Captain49,914 posts
06 Aug 2013, 01:42
#1
06 Aug 2013, 01:42#1
You start by recognizing there is a Springbok team....not just a collection of players. There is a team spirit, a sense of comradeship, an understanding of what the other guy can do and is likely to do. A team. Sometimes that team may even not have the best individuals at each position....for a host of reasons.
-
You also recognize the value of the jersey. The need to earn it to keep it's currency. The dangers of handing it out carelessly.You recognize the value of experience, of knowing test match tactics and intensity, knowing the grounds in their test match guise....knowing the players in test match mode....a very different thing from your pool S15 match.
-
With those things in mind, the obvious place to start is the current Bok team, which in the last 12 months has defeated every team on the planet, but the ABs. It's a competent team. Weaknesses probably exist in scrumming and open back play......strengths in the lineout, mauling, kicking and defence. We are more strong than we are weak. But given the chance we'd like to be better, to scrum better and to be more effective ball in hand. We'd like to do this without weakening the team in other areas. So who should be changed from our team that played Samoa?
-
15 FB
Willie le Roux
14 W
Bryan Habana
69
13 C
JJ Engelbrecht
12 C
Jean de Villiers (c)
11 W
Bjorn Basson
10 FH
Morne Steyn
9 SH
Ruan Pienaar
1 P
Tendai Mtawarira
2 H
Adriaan Strauss
3 P
Jannie du Plessis
4 L
Eben Etzebeth
5 L
Flip van der Merwe
6 F
Francois Louw
7 F
Willem Alberts
8 N8
Pierre Spies
Replacements
16 H
Bismarck du Plessis
17 P
Trevor Nyakane
18 P
Coenie Oosthuizen
19 R
Juandre Kruger
20 N8
Siya Kolisi
21 SH
Piet van Zyl
22 FH
Pat Lambie
23 C
Jan Serfontein
-
We see that already with the selection of Willie we are trying to attack the running weakness. This is a 50:50 shot. There is no denying his comfort, time and creativity with the ball. But there is also no denying innovating is risky business and can backfire. It's a worthy experiment....but only an experiment.
-
On the wings Habana is top notch, but Basson is a pathetic defender. Dropping him will hurt the efficacy of our kick and chase, but it has to be done. Not with Mvovo though....who is tremendous until he is matched against quality. JJ is the obvious answer here, which would allow us to play Jean and Serfontein. All things being equal JJ deserves to play on at 13, but I think he is a better wing.
-
From a full cupboard of flyhalves a year ago, we are down to Morne. Jantjies has failed, Lambie has failed and Goosen is hurt. This will certainly not improve the running game, but I see no viable alternative.
-
If F du Preez is still F du Preez I'd bring him back in a heart beat. This took a while to negotiate and was a purely positive step, not a reaction to injury....Pienaar is dull and not a good defender, Vermaak below test class and VanZyl/ Reinach not ready for the lead role.
-
In the pack I'd be tempted to try Herbst at tighthead....for me he is the only tighthead who hasn't had bad days at the S15 scrummng office. Bismarck and Strauss are great players....they should both be on the park. For the moment I'd stick with Strauss as my starter. The Beast is our best prop.
-
Likewise Etzebeth chooses himself. ...and now we get to Kruger. Kruger is a wonderfully mobile lock, as good as any 5 in the lineouts and superb on offensive and defensive kickoffs. But he is not a strong man. Bekker ticks all the boxes but is gone. So many argue bring in another 4 lock like Flip Flop or Lood Voet. But how is adding another slow lock going to add to the running game....the contradiction is obvious, fans want a Bakkies who moves like Victor. Other than Bekker I know of no such lock.
-
And in the loosies we have an obvious change to make with the Spies injury. Alberts provides grunt and trades mobility with Kruger who provides speed from lock.
-
I have changed my view on Brussouw.....he is still a force and watching George Smith dominate the S15, Brussouw has to be considered.. That means we move Louw to the blind side and have dual fetching....or left/right fetching if you prefer. This trio should ensure us plenty of ground ball, a fundamental to attacking rugby.
-
On the bench Coenie should shift to loosehead, I'd keep Janniie in the mix at tighthead, Bismarck as well. Lambie has to rebuild, the bench is the place to start and Serfontein would be replaced by our most dangerous runner from broken play, Aplon...JJ can shift to centre if needed. Which leaves a lock to choose, I suppose Flip Flop. And a loosie. Oddly enough I might give Jacque Potgieter another shot. All that energy and power late in the game is impactful and he was the best Bool against the Brumbies. At scrumhalf I'd give van Zyl a run off the bench.
-
So we haven't found many players that can really upgrade our running play, but Serfontein is better than Basson....F du Preez is a brilliant player, his sniping destroyed the Poms in the RWC pool game....and he almost won that Aussie QF.
-
In the pack we have maintained our lineout play while possiby improving our wobbly scrum....with Herbst. The loosies remain a problem, there is no great running option like Big Joe. Recognizing that we have opted for hard yards man Alberts and plenty of ball from Louw and Brussouw.
-
Not a complete answer....but we have maintained team identity, improved ball winning capacity, improved the scrum with a tighthead technician, strengthened our defence and provided creative spark with F du Preez.
