Sober Up!

Here we go again, the doomsdayers screaming from the hilltops, groaning wearily. I can see it now, ClevarMike in sackcloth bemoaning the day Morné ever lost us two tests on tour; no doubt we will be hearing it twenty years from now, another collection to Bok fables of rugby mythology. And speaking of fables, did I not warn you all of the perils of playing Lambie? Did I not warn you all that Reinach fell apart under physical pressure against England? Did I not warn you all that the team was vulnerable, that our opponents were honing in on these weaknesses? We got lucky against England, mostly because of their decision making. How can one honestly expect to get the best results without playing your best players? Now we have the benefit of hindsight, the fact is that Pollard and Hougaard were head and shoulders better than a Shark duo that has not lived up to the hype all year. Reinach has the benefit of being a newcomer, but Lambie a veteran of five years, very shortly to be six! The experiment never worked. No team has ever benefited from Lambie at 10, at the very most he is a defensive 15 only because he is, ironically, the safest player under the highball; not because his tackling is anything to behold.

Changes:

1. Flip is at lock beside Matfield.
2. de Jongh at 13. Demoting Serfontein to bench duty.
3. Dropping Jean and doing whatever it takes to bring Frans back. 
4. Dropping Lambie forever. Bring back Pollard, either as starter with Morné on bench or the reverse.
5. Never ever drop Habana, ever again! 
6. Bring back Alberts. But move Coetzee to 6 where he belongs.  
   
7. Du Preez will be back next year, Hougaard to be reserve 9. 
8. Strauss our starting hooker and captain.

These changes will go a long way to solving the problems we have.

OK, so we lose two matches on tour and it is the youngsters who are at fault?

You sound like Meyer, just an excuse to play more drone rugby.  

Keep dreaming Lestat......your alternatives are poor.......none more so than de Jongh at 13.......the little man would get sorely exposed at test level. Nice little player in space but a liability in traffic.

Imagine selecting Flip over Willemse, PSDT or Lood?

When last did Alberts play a good game?  

The point is the youngsters like Lambie, Reinach, Stepfontein, Coenie  and Coetzee are not showing any signs of being able to best their immediate opponents in a close game. Nor will they. This is not our usual crop of greats. We can try them in a 100 different permutations they are not the "big image" players that strike fear in the heart of opponents. 

Did Step beat one backline player and simultaneously execute a clean break in the 14 or so tests he played this year....I can't think of one.

Did Coetzee make one turnover on our line all year, when it really counted, like Strauss did on Saturday....I can't think of one.

How many times did Lambie screw up on Saturday....at least 6 move stopping goofs.

When last did you see Reinach pick out the right player and put his pass on the money....hell when last did you see Reinach pass the ball without taking three steps.

When did you ever see Coenie break even playing at tighthead against a worthy opponent. When this year did you see him stay straight and take one tiny step forward.

I'm not against youth, I'm just not convinced by this "youth"....Reinach is about to be 25, Coenie will be 26 by the start of the S15. They are mid career players and still "learning". The others have had plenty of test opportunities. I suppose Coetzee is the most convincing of those, but he can't perform his basic function, fetching.

These are not players you agitate to have in the team.....they are players we pick reluctantly because we don't have our usual tests options. But in some cases we do....like Pollard.