Springboks no 8 replacement

So I'm not sure how much Duanne will feature for the Boks, given that he is already 33 and might not be around when the British and Irish Lions show up in SA in 2 years time. 

That said, the B&I tour would be a great place to start bringing in our next cycle of players for WC 2023 in France

For me there are currently on 3 candidates that stand out for me

Marcel Coetzee 28 

Dan Du preez 24 

Juarno Augustos 22

Although, Kolisi has been trialed at 8 in the warm ups this season, not sure if he has the ability to give us go forward ball from the base of the scrum or skills to control the ball 

Are there any other genuine 8s I'm missing? 

Don't forget about Jaco Coetzee at WP...and Kleintjie Ackerman at Gloucester can play 8 too.

Kingcorn

Not sure either - Marcel played very well in his last game that I saw - so he is one,   Augustus was very promising when he was playing under 20 rugby,  He is not really the first choice 8 of the Stormers - Coetze e is - but we will have to wait and see what happens in Super Rugby this year.

Dan du Preez I have not seen enough of recently,  However, his team is not really performing well in the Rugby Champions Cup - so that may well indicate that the team as a whole is failing - which could end up in individual players be blamed.  

I think that in the end Erasmus will study all games and then decide.   By the way there is a  youngster named Streicher who may be in contention - he played for the Maties in the Varsity Cup and performed really well.   Will have to see what develops next.    

Maaik, Augustus struggled with injuries last year, so we will have to wait and see.

Sales Sharks clearly do not understand that you cant have a back row with 2 Deysel twins. Their has to be competition at the breakdown, and having 2 of them that can't touch their own toes is never going to work. 

Augustus has not done nearly enough to merit consideration. He needs to cement a starting spot with the Stormers first and for me young Jaco Coetzee is ahead of him at the moment and certainly a candidate for the Bok 8 spot

My choices would be:

Marcel Coetzee

Dan du Preez 

JL du Preez 

Jaco Coetzee 

Notshe

I see Montpellier are playing big Jacques du Plessis at 8 these days - he would be a great addition to the Boks

Notshe is perhaps club level. Don't be daft snapster. 

I quite like Coetzee goo d all round skills. But the position is up for grabs. We shall see. 

I’m a big fan of Notshe, great ball playing 8 - possibly not physical enough for a test 8 though, like Whitely was not

It’s between Marcel Coetzee and Dan du Preez for me. I’d go with Dan as he is younger 

Augustus all the way.

He is almost unstoppable in close quarters.

He just needs to up hos workrate. Hopefully he'll be ready by 2021 season.

Spies?

You can't be serious!

Was he in ever in " his prime"

he was built like tarzan but played like Jane.

van Niekerk was was an yster! What a machine!

This is a very subjective topic "who was the best".

It depends on how you define the best number 8.

Saffex may find it fit to place JJ Engelbrecht in that category.

Do we define "the best" based on results? on stats? on caps?

its a very hard thing to answer.

it like asking who is the best batsman.

I agree that it will be hard, but I guess I'm looking for an 8 that meets the modern game and someone that can take the ball from the base of the scrum and create space for his loonies and outside backs, got to have great hands, good turn of speed and be able to off load in the tackle

Not to mention to be able to cover the long raking kicks and don't mind competing on the deck when it is on. 

Maybe someone with the hands of Skinstand, the strength of Vermeulen, Pace of Spies and the general ball sense of big Joe 

Wanker....er...pumped Awgoostus a while back. So I paid some attention and remained unconvinced.

Marcel is the mirage that never quite materializes, mostly because he is injured all the time .

That leaves Hands-of Stone twin Dan du Preez, who for some reason I can't fathom is now ahead of the other stone handed twin Jean Luc.

Vermeulen's replacement hasn't been spotted yet.

Vermeulen was outplayed by Dan for most of last Super rugby season and we know how good Vermeulen is

As with all positions in SA we have choices to burn at 8

Marcel, Dan and JL are just as good as Vermeulen 

Burning them is a bit harsh....how about just not selecting them?

There are a few players that need to be burnt for the Boks Moz starting with Frans Steyn and ending with Mostert

"Vermeulen's replacement hasn't been spotted yet."

Agreed, we are looking for the place holder.

Vermeulen is good but Marcel and Dan are just as good 

They both bring the same physicality 

Bullshit Vermeulen is not better - Dan was better than him during the Super comp. 

He is just as physical, he actually might be stronger, is certainly quicker and has the same skill set

Marcel had a long run of injury free for Ulster, then got that minor injury pre WC and is now kicking arse again for Ulster 

Dan du Preez for me, followed by Jaco Coetzee

Marcel at 28 and injury prone is a risky investment 

Marcel has had a few MOM performances for Ulster this season. The guy is a beast

Yeah really like JJ vd Mescht - that try he scored against NZ for the Baby Boks was awesome. For a guy who weighs over 130kg he has some good pace.

I like the look of the Shark locks except for string bean Andrews. 

I like Ruben van Heerden, the Bulls must be kicking themselves for letting him go

Their new acquisition Le Roux Roets from the Pumas is another mountain of a man tipping the scales at over 130kg

I liked his aggression he showed for the Pumas - he really imposes his physicality. We nearly lost him to a Oz side, glad the Sharks snapped him up

It’s where you belong you prick - now fuck off 

Scum

You okes are now going on about locks, agree that these kids are monsters. But they will probably have to lose some weight if they want to play a full season. One thing we are not short of are super big athletic locks at the moment. 

But I still want to find a decent number 8 for us

Hanro Liebenberg looked promising but I think he got moved to lock last year and now playing for Leicester, not sure if he is getting any starts. 

But I think Dan Du Preez has been showing some good hands in off loading the ball. 

I like Marcel, wondered why he has moved to 8, but looks like a solid option. 

But what I liked about Vermeulen is that has been great as a kick receiver, whether in general play or kick-offs, charging up the the field and making sure that he doesn't tackled backwards, not to mention some sublime hands he has shown over the years. Probably not as much as Reed, but who could forget his perfect break off the back of the scrum and a switch pass to Fourie Du Preez that resulted in a match winning try against Wales in the World Cup quarter finals. 

Then, last year he was everything good about the Boks pack. He was so good that he even made a passenger like Kolisi look good. We all know that Vermeulen was the real captain of that pack and led from the front where Kolisi couldn't even finish a full game

Dave.  I dont want to turn this board into an electronic representation of your house.

Lets chat about our differences next time i visit your mistress.

we can arm wrestle during a spit roast session.

Scum brings family into the equation - pathetic and desperate 

Is your mistress a part of your family Dave?

Thats so low. Even by your standards!

The scum keeps marching 

Is that all you got Dave?

Come on.

With your bag of insults, all you got is "scum" for me ?

why am i scum, but everyone else is a cunt?

You know why you are scum and it’s hurting

You have been exposed for being a low life bringing my son into the equation 

A few on here have voiced an objection to bringing family on board and you low life are smarting because of it

You are pathetic with zero credibility 

pot calling kettle black.

at least the bank thinks i have credibility, unlike you.

Cashed in your pension yet?

oh wait... refugees don't get pension.

guess your poor ol son will have to support you for the rest of your miserable infested life.

poor saffex.

Exposed little low life

Best you can do is bring family into your pathetic responses

One would swear throwing my son into the mix somehow affected me given the high regard I hold you in.

You use it with no effect only to make your name mud

Keep paddling creep

What’s next my late father - why not have a crack at him, it’s your thing tough guy

Jacques Du Plessis is about as average as they come. He is definitely not test match material. Forget about him. Rather leave him to pretend rugby at which ever club will have him. He's got that "duh" factor about him. Probably why Stupid likes him.

Notshe is a quota. Always has been. Waaaaaaaaay too light in the britches. Useless.

Marcel had his chance a few years ago ... when he was younger, stronger, healthier, hungrier ... and he never managed it then. Why bring an injury prone deadbeat back from the grave?

JL Du Preez is most comfortable on the blindside. Leave him there. Also a little injury prone.

Dan Du Preez was our best 8 last season ... by some way. He should have been the starting 8 in last years WC.

Coetzee looks to have what it takes. We'll see how he goes this year.

Augustos has it all. He's big, a powerful ball carrier and has some pace. He needs an injury free season and could challenge for a starting spot at the Stormers. It's too early to consider him for the Goats.

Ackerman has always been a prospect. Rassie has made some stupid decisions in his time ... one of them being the exclusion of Ackerman.

A quota will probably take the 8 jersey ... we'll see who they decided on ... Notshe or Kolisi.