Lets look at the different positions and see what is right or wrong:-
Willie le Roux
There has been criticism of his defense and that has been improving. He is no dount a playmaker and has been successful since he started playing foir the Springboks - no criticism about his selection and he is likely to be good in any matches he plays in.
Cornal Hendricks
He was in the main a bench player for the Cheetahs this year and he scored some good tries for them coming from the bench. Speedy - but there are lots of question marks about him. The Cheetahs always played Rhule ahead of him on the wing. His defense seemed to be fine in Super 15 when he did manage to play. He had two good meter gains in running with the ball last Saturday - but all in all is an unconvincing selection that could go either way.
JP Pietersen
When he played for the Sharks at 13 in 2012 there were problems both on defense and attack and he was replaced at 13 by Jordaan. Not the speediest of players he used the touch line to assist him in defense at wing. At Center he does not have that facility to use. A strong ball carrier he tends not to pass balls - as is normal with a wing - not a center. He is likely to make some strong tackles - but also likely to miss tackles. He is basically a wing and his performance last week was not as convincing as it could have been. There will no doubt be problems for him at center and it is unlikely that he will make the grade at 13.
Jan Serfontein
In Super 15 this year Serfontein was the second highest rated center in SA franchises - only De Allende was rated higher than him. The Bulls used him as a traditional crashbabller - for which he really is not suitable. He made some good line breaks - but there can be question marks about his defense especially when opposed by bigger and stronger players. Will have a battle against Roberts and it would be interesting to see ho he deals with it.
Bryan Habana
Together with Le Roux Habana is the class player in the backline.
Morne Steyn
Morne Steyn is a real problem case in the team. His defense and decisionmaking in teh Ellis Park test contributed in noo small measure to the loss of the Sprngboks in that test. He then played in the Welsh test and was injured early. He came back in teh French test and was again poor - especially since he missed two line penalty kicks and his defense was iffy. His out of hand kicks were iffy at best. He cannot be described as a success at Stade Francais - where he ws given littl playing tme and was mostly on the bench. He did not measure up as an acceptable player for his club. His game last Saturday can at best be described as iffy - and he still has the sanmme problems - aimless kicking and poor reading of the game. The worst backline selection Meyer could have come up with.
Fourie du Preez
Du Preez came back from Japan and was on the bench in the runaway game against the Pumas - he came of the bench and looked good in a very one-sided game. He then left for Japan again and came back in the home games against the Aussies. He was very average in the Aussie game and slightly below par in the Ellis Park test. Going on tour he showed very little against the Welsh - bar one good box kick which let to a try mistakingly awarded by the ref - because Fourie was clearly off-side when he gathered the ball and passed it back to Du Preez. He came off the bench last week and was not really convincing at all. Van go either way - but playing soft rugby in Japan is normally detrimental and may impact negatively on the game - especially when he is under constant pressure.
Duane Vermeulen
Together with Bismarck du Plessis the best selection among the forwards. Rather slow as a loosie he is not the full package - but as a very hard worker he is the best no 8 e have at present.
Willem Alberts
Alberts is an enigma - slow as a carthorse he always is regarded as a strong ball carrier. He makes some tackles but with his speed deficiency he misses far too many tackles to be an acceptable loosie. H tends to vanish in games for long periods and that was again the case on Saturday - where he was only obvious when Matfield started line out calls to go to him. More a lock than a loosie - he never does ball protection or recovery at breakdowns - matter of fact he arrives at breakdown points late and even iof he gets there in time - he stands around the maul and rarely enters same. He does not pass balls either and tends to crashball whenever he does get the ball - with minimal territory gain. One of the weakest loosies imaginable - he is more a lock than a loosie, A weak selection at best.
Louw
Very much a player like Vermeulen - he really hard worker. A bit on the slow side - he is a NH type of loosie and effective in that. Good in breakdown ball recovery - but not speedy enough to get there in times most of the time. Nevertheless a very good player and an asset to the team.
Matfield Is a good line out player and a good receiver of kicked-in balls. Although he used to steal opposition throw-ins into line outs in the past - there was no evidence of that in matches played thus far this year. He makes th line out calls and vary his position in line oiuts to be sure he is up against the weaker of the opposition locks - sometimes jumping up front and sometimes in the middle of the line outs. On Saturday he tok the early line outs - but then started toc all line outs to go to Alberts and Van der Merwe.
He s a mobile lock and was involved in a try scored by Serfontein in Super 15 and the Botha try - and has a tendency to moonlight in the backline. He is a comparative light weight selection and not the hard forward Tight 5 game for him. He is poor in that Deaprtment and is ridiccously poor in scrumming support.
Vasically a player that weakened the traditional strong Tight 5 component of the Springbok team and he is indeed an extremely questionable selection for Saturday. We have stronger locks than him in SA.
Bakkies Botha
Was called up to play for the Springboks in the EOYT and was selected to start in the test against the Scots and showed near to zero in that game. Was on the bench for the French test - but Etzebeth was injurede early and he came fromn the ebnch in that game. Was at best average in that game.
After breaking his arm when playing for Toulon and was back for the Final in the Heineken Cup. He showed nothing in that game and was at best an average player.
Last Saturday he was noticeable early - especially when he scored an early try for teh Springboks. He then vanished from site at about minute 15 and did nothing noticeable in the rest of the game - was replaced at minute 50. A strong scrumming lock in the past - he was extremely poor in that department of the game on Saturday. The issue we have here is a good player of the past carrying on beyong his sell-by date. A poor selection by Meyer - he is going to cost SA dearly in the upcoming test.
Jannie du Plesssis
One of the best tight-heads in recent years - he lost the plot in 2014 and was poor in scrumming - never as poor as last Saturday as a result of no support from the locks - but never really acceptable. He regularly use illegal techniques to try and get the upper hand and give away penalties like it is unbelievable. Being a poor ball carrier and tackler - his contribution outside of scrums are all negative. very Poor selection.
Bismarck du Plessis
Still the best hooker in world rugby and an extremely hard worker and good player,
Gurthro Steenkamp
Not much to say here. Plays for Toulouse from the bench and is not good enough anymore to start for them. Was extremely poor last week when he came off the bench - his selection at loose-head ahead of Mtawarire was a real shocker by Meyer
The deserving elections seem to be the following:-
Le Roux, Habana, Vermeulen, Louw and Bismarck du Plessis
The questionable selections - where players have to prove that they can make the grade are:
Hendricks, Pietersen (at 13), Serfontein and Du Preez
The poor selections are the following:-
Steyn, Alberts, Matfeld, Botha, Jannie du Plessis, Steenkamp
Coach57,555 posts
12 Jun 2014, 12:43
#1
12 Jun 2014, 12:43#1
