovery - Alberts never does. Burger, Smith and Danie Rossouw were good in line out ball recovery - Alberts virtually never does.
The question remains - what does Alberts do in games. He has a low tackle count with a remarkably high miss tackle ratio. He carries balls about 4 or 5 time during games - get tackled within about 2 meters from point of receipt and mauls ensue. By the time the ball comes back the defence has organised their defensive lines and any potential advantage is gone.
I have seen the hype on this site about the mighty ball carrier and bone-crushing tackler - but it is never displayed on the field of play. That is what makes Alberts a liability on the field of play more than an asset. That is why the back row of the Sprngboks are unbalanced - they have a plodder - a prop masquerading as a loosie.
We have other loosies that are real loosies with speed and ball skills like Arno Botha and Labuschagne - who can perform ALL functions of loosies - not a minuscule part of it. That is why with that kind of selection we will never have the upper hand in the RC - end of story.
Cleancut
A couple of things that I am looking forward to in Super 15 this year. I am confident that the Sharks will do well this year. They potentially have a top backline - but ther are things to be sorted pout, namely -
* will Francois Steyn actually repeat last years atrocious performances or will he get his physical fitness and speed back on track; and
* will Lambie really shine at 10 as he used to when he forst came to notice.
If Lambie does not up his game considerably he is in danger of being replaced by Swiel. If that happens - and I have a feelng it may happen - then Swiel will be in competition with Goosen for Springbok selection.
As to the Lions I always had reservations about them in the past when they were in Supper 15. They had a combination of what they regarded as key players - problem was that the same key players constantly let them down and were not replaced timeously.
The Lions now have a younger and more competitive team. I especially like Stokkies Hanekom as a 13 - he may yet go places in that position. There only real drawback is Earl Silky Hands Jantjies - if he repeats his performances of 2013 the Lions will go one way and that is down. I hope Ackerman bear that in mind and replace him - they have Boshoff - a much better flyhalf in any event.
However, I think the Lions will be the surprise package this year and I am looking forward to their performances.
Clevermike
Or as we all know...notsovlevermike...
Saffexes cousin...the other attention seeker and still beating the same drumb...Its getting old mate really really old.
Bye
