Springbok selection raises eyebrows

 Springbok selection raises eyebrows

Lesiba Manaka demands better representation

One of the talking points has revolved around Pat Lambie being the preferred flyhalf ahead of Elton Jantjies who has not had a fair chance to prove his ability in the test arena.

Centre Juan de Jongh’s extended stay on the bench despite his good form has not helped matters either.

Meyer’s “horses for courses” approach has put Jantjies out of his radar as the talented 22 year old even failed to make it to the bench with embattled flyhalf Morne Steyn receiving what appears to be preferential treatment. SuperSport rugby commentator Kaunda Ntunja has labelled the current Springboks squad as unbalanced and uninspiring to South Africans.

“I honestly don’t know what Meyer is trying to prove to the nation,” said an unhappy Kaunda.

“How does he justify Lambie ahead of Jantjies?

“I am not happy with the team and if this continues, I wonder what nation they will represent. Jantjies played well for the whole season and now he is not even on the bench, which will be killing his confidence completely,” he said.

The selection of Francois Hougaard at wing ahead of Lwazi Mvovo was met with strong opposition from the Xhosa commentator. “This is completely surprising. Hougaard has stated that he does not want to play wing and Meyer is trying to convert him when he has plenty of world-class wingers at his disposal.

“Mvovo has been the on-form winger for the past two seasons and now he is on the bench. The classic one, Raymond Rhule, is talented in attack and defence and he is nowhere to be found in the squad. “I don’t know Meyer personally, but it looks like when you are a player of a certain ethnic group in the Springboks you must sweat before being in the starting line-up,” said Ntunja.

The Bok selectors have mercilessly overlooked Jantjies for two years and only got a chance to prove his detractors wrong in October against Australia. Ntunja said that Meyer may have made the biggest blunder of his coaching career should the Boks come unstuck.

“If he is selecting players on Currie Cup form then he is lying to himself and to the rugby public. Juan de Jongh performed wonders for Western Province for the whole cup competition. Why he has been relegated to the bench, only Meyer knows. If they lose what explanations will he give to rugby-loving South Africans?”

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Hell - where did this one come from? Another report about the so-called discriminatory selections.   This is all about Jantjies and De Jongh - with an aside on the Mvovo issue.  

I think in the case of Mvovo there should be a case - he could have gione into the team instead of the out-of-form Hougaard.  However, what counted against him was the bugger-up he made in the Aussie test - when he was all at sea in that kick-in of the Wallabies.   However, Hougaard was very bad in all three tests he played at weng - so the issue really was a toss-up.

Jantjies was pathetic in the Soweto test and is the personification of an over-rated player with really no credentials to be in the squad at all.   I wish Meyer would give him a chance - but that really would mean giving up any hope pof a victory in that test.   What is likely to happen is a repeat of the Soweto test where he was so bad - his teammates cut him out of the game completely - because the first five balls he received - he buggered uo completely.   I think it relly is time for the coach to come up with precise reasons why this bugger is useless.   I think what is likely to happen is that th Stormers is going to sooner rather than later stop selecting him as flyhalf because he is so bad.  

De Jongh "in form" - my ass.   This player - who gave the distinguished record of scoring three tries in 18 games this year being in form?  What the hell is this journo on about.

Why is this type of rubbish raising its head again.   I think it probably relates to tactics by the Jantjies crowd to use racism as a means to get him into the team - because merit won't get him anywhere near selection.  

I am very suspicious about especially Jantjies.   Why was there an uproar in the Lions team involving Mitchell - after Mitchell subbed him very early in the Lions - WP clash - where Jantjies buggered up badly and the Lions backline functioned much better after he was replaced.   Mirtchell would not have been kind about that catastrophe.   The storm around Mitchell followed very soon after that game.   Immediately before the Lions-WP semifinal in the CC - Jantjies and not the captain - was talking virtually in a monologue to the players grouped on the field,  I was surprized by that "team talk" in public.  Why was he the talker and not the captain?   That may just indicate that he assuming the role of "leader" could have been one of the instifators against Mitchell and the source of the newspper reports now surfacing.