CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
26 Jun 2013, 12:02#3
Ihi
There are a few if and buts in the RC that must be dealt with before we can really make an impact. Among those are the following:-
* Meyer at times is an enigma - he sometimes take weird decisions. He may turn out to bring back his favoured full back - Kirchner - and that would kill off the backline totally. Hopefully he would not do anything that silly. Also bringing in Francois Steyn would be a disaster.
* It can depend on Morne Steyn maintaining a realistic goal kicking record at about 70 to 75%. If he does not - he should be replaced early and not kept on till we are virtually out of the RC..
* The loosie combination is particularly bothersome. We cannot play the low-mobile Vermeulen and Alberts in the All Blacks and Wallabies games. They would like last year use their speedier loosies to assist their backline wider out to attack ad we will not have enough players out wide to counter that. With Spies out of contention and Botha injured - I would say the back row should comprise of Louw, Labuschagne and Vermeulen - but will Meyer see it that way? I doubt it very much. Incidentally - one slower ball carrying loosie is fine - two together under the circumstances mentioned - would be a disaster.
* I am happier with Flippie and Etzebeth as locks - especially since Kruger has no grunt - but the former will have to cut out penalties.
* We are fine insofar as props are concerned - but I hope to see Malherbe in the frame rather than Du Plessis - who has some problems of late.
As to the All Blacks - although they beat the French with relative ease in the second test - they were not all that convincing in the other two tests. McCaw coming back may make a difference - but I am not sure of that at all. He has been slowly regressing over the past two years and his age counts against him. Both carter and Dagg are not showing the same performance levels achieved by them last year. I believe there hooker and props are not really up to standard. All in all they have some real problems to contend with - both insofar as attack and defence are concerned and with the right player selection we can beat them.
*
JEJeromeV
Club Pro492 posts
26 Jun 2013, 13:53#4
I'm not expecting the boks to do well in the Rugby Championship for the reason being they have more problematic issues than NZ and AUS which is true if you look at the actual facts. The castle lager series is a ideal way to look at what the boks can improve on. My outlook on Alberts is he understands the game well, I don't think he is that bad. I know he isn't a quick flanker but he brings a sense of physicality to the team which the boks need in the backrow, a balance of speed and physicality. I believe Labuschagne could make a real impact in the team, but the focus are on other players that are more favourable. The boks do have a more attacking approach with Le Roux joining the backline from fullback, but he needs to be aware of the other options he can do himself. I've noticed his first instinct is to pass which is fine but I would like to see Le Roux straighten up through a gap and be for aggressive in his play style. I've always had a notion Aplon would be a great fullback, he has flair and a better sidestep. Le Roux is more of a basic runner oriented player that is more of a winger than fullback based on what I've seen, I doubt he will be as effective against better defensive sides. On a tactical basis the ABs are more consistent with the way they want to play because they are aware of what needs to be done, I'm a bok supporter saying that.
CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
26 Jun 2013, 16:35#5
Lucid
With respect I differ from you here. I think the real fact is that Le Roux does two thinks which make him very dangerous as a full back and those are -
* his ability to draw in defenders and thus create space; and
* once other players are in space - he passes the ball exactly at the right time.
That is what lead to the tries he was involved in. Two examples are the tries scored by Habana and Basson against Samoa the past weekend, but in fact he did the same thing in other tries scored by the Springboks - when he created the necessary space for other players to use.
By doing the above he in fact straighten the line and I do not understand what else you expected in his case. Le Roux put the other playes in space on the front foot and that is very, very difficult todefend against.
Although I have always rated Aplon as a very good player - I do not think that he will do the same as Le Roux is doing, because he does not really draw in defenders and pass the ball as is done in this case. He tends to get talked while in possession and that ends the attacking move there and then.
As to Alberts - I do not think we can go into the RC with two low-mobile loosies and although Alberts have merit in some aspects of his game - he has serious limitations. He is no faster than a prop forward and the AN's and Wallabies will make full use of that limitation. I think that we need two speedy loosies and can do with one low-mobile one - hence my statement that either Vermeulen or Alberts can play - but to combine them is to look for disaster.
MOMozart
Captain49,914 posts
MOMozartCaptain49,914 posts
26 Jun 2013, 16:48#7
The first posting was a duplication as well....one of many. .....broken record.
CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
26 Jun 2013, 16:59#8
Mozart
Bitter because you are so consistently wrong - go back and keep on supporting duds.
