Springbok team selection for the June tests

I think the probable team for the  June tests are slowly taking shape  and  I think Rassie – as a thinking coach would  probably  have taken note of what he wants in the following positions:-

Full Back   

The choice is likely to be between  Combrink and  Le Roux – with Gelant be in the background.

Wings

The likely choice will be between  Mapimpi, Nkosi and Dyantyi  when it comes to the wings.

Centers

Rassie may consider a combination of Esterhuizen at 12 and De Allende at 13 as the center  combination.   There are no other real contenders for those two positions.  Am is likely to be on the bench.

Flyhalf

Since Willemse is off to the Under 20 WC – the choice is likely to be between  Pollard and Du Preez, with Du Plessis having an outside chance  if one of those two cannot play.  Jantjies will not be in the squad I am afraid,

Scrumhalfs    

No really  outstanding players  - nowhere to go but perhaps one of the threeBulls scrummies  o consider.

No 8

Could be Whiteley if he is fit  - if not Rassie may consider Vermeulen, but he latter is not the player he used to be and I can see one of the Du Preez bothers as an alternative.  If Vermeulen comes in I cannot see how he would last at 8 in any event.

No 7

I  think the stand-out player is Du Preez – but would not be surprised if Rassie pick Du Toit at 7 if Etzebeth is available at lock.

No 6    

Whether we like it or not Kolisis is lielyto be the no 6.   Ithink he is nopt good enough – but there is very little in the pipeline in this case.

Locks

Etzebeth – his lack of game time this year will be a major problem – but if he manages to get some game time before June 2018 he may be the choice.   The other two players in real contention is De Jager and Du Toit.   None of the otherlocks are really contenders.

Tightheads

The only three contenders are really Louw, Du Toit and Malherbe.

Hookers

 Marx –with  Akker  and Bismarck as potential back-ups.

Looseheads

Mtawarira,  Kitshoff and Nche or Nyakane/Nche as other contenders.

I think that Rassie may bring in some of the NH club players – but cannot see how  Vermeulen and Bismarck can make it to the 2019 WC.

Rassie will also be forced  to play some quota players and i think the bench wil largely consist of those..

Cannot fault your selections Mike but would add Faff De Klerk for starter no 9. I fully agree with Esterhuizen at first centre too, a real must.

@Mike 

Haha don't worry man. CC and I will spot the players and you make the posts :) 

I'm referring to Combrink at 15 of course.

Dayimani runs the 100 in 10.7 secs. 188cm and 100kgs. Sounds like and an outside centre to me. He's probably one of the fastest players we have and certainly the fastest for his size. Bit of a waste at 8 I think. Why is he being played as a forward?

My feeling is that is where he played at school and has transitioned into the grown up version in that position by default. 

What do you guys think?

Kitshoff was a sure thing for me. 

But as Moz pointed out, he's failed a bit of late and been run over by seemingly inferior opposition. 

His biggest downfall this year was against the Leeus. So his only reprieve might be that he was scrumming against easily the world's premier scrummaging hooker.

I still fancy him, despite his recent failures. We forget that he's still very young despite having a relatively old head on his shoulders. 

Undoubtedly just another a list of Mike's favourites.

Seems the fool is to damn stubborn to accept that Rassie has committed himself to a 45 - 50% quota mix.

Tell me ... "clever" ... how many players of colour are in your side?

Looks a little light if you ask me.

Try again, bozo.

plum

There are two things that is important in scrumming - namely the balance provided by the hooker in the effort and your fellow-prop.   That is a problem in the Stormers scrum and looking at the matches I think that the problem was more with Louw and the fact that he is being over-played.  

I think that Kitshoff is too important just to discard.  The absence of  Marx from the Lions scrum is felt - and the Lions scrum yesterday was not all that acceptable.

As to Dyantyi - he himself prefers the center position and he is even refgistered on Foxsport as a center - not as a wing.   I think that he could be on the bench serving both positions - whcich is always a wise thing to do.   Am is not really the answer.

We lost big time when Labuschagne went to Japan and he has lately been the Sunwolves captain.   He might even end up playing for Japan next year.  His performance for that team has much to do with the improvement of the Sunwolves in recent games.   He is despite the team he played in highly rated by Foxsport and .one of the best ball protectors and recoverers in the game and also good in line-outs.  While playing for the Bulls he played s openside flank - and I would rather have him in that position than the low-production Kolisi, but that is entirely my point of view..  

The problem in that position is that Kriel will not play again in SA and to my mind Kwagga is not a 15 team player - he is magnificent in Sevens and that is where he should play.  For the rest we really do not have opensider flanks that could be selected.

As to the center position I really am not sure - but think that together Esterhuyizen and de Allende could be destructive as to line breaks against any opposing team.   Although De  Allende is severely criticized he was the center with the most line breaks in the 2015 WC and also the most defenders beaten.   He destroyed SBW in the recent Blues game and caused Nonu to be benched early in the AB test in 2015 because of what he did to him.  He went through a downturn in 2016 and was injured for most of 2017, but at this stage is back to where he was in 2014 and 2015.   The combination between Esterhuizen and De Allende may be what we need in the upcoming tests.

My other problem is with the scrummies - Faf may come back into the picture - but he really is not a permanent answer.  There are problems with both his passing and kicking game and that is where he fell flat when he played in tests.  Maybe he picked up some tips in England and will have improved - but there is a problem - very few NH players improve form their experiences there and most flop when they are used.   

plum

There are two things that is important in scrumming - namely the balance provide by the hooker in the effort and your fellow-prop.   That is a problem in the Stormers scrum and looking t the matches I think that the problem was more with Louw and the fact that he is being over-played.  

I think that Kitshoff is too important just to discard.  The absence of  Marx from the Lions scrum is felt - and the Lions scrum yesterday was not all that acceptable.

As to Dyantyi - he himself prefers the center position and he is even refgistered on Foxsport as a center - not as a wing.   I think that he could be on the benh serving both positions - whcich is always a wise thing to do.   Am is not really the answer.

We lost big time when Labuschagne went to Japan and he has lately been the Sunwolves captain.   He might even end up playing for Japan next year.  His performance for that team has much to do with the improvement of the Sunwolves in recent games.   He is despite the team he played in highly rated by Foxsport and .one of the best ball protectors and recoverers in thegme and also good in line-outs.  While playing for the bulls he played s openside flank - and I would rather have him in that position than the low-production Kolisi, but that is entirely my point of view..  

the problem in that position is that Kriel will not play again in SA and to my mind Kwagga is not a 15 team player - he is magnificent in Sevens and that is where he should play.  For th rest we really do not have opensider flanks that could be selected.

As to the center position I really am not sure - but think that together Esterhuyizen and de Allende could be destructive as to line breaks against any opposing team.   Although De Ae Allende is severely criticized he was the center with the most line breaks in the 2015 WC and also the most defenders beaten.   He destroyed SBW in the recent Blues game and caused Nonu to be benched early in the AB test in 2015 because of what he did to him.  He went through a downturn in 2016 and was injured for most of 2017, but at this stage is back to where he was in 2014 and 2015.   The combination between Esterhuizen and De Allende may be what we need in the upcoming tests.

My other problem is with the scrummies - Faf may come back into the picture - but he really is not a permanent answer.  There are problems with bot his passing and kicking game and that is where he fell flat when he played in tests.  Maybe a picked up some tips in England and will have improved - but there is a problem - very few NH players improve form theirexperiences there and most flop when they are used.    

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha!!!

And the bull shit continues.

Lappies will make the team boys ... well ... according to "clever" he should. A missive loss ... apparently.

Kitshoff gets cleaned up by Dreyer but it's Louw's fault.

Tank Du Toit is the man and even better is a personal friend of Mike's, the belly flopping Malherbe who spends more time on crutches than anyone else. One has to put in a good word for your friends, ya know.

He rates De Allende as our best inside center and then makes room for him at 13 ... at the expense of his former favourite 13 ... Jesse Kriel.

It seems he now rates Esterhuizer as the better of the two 12's. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha!! I've been expecting that 180.

Mozart

Stop your nonsense and start looking at rugby performances objectively - your pet hates is getting the better of you and that makes  you look ridiculous, especially since you admiration for slow centers is known (eg Fat Fransie, Kereve, Basteraud and Kuridjani) is .known and Fat Fransie cannot make a line break to save hi life.  De Allende I a fifty meter race will beat ll hose by 1- meters.    

Mozart

Stop your nonsense and start looking at rugby performances objectively - your pet hates is getting the better of you and that makes  you look ridiculous, especially since you admiration for slow centers is known (eg Fat Fransie, Kereve, Basteraud and Kuridjani) is .known and Fat Fransie cannot make a line break to save hi life.  De Allende I a fifty meter race will beat ll hose by 1- meters.    

Mozart

You are amazing - first of all you invented the term Process tackles and when you ask what it means it turned out to be BS you are using as a term to discredit plyers you dislike.  .   Now you at on about new processes - so please explain why that is not similar BS.

CC

Give me one reason why Dreyer should be selected after his disgustingly poor  scrumming display in tests last year?   Remember the term - once bitten twice shy,   Do you want another test lost by a prop being penalized constantly - like happened repeatedly last year in the home AB test. .   . 

CC

Who would you choose if you were the selector?   The answer is not to go balliistic about other peoples choices which were motivated in detail and supported factually - whether you like it or not.   Make your own proposals 

Mozart

How do you know?   No chance since you see some matches on TV and then makes up your mind based om prejudice;   Then you cook up what you say are examples which when analyzed  prove to be BS.   Get real for a change.        

Amazing stupidity by a person who should answer a question intelligently and then sidetrack not to answer.  

...notso clevermike, Combrink must have played his way out of a test jumper after BLam ran through him three times on his way to a hattrick on Saturday...it was like Blam, Blam Blam yr Springbok aspirations are dead mate....

Ag Himmell

What do you suggest should happen insofar as selections are concerned  - stupidT'  

Not so stupid Mike, I'm not a big fan of De Allende at 12 or 13 but who else...we don't have outside centres like Danie Gerber anymore...Jesse Kriel is inconsistent and I agree Esterhuizen is a must at 12. Having said that we Saffers are so set in conformity in rugby and many other things that anything that is not quite by the norm is thrown out.

That's where we differ with other nations...Eddie Jones will play Alex Lozowski at 13, he's generally a 12 and Jack Nowell a wing at centre. We struggle to diversify, did you know that Bryan Habana played at scrum half, until a coach changed him to centre and then on to wing, Jake White also said that Ruan Pienaar is a flyhalf and not a scrummy (perhaps his career would have been a little more successful...don't know but maybe?

Maybe Pierre Spies should have been a wing (Lol) actually many a true word said in jest.

And Plum, not such a bad idea..."Dayimani runs the 100 in 10.7 secs. 188cm and 100kgs. Sounds like and an outside centre to me. He's probably one of the fastest players we have and certainly the fastest for his size. Bit of a waste at 8 I think. Why is he being played as a forward? "

We are too set in our ways...too poop scared to experiment sometimes because of our conventional outlook...that's exactly what happened in Japan game...it was simply the wise EJ outsmarting the set-in-his-ways HM...so what do we do? we find scape-goats and blame the players.

I don't want to start another subject where we start mud-slinging but that's the truth and part of our complexes...rugby is our only accolade and when we lose this, it's the end of the world because we have very little else to beat our chests about!

Lol Mike

You missread my post.

I was talking about Dayimani. 

Also a black guy...But a different one. Eish racist!!! :):)

He plays 8 for the Lions. Yep. In SA, the fastest player we have plays at 8. Another Spies in the making.

@ Seb

Life my friend. Life is enough for you to beat your chest about :)

Sorry Plum

I got mixed up.   

Full Back   

The choice is likely to be between  Combrink and  Le Roux – with Gelant be in the background.

Hopefully, Leroux is back, but is he in Rassie's plans? Combrink needs to play at 15 for the Lions and get more experience. But he does have a good boot.

Curwin Bosch offers some options as well. He is terrible on defence, but most other areas he is good. 

Wings

The likely choice will be between  Mapimpi, Nkosi and Dyantyi when it comes to the wings. 

Agreed, all 3 are looking good. Mapimpi is possibly too small on defence, but he is an excellent finisher. 

Centers

Rassie may consider a combination of Esterhuizen at 12 and De Allende at 13 as the centre combination.   There are no other real contenders for those two positions.  Am is likely to be on the bench. 

Esterhuizen must be a certain starter at 12. Perhaps put AM at 13 who is a specialist outside centre. Delande can be horribly exposed on defence at 13. 

Flyhalf

Since Willemse is off to the Under 20 WC – the choice is likely to be between  Pollard and Du Preez, with Du Plessis having an outside chance if one of those two cannot play.   I expect Pollard and Jantjies will be in the matchday team. Not sure Dupreez will get called up yet.

Scrum-half    

No really outstanding players  - nowhere to go but perhaps one of the three bulls scrummies  to consider.  We have lots of scrumhalf, but none are test level players, and some barely SuperXV players.  It is surprising that the Bulls change the scrumhalf position so much. It is the worst set of scrumhalfs in our history. Some are Hougaard clones

sebo its a possibilty. Add in Nkosi and then Faf and Gelant/ Le R oux. 

Seb

No problem with the idea of carrying over synergy.

Provided it's proven and successful at least at SR level. Thus far the Sharks have had little success.

That's not to say they can't/wont improve.

I don't have a problem with that either, Beeno in fact I like it...there is no biase here and black players are not quotas.

Now sort out the best blind side flank and prop debate and now hooker, as Marx looks out.

I don't know why we complicate these easy solutions...you cannot please everybody at the same time but common sense is needed...Kitshoff/Dreyer should both be in the squad, so should Beast.

In fact I don't go with strict rules with blindside and openside flanking duties...both should be able to do both functions...the French alternate and Wales tried it with Warburton and Lydiate...

If things were perfect. and possible...I would have Jaco Kriel, Jean -Luc and Marcell Coetzee (tied up in Ulster) and Whiteley in the mix....I'm not a Kolisi fan.

Locks are not difficult either, they are all high standard but Eben stands out and is a banker and yes Mike, Lappies Labuscagne (flank and lock) has been outstanding rugby with the Sun Wolves and I like him.

Yes , you cannot leave out Pollard either...should be starter 10 no question and Robert (Jnr) as standby replacement.

Well Sharks do amazing things...should have clipped NZ's best/second best away but then blowout against the Rebels and then just look at them last Saturday...hardly can blame the bad performances to the back line though...they play like the French national side...when they turn up they are the best and when they go the other way they really make a hash of it but that has little to do with individual performances...it's a team game.