Strauss is confronted by Spies

Some might call this the meeting of the resistable force and the easily moveable object.

This classical confrontation of Strauss, who can't seem to keep the ball in contact versus Spies who can't effect a tackle without looking like Lon Chaney occured in the match today.  It was resolved in favour of Strauss, who had lost the ball gifting the Bools their pre half time try. This time he hung onto the ball....and sure enough, Suspies, swaddled on both arms.....missed another tackle.

Think Vermeulen.....hell think Ashley Johnson.

As for Strauss and all the other Lions players like Taute and Jantjies who were tipped to be Boks.....what a good lesson in putting CC rugby in perspective. When you think things are tough in your life, hell you could be Hollenbach.....the poor bugger who has to snap up all those hospital pop passes from Jantjies, and then get hammered.

Not to mention Hougaardt carrying Strauss ball and all over the tryline. Spies once again MIA....does this fella even know how to play rugby!?

I like guys who are competitors....who get aggressive when they are being beaten. Not guys like Spies who becomes more passive, the more his team is losing. The very fact that people claim Spies is playing better with the captaincy, is an indication of this.......the fact that he doesn't give 100%.

Some guys do legitimately become more effective players when they lead....because they can direct the play around their own games.. Watson is a classical example....he got better. But the team got worse! With everything passing through him it was easy for the opposition to snuff out the attack.

Yet other guys legitimately play better as captains, because they rein in their games.....become more disciplined, concede less penalties. In other words they temper their efforts. I can buy into that.

But I can't buy into a player who is better as captain, because he is now trying.....read Spies. That's not the kind of player I want in my Bok team.

As for Strauss he is provincial at best.....nobody watching yesterday's game without bias could have chosen Strauss ahead of Stander or Potgieter. A very ordinary talent is our Lions leader.

 Wow, more typical nonsense regarding Spies, Strauss, Taute and Jantjies. Spies and Strauss had great games, that break by Spies was the Spies of old. Jantjies showed some lovely touches - if only he could play in the company of class players. Taute again got very little ball, all the ball he got was in traffic. Next you will be telling us de Jongh was better for the Stormers. Get a grip Moz, Taute and Jantjies are playing in a beaten side where attacking ball is non existent. 

Denny trust you to miss the fact that Hougaardt was supported by Frik Kirsten the Bulls prop when he scored that try - but then again your rugby observations are about as sharp as my tongue!!!!

Funny that the commentators kept saying how good Strauss was in a lost cause. The man is huge.

Spies is a myth, decent ball carrier in space, poor defender and just no way near industrious enough in general play to be considered the best 8 in SA, no ticker either.

Disagree, Spies showed again that he is the best 8 in the country.......when last did he miss a tackle and no other 8 runs like he does. Vermeulen was good as was Strauss, but Spies is better.

Would you not call the Strauss try a miss?  I mean it was one on one and he failed to defend his line, get's a tick in the 'fail' box for me.  I'm a fan of a busy no8 that carries, hits rucks and mauls and steals in equal proportions, and is a rock in defence, Keiren Read sets the standard for that kind of play and Vermeulen is not far off in SA. 

Spies carries, but doesn't do enough in the remaining categories IMHO.

Spies only offers something when in space period. If you actually watch him, youll see he does absolutely nothing else. He does nothing at rucks except get pushed backwards, He offers nothing in defence, and when he gets the ball with no space, he gets tackled backwards. Im with poi-e on this. at the moment Vermeulan is out best 8. i wouldent even have spies in the squad. We need 3 loosies that work hard in every aspect of the game.

 Nope Spies had him but got interfered with by another Bulls player and Josh was able to twist and score. Read has done nothing this year. Spies went through a period of underperforming but he has regained his form. That break of his was something only he is able to execute, you never see Vermeulen being able to carry that off. Spies has a great hand off and his speed is second to none. 

I rate Vermeulen but he plays it more direct, ideal for the 7 role. With Spies and ball in hand you expect something to happen. Spies will be our 8 on current form and rightly so. I see Spies carrying the ball all the time, just as much as the rest of the Bulls forwards and his physicality lends itself to go forward ball.

As a Kiwi I hope he is - he is consistently poor at international level, one wonders if Vermeulan was in the squad whether Pocock would've have the same freedom Peirre Spies afforded him.  His current form is harldy impressive, it's not like he's tearing up trees or anything, he's a clear flat track bully, flattened by Strauss for a try, not the first time he's been beaten 1:1.

 I't take Spies over Read anyday

@Saffes

You'd no doubt then also take Rear over Front!

Oh shame! Spies was interfered with by another Bools player. That's why Strauss, who otherwise did nothing, went right through Spiesie to score. That naughty Bool. Wehe.....Dave you have brain lock again.

Nope no brain lock, go check for yourself its how it happened. We all know Spies is certainly strong enough to handle Strauss, so questioning his defence is laughable especially considering his tackling has been good all season.

Chippo you get all horny there? This board is hardly the place to let it all out dont you think?

 Neither of them are any good, Strauss is maybe a better ball carrier when in tight situations where Spies is better in open play, but none of them has any vision or a rugby brain. For me an 8 needs to be almost a center, somebody that can break from the back of the scrum with explosive pace and get over the advantage line and off-load in the tackle. They should also act as a pivot in general play that can draw defenders and put backline players into space. I think burger would make an far better 8 and he should have been one ages ago. Given time Koster to me is the player with the best potential to become a top number 8. Not every loose forward needs to be a mongrel in the tight exchanges. Also, number 8's never use to the biggest players eitehr, they were guys that were roughly 6 foot plus, they only changed it when Mark Andrews played 8 and all of a sudden we needed taller 8's as an lineout option? Lineouts no longer play such a big role so we should revert back to a classic number 8.

For me the perfect 8 was Zin Zan Brooke, the guy was pure class.