The ideal lock combo

My ideal lock combo would be Bakkies and Etzeberth. What a pity they are different generations.

A very bad concept has crept into our rugby "thinking". Have one real lock and have a lineout show pony. We suffered for years with matifeld decimating out tight five and I note with some alarm those talking up Juandre. Well Juandre is a better lock than matfield by some way but still not the real deal.

I mention Bakkes and Etzebeth as the quintessional Bok locks. These are the type of locks we need.

I think we musyt be aware that bekker is fading. His back injury is a problem and i have fears fear fo this future. If he get injured then who partner Etzebeth. Flip, Mostert and Sykes are the most likely persons springing to mind unless of course one goes back to Bakkies and Danie.

I am hoping Meyer gets his pack right. No show ponies please!

Hi Beeno, your choices clearly reflect your oppnions on Forward play. I think we should agree tho disagree. If you pick those 2 locks your lineouts will not be run by an intelligent lounout master and other teams will take your lineout ball, It's called balance my friend and playing two of those type of locks together, does not give your side balance.

However, you are the monster pack man so It will be expected of you to have such an opinion.

You make my point. Ek under todays laws wee keegan is a lineout exponent. No please please lets not make the same mistake again. I am exceedingly wearied at having Bok packs on the back foot and being outmuscled by opposition packs. Its time for the Vermulens of the world to get a chance etc.

A youthful Bakkies and Etzebeth would have made one of the great combo's in rugby history and would have a profound effect on our play. Forward dominance is a must for us as our backlines do not dominate.

Rassie understood this and built  pack to rule the Super 15  but unfortunately two world class loosies are not there (As well as Kostner and Carr) and this reduces the Stormers pack to a good one rather than a great one.
As I have said it is a tradgedy for SA rugby that the full Stormers pack has not been seen as seeing is believeing and we could have rediscovered our rugby bearings and heritage.

Problem with Beeno is that he does not understand the game. He has yet to work out that both Bakkies and Etzebeth are enforcers who jump at 2 in the line-outs and who's line-out work are hardly strengths.

Locks opperate in pairs and are different. Bakkies and Matfield were probably the best combo to ever play the game. Etzebeth and Bekker have the potential to get up there with these two although Bekker is getting on now, so one of the youngsters coming through will need to step up

Oh please to suggest you cant make a lock combo out of the likes of Bakkies and Etzebeth is absurd in the extreme. Nothing at all wrong with their lineout performance.

wee matfield wan't even stealing much ball for either of the bulle or the Boks. His backline play was putrid as well.

Seems to me the sapster doesn't know the diff between  back and a lock. Give me two Bkkies anyday over a Bakkies and wee matfiled. Bakkies a far, far superior LOCK. Ditto Etzebeth.

This from theoak who thinks juandre is too light at 110 kg butthat matfield was grea tat 107 kg. Bwahahahahahahahaha - sapster up the creek without a paddle.

Sadly your take on Matfield discredited any rugby opinion you ever have, but it has yet to sink in that you provide boards with the comic element.

Matfield and Jeandre weigh 115kg's

Beenkop here is some help for you

http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/rugby/squad_profiles.php?player=80231&includeref=dynamic

or

http://www.premiershiprugby.com/squads.php?player=80231&includeref=dynamic

Matfield and Bakkies worked well together, and I agree that you need different kinds of locks, an enforcer and a brain (Organiser, specialist jumper), but I don't agree that you can't have a lock that is both an enforcer and a brain. Matfield, and this is coming from a Bulls supporter, was at times great in the line-out, but not always. He was however below average in other aspects of play, and could even be described as lazy when it came to the hard graft. But what really got to me with him, was his bloody camping in the backline looking for glory....and normally botching promising backline moves. He may have been a good leader, and a lineout specailist, but I still don't rate him as "the best".

Bekker had all the signs of a great lock, but injuries seem to have taken a little something from him. He is still very good, but not what he was. Again, I see no reason why you can't have two big strong enforcer type locks, as long as one of them is a "brain" when it comes to lineouts.

Hats off to you Bluebok I am mildly astonished at the objectivity displayed. Renews my hope for humanity etc.

I also agree re Bekker. Unfortunately we may have missed his best years  - a lot depends on this back issue - how bad is it one asks. Fully fit he and Bakkies would have been a much better combo.

All good Beans, I try to base what I say on facts, and not emotion.

Funny you and Beenkop appear to be the only two clowns on planet earth who have something negative to say about possibly the best lock that has ever played the game. But blue take comfort in the fact that you are in good company - its Beenkop after all - the man with a CA!!!!!

Ok Saff, over the last three years of his carreer how would you rate the following out of 10 for Matfield?

Work Rate:

Accuracy when in the back-line/open play:

Volume of tackles made:

Hard graft at ruck time:

Yeah, that's what i thought.

Sapster leaning on a ruck and standing watching a maul, waving your arms in the air is not great lock play. neither i sbeing knocked back in a tackle by an opposing back.Hahahahahahahahaha

By the way there have been dissenting voices who were not fooled. Sorry sapter a 107kg lock can't cut when, as you said, a 110 kg is too light. Hahahhahahahahahahahahahaha ou sapster ha shot himself in the other foot!

Game set and match sapster!  You better take senior council advice on the matter. Talk to a silk.