The Sprimngbok squad for the EOYT

2012 EOYT Squad

Normally  - at least last year - the squad consisted of 32 players.  Meyer last year included players from NH Clubs in the tour group - who was not part of the RC squad - Steenkamp being an example.

He also made a real mess of certain positions and ended having some real problems in respect of the props (with Van der Linde being one) and center, with Taute, De Jongh and Mapoe in the mix.   The result was that he had to call up other NH Club players (Van der Merwe and Brits) and had to play Taute and De Jongh at center - where both failed miserably.   Afterwards he had to call up Malherbe as a prop.   About a third of the players were passengers who never played.

Basically - although the Springboks won all three tests - the results were all close and could have gone either way - basically because of selection mistakes Meyer himself admitted afterwards.  

Hopefully he is not going to make the same mistakes this year.   However, Meyer has absolute loyalty to certain players - he will never change them even when failing repeatedly.  

2013 Squad 

Bearing in mind the atrosious performances of some players - especially in defence one can only hope that he leaves out some players - but it is unlikely to happen.   I am putting them in the squad - but am highlighting them and hope Meyer will forget them for the Tour, since there is no real merit in ontinueing with them in teams in future.

BACKLINE :  15 PLAYERS

Full Backs  -   Zane Kirchner, Pat Lambie,  SP Marais

Wings         -   Bryan Habana, Willie le Roux, Lwasi Mvovo 

Centers       -   Jean De Villiers, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein. Juan de Jongh

Flyhalfs       -   Morne Steyn, Johan Goosen,

Scrummies   -  Ruan Pienaar,  Piet van Zyl, Louis Schreuder

FORWARDS  -  17 PLAYERS

No 8           -    Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts

Flanks        -    Pieter Labuschagne, Marcel Coetzee, Francois Louw, Siya Kolisi

Locks          -   Pieter-Steph du Toit, Juandre Kruger, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe

Props         -    Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Tendai Mtawarire, Trevor Nyakane

Hookers    -     Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Chilliboi Rallepele

HIGHLIGHTED PLAYERS

Those are the players that should to my mind be changed.   I would much rather select the following players in their place:-

Zane Kirchner   -   Marnitz Boshoff

Juan de Jongh   -   Damien de Allende

Morne Steyn      -   Dmitri Catrakillis

Willem Alberts   -   Rynhardt Elstadt

Juandre Kruger  -   Lodewyk de Jager

Jannie du Plessis -  Steven Kitshoff 

In the flyhalf case I would definitely start with Lambie and have Goosen, Catrakillis and Botshoff as back up - both very good flyhalfs.   Boshoof is a good full back as well - so he can provide cover in that position.

The loosies will be an improvement based on proven performances.   Players like Goosen, Labuschagne and Malherbe have been in Meyer's squads before - so he is likely to include them in any event.

In view of BEE - Meyer is likely to retain Kirc hner an De Jongh - but there is really no merit in selecting them.

.

Dan dan and Saffex

I do agree with some of your suggestions.  Maybe as a BEE case - Meyer should bring in Jantjoes and forget about Kirchner and De Jongh -- provided he is not anywhere near the team itself.

I could love with Paul Willemse as well provided they take three weeks and tell him clearly for what red and yellow cards are issued.  He has a disciplinary problem and that needs to be sorted out. 

The scrummie position remains a problem - I like Reinach a lot - but as you can see I think Schreuder has improved markedly this year.     

Lets wait and see what Meyer comes up with next week - the squad is likely to be announced on semi-finals day as was the case last year.

Mozart

How did Steenkamp have a "decent game"  -  He was scrumming when the AB's had 7 forwards in the game.  If he could not stand up in that situation he would have been as useless as he otherwise is.  

When will you ever stop punting "over the hill" players? 

Bluebok

Du Preez is only available for the odd test now and again  and I think that he Is not available in November - which is while the Japanese season is in full swing. 

I see. Thanks Mike.

Kirchner needs to go, I always said that he was adequate, even though not special, but now he is not even adequate. I reckon that Lambie should specialise at fullback, and try to make that position his own, because he is just warming the bench for the Sharks and the Boks. If it carries on like this he will surely leave SA. I am basing what I have said above more on the opinions of the majority of posters here than my own, because I am still not 100% sold on Lambie, but having said that, we do have a bit of a gap in tallent at 15.