Super 15 Round 4 - Team selection

Mike I take it with your rugby ignorance you have not see what good shape Frans is in.......he is going to make you eat your words old timer  

 and with the bulls the teams' list is completed

Bulls

15.Jesse Kriel, 14.Bjorn Basson, 13.JJ Engelbrecht, 12.Jan Serfontein, 11.Francois Hougaard, 10.Handre Pollard, 9.Rudy Paige, 8.Pierre Spies (c), 7.Lappies Labuschagne, 6.Deon Stegmann, 5.Victor Matfield , 4.Jacques du Plessis , 3.Trevor Nyakane , 2.Adriaan Strauss, 1.Morne Mellett

Replacements:

16.Callie Visagie, 17.Dean Greyling, 18.Marcel van der Merwe, 19.Grant Hattingh, 20.Hanro Liebenberg, 21.Tian Schoeman, 22.Piet van Zyl, 23.Jurgen Visser.

thanx mike for keeping the list weekly

 All teams updated.   Thanks guys

 Dave
That would be for the first time since 2012 - he was awful last year and there is no chance of an improvement.   For the sake of the Sharks I hope so - but I am not optimistic about that one.    

Your rugby ignorance and childish prejudice shines bright  

 Dave
I am not joking - or not ignorant - or not prejudiced.   I just looked at his stats and remember his silly and useless mistakes of the past two years (which killed the Sharks backline in 2014)  and serious defensive lapses - and see a figure of a player playi.ng on reputation without any regard to performance.  He was putrid, poor, deficient, under-par - use any of the four descriptions.   He need not improve by a margin of 70% to be a suitab le player for Super 15 level selection.  Less than that and he would still be below par. 

Yawn  

Stormers / Sharks game is going to be a cracker. Huge game even though its early in the season.
Lots of intriguing matchups right across the pitch.
du Toit v KochStevens v KitshoffSteyn v DeAllendeReinach v Groom

Some big names making their Super Rugby debut and with World Cup selection at stake for some you know they will be looking to make an impact - Burger, Etzebeth, Alberts, Steyn and Pietersen.

 oimatey
I am very worried about some of the above players and whether they are not going to weaken the teams they are playing for.  All of Burger, Steyn and Pietersen played in Japan over the last four months and it is a known fact that players coming back from Japan especially initially are sub-standard.   The other player I am sorry for is Bothma of the Sharks - he was one of the best loosies of any franchise in the three games thus far and is being replaced by Alberts, at best a loosie of dubious abilities playing on reputation only.   
However - as you said - it will be interesting to see what happens this weekend - so enjoy the games.    

 It's a new season Mike, give Fransie another clean slate! I know he's had many but if the pre-match talk is to be believed, Steyn is leaner and according to Gold isn't just a crashballer now...

Oimatey, you forgot the big one . . . Pieter-Steph du Toit vs Abby Elizabeth!

 Rooinek
Etzebeth is a no 4 lock and Du Toit number 5 - so not a direct opponent as is the case in some other pla yers.

Yes indeed Rooi that will be good to watch. Although I doubt there will be a unanimous victor of that one. Just look at the Matfield / PSDT saga of the past week.

 Shezza
My problem with Steyn goes deeper than just physical attributes - but even more so with his deficiencies in reading of games and consequential sub-standard decision-making.   That is unfortunately not something easily overcome and we will have to see whether he shows improvement in that as well.    

Trust me Mike I'm in the same boat as you regarding Fransie, I just think it's fairer that we give him a chance over the next 3 games to redeem himself.

Kitshoff will scrum useless Stevens into the ground  

 "Frans will eat anything for breakfast"
Comment of the month!

He is looking in great shape though. Hope he has a great year. God knows we need him come RWC time.