The reason we get slow ball is that we aren't hitting the rucks with enough numbers, Coetzee, Vermeulen an Bismarck collectively contest opposition ruck.
Ou r execution has failed us at the breakdowns, the blame can be evenly spread to a number of players, but of course the youngsters must cop it, eh?
CC, that has been the problem this year.
Coetzee out of position, Jan Serfontein out of position, COenie out of position (although I am being told he cannot play loosehead due to his neck)
Mohoje should not be there, I checked his work rate, how can Meyer justify selecting him, even if he is a quota player?
He is weakening our back.
Only Coetzee, Vermeulen and Eben even looks like they want to play rugby.
There was huge approval when the Sharks announced earlier this year that Coetzee was going to be their open sider.....so now it's all HM. You have to love it.
But it's true he can't play open side. I saw him over a few balls on Saturday....he lost every one. In one close up shot you see the fingers desperately trying to close on the ball and then just twitching. He isn't committed....he doesn't have that skill.
So we have to play him at 7. But as a runner he hardly ever breaks free, and never, ever offloads. So the ball dies with him all the time. He tackles well and with purpose, but we never see the power hits a guy like Alberts can produce. Rarely do his hits result in a turnover.
I suppose he can take a few lineouts, but he isn't used much and his cover defence is never in evidence.
Fans love his Tom Sawyer looks and enthusiasm....he looks like a great kid. But against the big packs you can forget about him. He is neither a 6 nor a 7. We have to be realists.
Coetzee has been one of the few standout players all year. He has shown that he is more than capable of effecting turnovers and playing the fetching role. He is not a true 6, much like Schalk never was, but he has adapted well and been a stand out.
You cant compete at the breakdown when you have no collective doing their jobs, instead you find Matfield lurking on the fringes or out wide with the backs.
