Those Bok youngsters

Nice to se a semi sane post there snaspter I thought we had lost you.

I am glad your confidence in Meyer has been restored if you had listened to me it would ha ve saved you much angst.

I trust you are also happy Louw got the nod ahead of Brussouw and that Habana got selected ahead of Mvovo.

Also I am sure you will admit Jean had a good game.

Jean did absolutely nothing of significance at all. He had a solid game. Give me Frans anyday.

Louw had a great game, but then so has Brussouw in most the tests he has played. Brussouw should be in the squad.

Habana was great

Meyer has a bit of  a quandry now. I agree Taute had a very nice debut but I would be tempted to go back to Frans to see how he goes. Sub him early in the second half if things dont go well.

Apparently the idea was to have Pienaar and Jean guiding Goosen. Jean is not going anywhere just yet so who do you play Frans or Taute.  Long term I think Taute should play fullback. There are a lot of young centers coming up. Jordaan, Du Plessis, Jan Serfontein etc.

Saffex

Nice to see you back,   I like your comments - but you are really over-rating Taute here.  He had a solid game - nothing more than that.   He  definitely made a satisfcatory debut and his defence was good.   No way was he as good as you said - but I think Meyer and all of us believe he did well enough to justify future selection,  But final assessment as to his potential is something that will have to come in future.   

You cannot apparently get over your prejudice against Pienaar and De Villiers.   Both had better games than Taute and Pienaar specifically did a very good job at helping to get Goosen settled in in his first test.   

The real disappointment was Hougaard - he turned out to be the worst player in the team on Saturday.   That lack in defence when he missed a tackle on Beale - really was a poor reflection of his ability..   As for Jantjies he did well to pass the ball to Louw - but that is very much standard play - nothing special.   However, he missed a tackle of a forward running at him as well and the cover defence had to make the tackle - surely you must have seen that?   As defence in the channell is the sore point insofar as Jantjies is concerned, the issue of his future is and remains a problem that leaves a question mark over his playing ability.

In essence there were nothing wrong with the backline display on Saturday.   That is going to result in a severe test for Francois Steyn,   If he gets a similarly good service from Goosen and does not perform on a similar effective basis as did Jean De Villiers  - he may be sent packing.   No one really knows whether he would fit into an attacking backline scenario and I hope he passes the test coming Saturday.

One other thing - there is no way that Francois Steyn would have made that breakaway made by De Villiers where he eventually passed the ball to Pienaar that was fluffed up by De Jongh near the end of the game,   Steyn is just not that type of player.    However - he has the opportunity on Saturday to prove otherwise and we shall all see whether he has the ability to perform in a fast-moving backline or not.   If the backline does not perform on the same basis as last week - then the blame would be squarely on the shoulders of Steyn - and it was also mean that the nightmare of the past was caused by the Steyn combination at 10 and 12.   

Hope Steyn comes right - but frankly th jury is out on that one. . 

Now about Brussow - he is totally out of form and would never have made the try by Habana by running half the field like Louw did and then to pass to Habana.    An out of form and slowed-down Brussow is definitely not required in the Springbok squad and would be like an extra hole in the head..

Man I do read some kak at times - Jean was better than Taute??????????what complete and utter rubbish. Go watch that game again for crying out loud. Jean never beat his man, he got one clear run with no-one in front of him. Taute virtually beat his man every time he got the ball.....and that was with a step.

Hougaard was not good, because he is not a wing.......he is our best attacking back being wasted on the wing. Meyer has woken up to the fact that Goosen had to start at 10 and that Taute is a must at 13........he now needs to just wake up to the fact that Hougaard has to start at 9, Frans to start at 12 and Lambie to start at 15......in the forwards, Coetzee must start ahead of Alberts - once these selections have been made, with Jordaan or JJ on the wing.......the Bok evolution will be complete. Meyer has discovered the gameplan, he now needs to just select our best side

Good on Beenkop, we have Taute having a great debut at 13 and you want to move him to fullback, when we have Lambie in the wings - how stupid

Saffex

You really are over-reacting because of what I said about Taute.   All the ratings rate Taute's performance as 6 and the one of De Viliers as 8 - so jou must really the only guy out there that thinks otherwise.  

I agree with you about the need to replace Kirchner - but that is unlikely to happen overnight.   I think that Taute could be a candidate - especially if he proves to be ineffective at 13.   You can never judge a plauer on his performance in one game.

I think I am not going to continue to deal with Hougaard as a scrummie - he is really not a scrummie at all.  He has none of the contributes and abilities required from a scrummie - end of story.   All I would say is that with him at scrummie the backline could have been neutralized and there is every likelihood that he would have put unnecessary pressure on Goosen in his debut test.   Goosen did exptremely well - but Pienaar contributed to it by the way he played  as a scrummie.   

There is a possibility that once Pietersen comes back - Hougaard will be on the bench to cover the wing and scrummy positions - but based on his performance on Saturday - he is even unlikely to be on the bench.   Too poor a show in all respects.

I was waiting for your usual lies Dave....and as always you don't disappoint. So Jean did nothing and Taute had a great debut? Here are the centre stats:

Jean 9 runs for 40 metres/Taute 7 runs for 15 metres

Jean 8/0 tackling....Taute 7/0 tackling

Jean 2 defenders beatren/ Taute 2 defenders beaten

Jean one off load/ Taute no off loads

Taute had a nice debut defensively. On attack he hardly did much.....but here you are acting as if something significant happened.

Earth to Dave.....this will remind you of Steyn.....centres that are making 2 metres per carry  are not setting the world on fire. Taute had a promissing debut....Goosen had one brilliant break.....but moving Fransie out of 12 was just as significant.

No lies at all..............Taute was far better than Jean - those stats dont paint the true picture - those 40m gained by Jean was his bloody one off 40m run when put into space FACT

Taute beat his man just about everytime he had ball in hand.......go watch the game again.

Jean did nothing of note at all

 Seriously Saf, don't overextend yourself here. Jean noting of note? comeone Taute better than jean? comeone.

Yes Taute did not have a bad game, he did well on Defense and he was sufficient on attack, nowhere did he prove a revelation although he played well. 

i suggest you go and watch the game again mate. Yes Taute is a talent i would still like to see him play fullback rather but based on this weekend i would give him a chance at 13 he won't disgrace the jersey. but atm you are overextending the good game he had.

Taute did not beat his man everytime he had the ball comeone.... and Jean did far more than nothing of note ........Seriously Saf  ... we know you like the kid, and so do most of us, but he aint superman.

Saffx Jean was in fact far superior than Taute in attack. Stats don't lie. Alot of the times you have the oppisite oppinion on a player than everyone elses perspective of a player which is no suprise at all here. Also the fact that you stated 'Hougaard is not a wing' o.O what exactly is he then? WOW.

Best things Taute did on Saturday were two very fine tackles on Shipperley in space. That guy is a big unit , with a good step. Taute took him down with fine low tackles.I appreciated that. Now lets see if he can pass creatively and figure out what to do, ball in hand, against the stacked AB defence. For centres these days it's not so much what you do when you are in space, but what you do not to hurt your team, when there is no space.

On the scrumhalf issue....that's done for the year. Hougaard will be a wing and a sub......Pienaar has the job. Hougaard is a great talent, but no scrumhalf. Perhaps he can learn his trade during next year's S15....but I wouldn't count on it.

Best things Taute did on Saturday were two very fine tackles on Shipperley in space. That guy is a big unit , with a good step. Taute took him down with fine low tackles.I appreciated that. Now lets see if he can pass creatively and figure out what to do, ball in hand, against the stacked AB defence. For centres these days it's not so much what you do when you are in space, but what you do not to hurt your team, when there is no space.

On the scrumhalf issue....that's done for the year. Hougaard will be a wing and a sub......Pienaar has the job. Hougaard is a great talent, but no scrumhalf. Perhaps he can learn his trade during next year's S15....but I wouldn't count on it.

 Guys what do you think of this.

I "doubt" if the Boks can beat the present AB team....so

HM should include young outstanding players in the squad as well as select them for the year end games. 

Nothing like performing under fire.

Bekker, De Villiers, Jannie, Beast, Morne, Skalk, Flip Flop, Liebenberg, Spies for starters have done their best over the years and are pass their best and need to be replaced ....NOW.

Be kind and constructive in replying guys.

Your premise is wrong. We had a real opportunity to beat the ABs away and blew it. This weekend's game is a 50:50.

And while Jean is certainly reaching the end of his career and Suspies is a perennial fader.......the rest have plenty of rugby life left.

snapster I was speaking LONG TERM. I was considering the best use of resources. To be honest I am not currently too taken with either Kirchner or Lambie at 15. So who else is there. We have lots of centers.

Getting it!

AJ renewal is happening in a controlled way. Newbies to test rugby benefit from having older hands around. Heck we are hardly an old team in any case.

Getting what Beenkop? - how stupid you are maybe - I got that long ago. Only a complete idiot would want to move a player to 15 after a great debut at 13!!!!!!!!!

As for Lambie, he is perfect at 15