There were some really weird selections made this week by the SA Franchises and I would like to raise some of those.
The Sharks
After the fiasco of last week there are a number of failed players missing from the team this week. Those include -
SP Marais, Jannie du Plessis, Kyle Cooper and Tendai Mtawarire.
To date they could do nothing about the hopeless Waylon Murray - and also not about the locks. Matter of fact it is weird - they made Wentzel their captain.
The above are factual and negatives. On the positive side it is interesting to see their hooker and replacement hooker this week. Both are youngsters with massive potential.
Instead of the hopeless Murray - they should have played Fisher. I think they are in a jam with their props - their best youngster is Marne Coetzee (easily better than Jannie du Plessis) is unfortunately out with an injury and will only be back in July 2014.
Oosthuizen is on the way back - but what they want to do with the useless prop masquerading as a loosie (Sloth Alberts) is really not clear. Perhaps they should use him in the interim as a lock - he would do less harm in that position, than he would do at loosie - but could be marginally better than Botha as a lock.
However, the early signs of ridding the Sharks of disruptive elements in the team is welcomed - but they have a long way to go before one can really talk about an improved team. Hope they get rid of at least Murray and Botha next week.
The Stormers
With the Stormers under Coetzee you can always be sure of one thing - they would never learn any lessons from their mistakes. It is always a case of one step forwards and three steps back.
If they have not learnt by now that -
* It is hopeless to select a backline with Leyds and De Jongh in the team - they would never learn; and
* the selection of Carizza ahead of Jean Kleyn is another sick joke.
The combination of the three midgets in the backline could only have a serious detrimental effect on their defense. If Leyds and De Jongh was any good in attacking play - it would to an extent be understandable - but both are pretty hopeless.
Jones last week showed what is required from a 13 - but now they are back to the useless De Jongh in that position.
The Bulls
It is evident that they want to give Pollard, Serfontein and Labuschagne another week off to recover fully from their injuries.
The weird selections are in fact Spies and Stegmann - two utterly useless loosies. They brought back Botha - but why they did not play him at 8 and the bright star Liebenberg at 7 only the clueless Ludeke will know.
