Time for some realism

This happens every year.....posters decide perfectly ordinary players like Coetzee should be Boks. It won't work, test rugby is much more physical and frenetic. Many of the guys will fade even in next years S15....like Rhule, Lappies, Coetzee and JJ have faded this S 15.

So don't be surprised if Mvovo isn't the fullback, Reinach isn't the scrum half and Lood isn't the 4 lock. Test experience counts for a lot.....for every successful international coach.

The damnable thing is .....we need new blood. Every team does, to get the right balance of experience and enthusiasm. 

Right now we need new wings and centres, new props and replacements for guys like Schalk and Brussouw who struggle to stay healthy. The irony is, to use Schalk as an example...we simply don't have another flank with half his sense of play and ability to link forwards and backs.

The problem is finding new players who make the kind of case that Schalk made at RWC03. That Jean and Habana made in their first tests. That Etzebeth made in 2012. These are the great players....they look the part from the start....the kind of players who become incumbents.

Only at lock can one see a new cadre of possible incumbents.

At times one needs to push the boundaries a tad, but to do so you’d have to have an adventurist spirit. Show a little courage. Cast conservatism aside. Be a bit of a risk taker, that’s prepared to expose his chin if things go wrong.

Meyer is the exact opposite. He doesn’t have the cahones. No confidence in chancing his arm.

The only times he selects differently is when his hand is forced. That way if things go wrong he’s not to blame.

I agree that test experience is very important. Fielding an entire match 23 of newbies is madness.

Getting a mix of young blood in with the experienced players is the only way to move forward. That way you build momentum and self confidence

Some of the posters on this board don’t seem to understand that. It’s beyond me!!

Meyer’s team will probably look something like this.

1.   Beast

2.   Bismarck

3.   Jannie

4.   Flip

5.   Victor

6.   Kolisi

7.   Alberts

8.   Vermeulen

9.   Du Preez

10. Goosen (Morne if he was available)

11. Basson

12. De Allende

13. JJ

14. JP

15. Willie

16. Strauss

17. Nyakane

18. Coennie

19. De Jager

20. Kankowski

21. HouGat

22. Serfontein

23. Fat Fransie

 How he expects to take this team forward to the WC and b e competitive is beyond me.

I'm very much afraid Serfontein is the new Wynand. JJ will never make it. Jordaan is too small to batter through tight RWC spaces, no matter what his stats say. Lambie likewise will not be on a par with Sexton, Barrett, Farrell and other RWC players. Seriously, how  is a small, slow chap without a step going to crack defences. Goosen has shied away from contact in most of his games....against the Stormers for example. he has the talent, but does he have the durability and is his competitive heart ever going to return?

There are far too many players here who wont be as good as their counterparts. The challenge is to find players who will outplay NZ, Oz, Pom opposition.

I like the idea of Kockett.....a competitor....let's say that again.....a competitor.

De Allende has the physical presence to outplay most of the big centres....but he needs a lot more centre software. If we want him to be an influence we have to make a commitment this year.

This kid Willemse is another very promising player....and we are lucky he is playing with Victor....getting a tutorial in every game.

But honestly many of these guys I see listed above aren't competitors and aren't physically dominating. That's a sure path to defeat.

Goosen

1/0

129

84/179/60

216

1

11

10

5

74/13

0/0

3

0/0

For discussion, here's my take on the South African flyhalves:

Morne is a Bools style kicking flyhalf. He is not a natural runner with the ball....nor is he anything more than an adequate defender. But he is a great kicker of the ball....and as we saw at Ellis Park for Habana's two tries.....he can time and throw a good long pass. He is also an experienced/steady decision maker at 10.

Lambie is really not physically set to be much more than a Morne clone. He may be slightly better on the run and in the tackle....but he isn't impactful at either. And he is not as good a kicker and crucially not as mentally tough. I'd hate to see the last RWC kick being given to Lambie

Goosen's reputation is based on his open field runninng and huge boot. But he is not as good a tactical kicker as Morne, and his running is compromised by his flinching from contact. His decision making is still a bit of a mystery and his tackling is probably the weakest of the candidates. Then there is the effect on the team of  playing with  injury risk...a ticking time bomb.

We have the youngsters Pollard and Swiel. To me Pollard has a better head at this stage and looks more rugged. But time will tell....after RWC15. Perhaps Pollard has a bench shot....but it's a long one.

And so on to Marnitz ....a rugged player. I don't think he passes as well as Morne and I don't think he reads the game as well as Morne. For the rest he may be a bit better. A deadly goal kicker, solid tackler and reliable runner in tight spaces. To me this is the closest option for a straight Morne swop....but in the end, the edge where it exists is too slight to lose all Morne's experience. Then there is a nagging thought that at one stage Cat looked just like Marnitz and where did that take us?

So finally on to my pick Frans. Not a neat package by any means. He has been charged, lost his boot for a game, missed some tackles.....lost some balls. He obviously likes his meals. But he is a huge talent. He can run in tight spaces and offload. He smashes players when he gets hold of them....ask Beal or Shane Williams. And he had the nerve to kick the RWC winner at 20.  He is still learning the flyhalf game....but winning matches along the way.

The choice in essence comes down to a classical kicking flyhalf...Morne. And the kind of rugged player at 10 that seems  to ignite Bok teams. Id play Frans with Morne on the bench.

For discussion, here's my take on the South African flyhalves:

Morne is a Bools style kicking flyhalf. He is not a natural runner with the ball....nor is he anything more than an adequate defender. But he is a great kicker of the ball....and as we saw at Ellis Park for Habana's two tries.....he can time and throw a good long pass. He is also an experienced/steady decision maker at 10.

Lambie is really not physically set to be much more than a Morne clone. He may be slightly better on the run and in the tackle....but he isn't impactful at either. And he is not as good a kicker and crucially not as mentally tough. I'd hate to see the last RWC kick being given to Lambie

Goosen's reputation is based on his open field runninng and huge boot. But he is not as good a tactical kicker as Morne, and his running is compromised by his flinching from contact. His decision making is still a bit of a mystery and his tackling is probably the weakest of the candidates. Then there is the effect on the team of  playing with  injury risk...a ticking time bomb.

We have the youngsters Pollard and Swiel. To me Pollard has a better head at this stage and looks more rugged. But time will tell....after RWC15. Perhaps Pollard has a bench shot....but it's a long one.

And so on to Marnitz ....a rugged player. I don't think he passes as well as Morne and I don't think he reads the game as well as Morne. For the rest he may be a bit better. A deadly goal kicker, solid tackler and reliable runner in tight spaces. To me this is the closest option for a straight Morne swop....but in the end, the edge where it exists is too slight to lose all Morne's experience. Then there is a nagging thought that at one stage Cat looked just like Marnitz and where did that take us?

So finally on to my pick Frans. Not a neat package by any means. He has been charged, lost his boot for a game, missed some tackles.....lost some balls. He obviously likes his meals. But he is a huge talent. He can run in tight spaces and offload. He smashes players when he gets hold of them....ask Beal or Shane Williams. And he had the nerve to kick the RWC winner at 20.  He is still learning the flyhalf game....but winning matches along the way.

The choice in essence comes down to a classical kicking flyhalf...Morne. And the kind of rugged player at 10 that seems  to ignite Bok teams. Id play Frans with Morne on the bench.