Super 15 sides

Given the squads, this is how I'd select the sides:

Bulls:

15. Visser 14. Jessie Kriel 13. JJ 12. Serfontein 11. Odendaal 10. Pollard 9. Hougaard 1. Nyakane 2. A. Strauss 3. Marcel v/d Merwe 4. Jason Jenkins 5. Jacques du Plessis 6. Stegman 7. Labascagne 8. Arno Botha

16. Callie Visagie 17. Mellett 18. Hercus v/Wyk 19. Nico Janse v/Rensburg 20. Roelof Smit 21. v/Zyl 22.JL Potgieter 23. Ulrich Beyers

The Bulls have no wings, so I would select Kriel a utility player (great prospect) and Odendaal a 12, who looks the business on the wings. They have gained in the front row with Nkayane and Strauss. Willemse is a huge loss at 4. I have gone with their U19 star Jason Jenkins at 4, another man mountain at 2.02m and 123kg and who played provincial schools cricket as an all rounder. Big things are expected of him. They have gained Labascagne and the return of class act Arno Botha amongst the loosies.

Cheetahs:

15. Willie 14. Rhule 13. Sadie 12. Frans Venter 11. Hendricks 10. Brummer 9. Sarel Pretorious 1. Caylib Oosthuizen 2. T.v/Jaarsveld 3. Coenie 4. Lood 5. Carl Wegner 6. Brussouw 7. Oupa 8. Jean Cook

16. S.Coetzee 17. Mienie 18. Maks v/Dyk 19. F.Uys 20. W.Britz 21. Shaun Venter 22. Willie du Plessis 23. JP du Plessis

The loss of Goosen at 10 is huge as is Strauss at 2. They are poor at hooker. Trevor and Labascagne will be missed.

Lions:

15. Andries Coetzee 14. Mapoe 13. Stokkies 12. Mnisi 11. Skosan 10. Jantjies 9. Faf de Klerk 1. S.v/d Merwe 2. R.Coetzee 3. Redelinghuis 4. Ruan Venter 5. Mostert 6. Kriel 7. Minnie 8. Whitely

16. Ackers 17. C. Fourie 18. Dreyer 19. Lorens Erasmus 20. Kwagga Smith  21. Schroeder 22. Boshoff 23. H.Vorster

This makes for a handy side. They don't have a true 7, but Minnie wont let them down. They need to find a lock partner for impressive Mostert. I have gone with Venter who played for the Baby Boks with Etzebeth I think, but has struggled with injury in the past.

Sharks:

15. SP Marais 14. JP 13. Esterhuizen 12. Frans Steyn 11. Sithole 10. Lambie 9. Reinach 1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Jannie 4. PSDT 5. Lewies 6. Coetzee 7. Oosthuizen 8. Mtembu

16. Cooper 17. T. du Toit 18. Adriaanse 19. M.Botha 20. Bothma 21. Wright 22. Swiel 23. Tyler Fisher

Good side on paper and with Brendan Venters input, could go places. Bothma is a great addition from the Pumas. Jordaan is injured but will add clout on his return.

Stormers:

15. Taute 14. Kolbe 13. Kobus v/Wyk 12. de Allende 11. Senatla 10. Catrakillis 9. Groom 1. Kitshoff 2. Scara 3. Malherbe 4. Jean Kleyn 5. Etzebeth 6. Kolisi 7. Elstadt 8. Vermeulen

16. Mbonambi 17. Kebble 18. Koch 19. Ruan Botha 20. Carr 21. Schreuder 22. Coleman 23. Pat Howard

Another good side on paper. Their biggest issue is useless Coetzee as a coach. Impossible to choose between Kolisi and Carr. v/Wyk has to be moved to 13 this year. Senatla will be huge 

Jantjies is not liked by most but I am a fan, he is better than solid Boshoff.

Where has that v/d Walt gone, he was a great looking 10?

The Cheetahs have no quality 10's. Brummer was good for Griquas this past season, but no great shakes.

Young Willie du Plessis is a good prospect, will see how he goes

Another one to watch our for is Obi, who was the other Baby Bok in the side Senatla played for.....he was class. I think the Lions have him now.

Yeah Shark, Murray is with the Sharks....I rated him when he was young and fit but he is past it now 

Shezza you are speaking complete shit. Basson is useless....Kriel is the real deal as is Odendaal.

Average Small-Smith ahead of JJ is a bloody joke, so is v/Zyl ahead of Hougaard

You should catch a wake up

v/d Merwe is not even in their S15 squad

Kriel not quick or clinical enough for wing......wow, that is the biggest load of crap I have read in ages......given he has played wing, fullback and 13......I'm guessing he has all the attributes needed for the least demanding positions of the lot out on the wing. This kid is the brightest new back talent we have.

Odendaal is a class 12, but given the Bulls have weak options on the wing, I'd rather have classy Odendaal in the side on the wing than a useless pretender like Basson or old man Ndungane.

JJ and Hougaard are amongst our best attacking backs in SA 

15. Visser 14. JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Jesse Kriel,  12. Serfontein  11. Duhan van der Merwel 10. Pollard 9. Hougaard 1. Nyakane 2. A. Strauss 3. Marcel v/d Merwe 4. Jason Jenkins 5. Jacques du Plessis 6. Stegman 7. Labascagne 8. Arno Botha

16. Callie Visagie 17. Mellett 18. Hercus v/Wyk 19. Nico Janse v/Rensburg 20. Roelof Smit 21. v/Zyl 22.William Small-Smith, 23. Ulrich Beyers

Cheetahs

15. Pietersen  14  Willie 13. Sadie 12. Frans Venter 11. Raymond Rhule 10. Willie Du Plessis  9. Sarel Pretorious 1. Caylib Oosthuizen 2. T.v/Jaarsveld 3. Coenie 4. Lood 5. Uys 6. Brussouw 7. Britz 8. Prinsloo

16. S.Coetzee 17. Mienie 18. Maks v/Dyk 19. Carl Wegner  20. Oupa 21. Shaun Venter  22. Watts, 23. JP du Plessis

Lions

15. Andries Coetzee 14. Mapoe 13. Stokkies 12. Water rmeyer Swanepoel 11. Skosan 10. Boshoff 9. Faf de Klerk 1. S.v/d Merwe 2. R.Coetzee 3. Redelinghuis 4. Ruan Venter 5. Mostert 6. Kriel 7. Minnie 8. Whitely

16. Ackers 17. C. Fourie 18. Dreyer 19. Lourens Erasmus 20. Tecklenburg 21. Schroeder 22. Jantjies,  23. Mnisi

Sharks

15. SP Marais 14. JP  13  Fisher, 12 Esterhuizen  11. Sithole 10. Lambie 9. Reinach 1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Jannie 4. PSDT 5. Lewies 6. Coetzee 7. Oosthuizen 8. Mtembu  *

16. Cooper 17. T. du Toit 18. Adriaanse 19. M.Botha 20. Bothma 21. Wright 22. Swiel 23. Steyn

*   When Jordaan returns he can go into 13 and Fisher can replace Steyn on the bench.   Steyn caused the Sharks backline to malfunction in 2014 and he can cause less damage coming from the bench.

15. Taute  14. De Jongh 13. De Allende  12  Du Preez,  11 Kobus v/Wyk  10. Catrakillis 9. Groom 1. Kitshoff 2. Scara 3. Malherbe 4. Jean Kleyn 5. Etzebeth 6. Carri 7. Elstadt 8. Vermeulen  "

16. Mbonambi 17. Kebble 18. Koch 19. Ruan Botha 20. Kolisi, 21. Schreuder 22. Coleman 23. Pat Howard

*   Please note that my first choice players are all on national Sevens duty and Meyer wants De Allende to play at 13.   

Ah yeah I know who he is, he was at the Sharks, his younger twin brothers are pretty good.

He is nowhere near good enough to start at 12 for the Stormers, good player but not better than de Allende, Pat Howard or Kobus v/Wyk who are the options as the centres.

Sadly Coetzee will select de Jongh........as much as I really want to see de Allende at 13, with Howard and v/Wyk being 13's.......de Allende would have to play 12 in my side as I'd want all 3 in my starting side.

This is the year I want to see youngsters like Pat Howard, Tyler Fisher, Burger Odendaal, Harold Vortser, Dries Swanepoel, Rohan Janse v/Rensburg and Andre Esterhuizen more involved in the S15 as centres.

In your Cheetahs side, I can assure you Carl Wegner is far better than Uys at lock. He was in the Baby Bok side with Etzebeth, but then went off to France and came back last year, played a few CC games and then got injured. He is a real lock.

Playing average Joe Pietersen at 15 ahead one of the best 15 in the game in Willie would be plain stupid....especially in a WC year when you want Willie plying his trade in his WC position. That is a no brainer. By the way Joe is down to play flyhalf for the Cheetahs, whether he does or not is another story. Rhule and Hendricks will be the Cheetahs wings and rightly so.

JJ wasted on the wing is a big NO, NO....will never happen and rightly so. JJ is our best 13 in SA

Agreed CC, have always been a big fan of Mnisi.....has a wicked step on him......but he will have to fight hard as Watermeyer was very good at 12 for the Lions and young Harold Vorster is a star in the making at 12......the Lions have centres to burn if you take these 3 plus Stokkies and Mapoe at 13.

Was very impressed with Kwagga in the 7's, he might be small for a flanker but punches way above his weight......he would be great off the bench for the Lions. Have put Kwagga ahead of Tecklenburg on my bench.

Yep, the Lions have no depth at lock. Mostert is the one quality lock they have, the rest are average to poor. Hopefully young Erasmus comes through for them.

de Allende is not a 12, if you play him there all you will see is the crash ball......he is all about power and has good feet......play him at 13 and he could be our Kurandrani, Tuilagi or Basteraud. He does not have the finesse of a creative 12......I don't see the clever touches a SBW produces......de Allende is a finisher, not a creator......but given the Stormers have no other options at 12, de Allende might need to stick there for now even if Meyer wants him to play 13.

You are so wrong about JJ......no Bok 13 has come close to his display with ball in hand against NZ......his beating of Savea was orgasmic!

Odendaal is the real deal.....great prospect

Meyer is bloody useless 

CC am with you on de Allende...don't think he is one dimensional at all......has a good step on him, but is mostly about power. I just don't see the finesse in the lad.....the subtle touches that make great 12's.....but then again who do we see that in at 12 these days?

My fear is that playing a powerhouse at 12, leads to the crashball scenario, especially at test level where defences are so tight and structured - we just don't want that.

Taking contact is great if you have a SBW touch......you cant beat committing to contact and offloading to a support runner running a great line.

If we are going to play the likes of de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen at 12 then they need to follow the SBW model.