Ex Supersport
This article was of course was written last week but shows how difficult Meyers task is. Are some of the players returning from injury ready to tour or are they underdone.
As Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer gets set to watch this weekend’s Absa Currie Cup semifinals and desperately hopes that none of his Springbok stars get injured, at the back of his mind will be some tough decisions he will need to take when he meets the selectors next week to finalise the team for the November tour.
As it currently stands, it is unlikely that any new talent is likely to make a breakthrough in a weakened Currie Cup setup. It remains to be seen whether or not Meyer will be able to find place for a number of top players returning from injury, and how the overseas contingent forms part of his plans for the tests against Wales, Scotland and France.
The Bok coach has been very consistent in his decision to back the squad that has taken so many leaps forward this season, but Meyer will be wanting to bring back some of the experience that has returned from injury in recent weeks.
The decision then becomes who to leave out, and not necessarily who to pick, as the Bok touring squad is likely to stay at its 30 members, meaning some players who were part of the team this year may well find themselves now with an extended rest period.
This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, and how Meyer blends the returning players into the Bok mould will be very interesting to watch.
Some decisions may be easier than others – for instance Fourie du Preez’s return to the Bok fold means that Piet van Zyl or Jano Vermaak may be left out with Ruan Pienaar filling the second role in the team Bring in Kockott and Reinach to join Du Preez). In this case it is a clear decision between grooming a younger player from South Africa or using Vermaak, who plays for Toulouse in France.
Some decisions are not so simple.
Schalk Burger, Frans Steyn, Johan Goosen and Frans Malherbe have all returned from injury in recent weeks and all will have been noticed by Meyer, who will be watching their form and fitness before the selection meeting.
JP Pietersen, who plays in Japan, has also made himself available and it is known that Meyer rates him highly and wants him back in the side as quickly as possible.(Definitely include him)
With the other four it may not be as easy as it seems, with some tough decisions to be made if they are to be included in the Bok side this November.
Burger has played more rugby than the rest and, if he keeps on with his comeback, would be a massive boost for Meyer. At the moment the loose trio is working well but there is a sense that the bench may need someone who can fill all three roles in the loose trio with the same amount of passion and impact. At the moment Burger, if he is fit and in form, is a perfect fit for this while Siya Kolisi is still developing and finding his feet at international level.(Leave Kolisi out he is barely Currie Cup level!!! Scrap quotas!!!)
Steyn gives so many options in the backline with his versatility that most coaches worldwide would choose him. However, his form in the next week or two will probably be an indicator of his fitness and where he is at mentally before Meyer makes a decision. His return would also be a blow to the development of a talent like Jan Serfontein, who will probably have to make way for Steyn in the match-day squad.(Not necessarily. But we need to see how Steyn goes in the final)
Goosen is another case where there is genuine concern. The young flyhalf has had three big injuries in his short time as a professional rugby player and word out of Bloemfontein is that he was advised not to return to the field this year by two doctors. Goosen, however, insisted he was okay and has been rushed back into action.(LEAVE HIM AT HOME!! he can work on his conditioning)
While the back-up to Morne Steyn is very much a debate that is ongoing, at the moment the Boks do have Pat Lambie who can easily slot into the position and it may well be best to leave Goosen for an extended off-season before bringing him back into the fold.(Lambie, Cat and morne for now)
Malherbe was part of the Bok young guns and has been in and out of the Bok squad and on the fringes for the past year before getting injured. The Bok management have identified his talent and see him as a player going forward, but in his absence, a player such as Lourens Adriaanse continues to excel at Currie Cup level and has done nothing wrong at Bok level – where he has also been on the fringes – to warrant being dropped.(Marcell van der merwe looks better to me if Malherbe is not ready)
Trevor Nyakane was dropped for disciplinary reasons and his form in the Currie Cup and changes to his behaviour mean that hopefully he will be forgiven now and be eligible for selection again. Either way, Nyakane knows a repeat performance of his team protocol breaches will spell the end of his international career, so it is hoped he has learned his lesson.(leave him at home as his form has really gone off. Noways does he deserve selection!!!!)
While all these are tough decisions that have to be made, Meyer has not even approached the overseas question, where pressure will be put to pick less players from abroad, and promote more locally-based talent. (Meyer just pick the best and keep winning - that will keep the boneheads quiet)
That’s not even scratching the surface with the problems at five lock, which still are a massive worry after the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.(WE have NO lock problems at all)
Either way, it will be some tough decisions that need to be made and Meyer will need the wisdom of Solomon to come up with the right mix to ensure the team continue their progression in 2013.
I agree there are some tricky decisions to make and I am sure nobody is going to be completely satisfied with the squad - probably more so than usual.
