The best loosie this Round - Labuschagne

After wtching all the games played this past weekend I came to the conclusion that the best loosie on display this weekend  was in fact Labuschagne

His stats were as follows:-

I think his role in the Cheetahs victory against the Reds cannot be over-emphasized.   I know Mozart does not rate him as a loosie at all and  that Saffex does not regard him as a top loosie - but I think Meyer would be a bloody idiot not to select him for the June tests.   I think that none of the other SA loosies produced anything of note this weekend and the favoured one - Alberts -  stats is also given:-

His main contribution was in the tackle stats where he missed more than 25% of all tackles he attempted.  His ball-carrying capacity was also near to zero - on average of less than 1 meter per carry.

The best back in the Cheetahs game was Strauss;

He gained a mammoth 80 plus metres and made 3 clean breaks. Oops ....no, he's a forward......those damn stats have to be interpreted I guess.

.Mozart Have you lost your marb;us here completely? This hread is about loosies- not Strauss at hooker. Whay has he got to do with this thread we are main emphasis was on ball carrying and defence by a loosie. Another Mozart strategy perhaps. Trying to divert attention away from his normal comments aimed at downgrading performances of players he does not rate - nothing unexpected then.

Saffex

Bullshit baffles brins as per normal.  On what do ypou base your argument in that regard?  Or did you miss out on a major part of the game once again?

To mess up your comment as per normal I am giving you the stats on the two players as mentioned:-

Since when is 21 more than 24 tackles in the case of tackle stats.   Since when is 8 metrs lonher than 88 meters comparing Brussow's info with that of Labuschagne

Same for Coetzee - since when is 8 meters longer than 88 - and 14 more than 24.

By the way and the Reds are a stronger team than the Rebels - now are they not.

I sometimes wonder how it is possible that anybody can observe so little when they watch rugby - you miss out on about 80% of games constntly - and then remember so little of what really happened on the field of play?  Or is the whole game lost on you completely?   I am worried - you have memory problems?  

Saffex

Sure I am all of what you say - because I am objective and ask questions when I think there are problems in player performances.  I do not put players on pedestals and then swear that they are good - when in fat they made mistakes - like you do.   Of one thing I and most members on the Board see what you write - we immediately know the opposite is the real situation if it relates to your pedestalled players.

I have never once seen that you have ever mentioned something even remotely critical of your pedestalled players and some have been really poor this year in some matches.   The always have GOOD games according to you.

Under those circumstances I think you are so blinkered that when you evaluate players you miss targets completely and rambles on about your observations - which are also blinkered and useless. 

Saffex

Wonderful opening to discuss your pedastalled players and I can base my aguments on facts as well:-

Engelbrecht - A player with good attacking skills - but there are question marks about defence.  Obviously ou do not see any missed tackles on his part - because you do not wan to see and remember it.   Likely ta player like Freuan - unlikely to make the grade as a Springbok whilst Meyer is in charge.

Kolisi - Last year started like a house oin fire and fizzled out before he was injured.   Same this year - his last three games were in fact way below par.   Missed tackles, gave away penalties, knock on balls - you name it - e has done it.   Not Springbok material at all.

Steyn - Came back from France being unfir and overweight and produced noting of any real value in the games he played in subsequently.  Got injured and after five months returned being grossly over-weight and unfit.   Was dropped from the Sharks starting line-up and only returned because of imjury to Jordaan.   The conditioning programme did seems to stat taking a positive impact - but he got injured again.  Were the serious injuries sustained by him the effect that he was unfit and should not have been selected until he got back to a reasonable level of match fitness?

Jantjies - A Saffex classic - he is on par with lambie and better than Catrakillis - need I say more?

Hougaard - Went badly off the boi last year and only played in a limited number of games this year.   His game on Saturday was a nightmare of poor play - ample examples provided earlier.

JUST ON THING - IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH DEFICIENT PERFORMANCES OF PLAYERS - THEN SO BE IT.  i AM NOT SO BLIND THAT i CANNOT SEE PROBLEMS ON THE PART OF PLAYERS

Saffex

Really - there are more important things in life than what we thik about rugby players.   Ok - I accept that I am being undiplomatic in wghat I say aboiut your opinions on players - but I think that it goes both ways.   I think you are a very nice person and take your insulting language with a smile.

One of the real pleasures for me is to see what you think and use that as a basis to get further responses - sometimes very unfairly I may add.

I appreciate you as a person and Hope that diffrences on players do not become a personal issue.   Personally there are some players you believe are adequate in performance - while I feel they can do better.  Why should that difference of opinion be a personal thing.  I think you know much more about rugby than I do - that is why I use all kind of strategies - like quoting of stats in en effort to support my arguments.

Please - I appreciate you as a person and would feel very bad if it becomes a reason for not liking each other.   Lets agree to disagree about some players - and Engelbrecht is not a bad 13 - but I would just like a light improvement in defence.   So lets leave it at that.

Mike you are completely correct in your assessments re Labuschagne. Both Drotske and Ewen McKenzie were quoted in Busienss Day as saying that Labbers was "a special player with higher honours in his future".

"The Cheetahs lost to the Hurricanes last week, and Labuschagne was not playing" -- "I dont think it a coincidence" He goes on to say - We recognise him as a very influential player. He wins a lot of lineout ball in addition ot his other strengths. He features in everything they do and he is vital to their style of rugby".

Naka says  "Labuschagne definitely deserves to be in the Bok squad. He is a great lineout forward as well as a great defender and link man. It was massive for us to have him back.

Currently he is a far better forward than Marcell simply because he has a better skills set than a pretty one dimensional Coetzee - this guy needs some good coaching to bring out the best in him.

Cheetahs 8 and 7 must be in Bok squad.

Frans, Hougie and Jantjies have all underperformed and sane rugby fans know this.  Vermaak has outplayed hougie by the proverbial mile todate. Hougie has been both bog ordinary and piss poor (what more needs to be said)

Snapster time to face facts perhaps.

 Um Beenkop, catch a wake up, I am a big Labascagne fan.......check my Bok side for June you fool

Says snapster -

Frans, Hougie and Jantjies have all underperformed and sane rugby fans know this.  Vermaak has outplayed hougie by the proverbial mile todate. Hougie has been both bog ordinary and piss poor (what more needs to be said)

Snapster needs to watch the games more carefully and read Beenos posts with more care also?

Moz it was who thought Labbers shouldnot be included in the squad. I did however quite like Moz's loose trio selection in his Bok 15

Beenkop, the last thing I need is to be told by you how good or bad a player is. Beenkop you are too stupid for formulate and considered opinion on players. Hell you take on Matfield killed your credibility long ago......but it gets worse, Brussouw is no good at 6, but Fourie is and wait for it Liebenberg is better than Chiliboy.

Beenkop, with all due respect, I cant take your rugby takes seriously, but you know that

snaspter you half wit you maintained for years tha tmatfile dwas a 115 kg lock. In vaon I hgave you th weights of the the variosu sites fo rBoks and Bluebulle but all to no avail. Then matfield said himslef hs ibestplaying wi=eithts were between 106 and 108 kg. Bwhaahahahahahhahaha that li kepalying marcell Coetzee at lock after streching him out quit  a bit. Hahhahaahha  - face up to it snaspter like so many others you were conned by the con man!

The Bok coach who clealr yknows what potting has avoided picking brussouw and opte dfor the brilliant Louw. However i fyouwant a small fast flanker who getsstuck in with the physical side of the game look no further than Deon Fourie - Currie Cup player of the year - where was brussouw!

Tiaan is of course a much better player than chilli boy but he has only a few seasons left. Man he would have had a few more Bok caps but for injury. He is in the same mould as Strauss. Huge loss for the Stormers this year.

Snaspter after all your many selection blunders a more measured approach is warranted. Like saying I dont really know as rugby i sa mystery to me and  I havent consulted with Beeno who does know but possibly such and such .

Its funny how you choose to ignore the sites I provided that had Matfield at 115kg. But stats aside, it took a mere observation to realise that there was no way in hell that Matfield weighed 108kg, that would make him lighter than Frans and 2kg heavier than JP.

Its insulting to any man's intelligence to expect them to believe these comparisons. One only needed to look at Matfield who has muscled up over the years that there was no way he weighed a mere 108kg. The man was between 113kg and 115kg by the time he retired.

Brussouw is far better than Louw. Fourie is not even worthy of comparison. Fourie will never smell a Bok side and rightly so. The same applies to the useless Liebenberg. While Bismark, Strauss and Chiliboy are injury free, useless Liebenberg will not get a look in. Add Cooper and Callie Visagie as being far superior hookers.

Beenkop, you provide comedy and thats all. Worthy rugby commentary is not your thing - you are DomMike compete for our board clown status - for now DomMike is a ahead as he is a little thicker than you

snapster you were duped along with some others as well. wee matfield may not be much as a rugby player but he is no fool and I am sure he knows his own weight. Not 108 kg snapster but between 106 and 108 kg were his best playing weights according to Victor. I will accept 107  - 1 kg heavier that Marcell if it make syou feel better. A streched out string bean and a very, very pap  lock.

A few month after retiring he was being considered for the Boks but it was said that at 102 kg - his natural  weight (An Albert van der berg type lock but slower)  he was too light to play. There is a lower limit for a lock. To me its about 115 kg. So he dropped from say 107 to 102 kg after a few months of retirement. 

Hence, as I used to explain, his props simply tossed him quickly into the air  and all he had to do was catch the ball which he was good at - airlight mafield as the inspired Moz so aptly described him.

So please dont make a complete twit of yourself by denying matfield's weight which also explains his involvement in the backline so much. Poor Bakkies. With a really good lock partner he would have possibly been the greatest of all time.

One wonders whether brussouw will play Bok rugby again apart from injuries to higher ranked palyers?  Louw is so far ahead of him that his chances of ousting a fit Louw are extremely remote.

Tiaan is getting on so sadly we wont see him again in the Boks again. Deon's season was ruined once Tiaan got injured otherwise we would have seen him giving stellar performances at 6 while brussouw plods on and Kolisi fades away once more.

Snaspter I notice when you are loosing the argument you get all abusive but you only have me rolling in the aisles even more Bwahahahhaha  please grow up a little.

Beenkop the only twit on here is you. There can be no bigger twit than a rugby follower who denounces one of if not the best lock to have ever played the game. You have to be fucking stupid to reach that conclusion much like looking at Matfield and saying he weighs 108kg - thick as pigshit

Beenkop you are also lying about Matfield weighing 102kg when he retired......complete lies you ignorant twat.

Lies carry no weight, especially coming from a board clown.

For the record I never lose an argument - the fact that I call you a fucking prick, is just the perfect way of expressing who you are. I swear alot and love it

108kg my arse, built like that at 2m tall

.Bluebok

Peace with Saffex is a precious commodity - but how long will it last?   Maybe a week and then war will break out again - that is if I make a negative comment on some of Saffex's favoured players.  

I have no problem with Labuschagne - I was surprised by the try he scored against the Sharks in Round 1 and really started to take note of the guy in the Highlands game - when Justin Marshall said "Labuschagne Vow"  and whe on to say he is a player similar to McCaw.   

I also wrote previously that the Cheetahs really missed him when they played the Hurricanes and that it may had an influence on their loss in that game.   Same thoughts   as Ewen McKenzie were quoted in Busienss Day as saying that Labbers was "a special player with higher honours in his future".

"The Cheetahs lost to the Hurricanes last week, and Labuschagne was not playing" -- "I dont think it a coincidence"

Stranski keep on referring to Labuschagne defensive stats -the highest of any player in Super 15.   Mozart, however, for some reason of his own said he is not physical enough.  I doubt it very much - I think he is physical enough and a better option at this stage than Alberts.

I think the June tests are not for heavy and slow players like Alberts - but rather for faster and more mobile players - hence my preference for Labushagne at this stage.   By far the best loosie in SA at present insofar as Super 15 performances are concerned. 

.Bluebok

Peace with Saffex is a precious commodity - but how long will it last?   Maybe a week and then war will break out again - that is if I make a negative comment on some of Saffex's favoured players.  

I have no problem with Labuschagne - I was surprised by the try he scored against the Sharks in Round 1 and really started to take note of the guy in the Highlands game - when Justin Marshall said "Labuschagne Vow"  and whe on to say he is a player similar to McCaw.   

I also wrote previously that the Cheetahs really missed him when they played the Hurricanes and that it may had an influence on their loss in that game.   Same thoughts   as Ewen McKenzie were quoted in Busienss Day as saying that Labbers was "a special player with higher honours in his future".

"The Cheetahs lost to the Hurricanes last week, and Labuschagne was not playing" -- "I dont think it a coincidence"

Stranski keep on referring to Labuschagne defensive stats -the highest of any player in Super 15.   Mozart, however, for some reason of his own said he is not physical enough.  I doubt it very much - I think he is physical enough and a better option at this stage than Alberts.

I think the June tests are not for heavy and slow players like Alberts - but rather for faster and more mobile players - hence my preference for Labushagne at this stage.   By far the best loosie in SA at present insofar as Super 15 performances are concerned.