So we can add Craig Burden to the growing list of players who H Meyer has picked for a Bok squad and then dumped before giving him a chance.
Schalk Brits is yesterdays news and hasnt played a test in more then 4 years!!!! Meyers anti Sharks bias is showing again!
Agreed regarding the treatment of Burden, but seeing Brits perform week after week here in the UK, one has to ask the question as why on earth this talented player was not utilized more by the Boks. But hell he is 30 odd now, so we have missed the boat with him.
He was the difference in the Sarries vs Saints game I watched on Sat - he created the only try of the match with his customary step and line break - what a wasted talent.
But then again we did have Smit as our starter with Bismark as the back-up - cant really fault that can we?
its send a complete wrong message to the players based in SA. that meyer would rather go overseas then pick a local player. a guy that is 30 odd wont last until the next RWC sorry to say but then again meyer is more concerned about his own job now than creating and thinking long term
I think Burden soiled his copybook a bit in the semi - when he ran with the ball and never think about passing - thus causing the move to break down. His line throwing on Saturday was a further no-no. However, I would perfer him to Brits as the latter is really not a future proposisition at all.
As per normal Meyer buggered up with selections - but I think he does not really have a third hooker in mind for the future. His first choice would be Bismarck and second choice Strauss - so Brits is not really in the picture in future.
Mike I think you are right, but it was more to do with Burden's line out throwing. But hell how could a coach make that kind of call based on one match?
Saffex
Don't mention Meyer and a coach in the same sentence. It gives Meyer a credit for soemthing he is not.
Meyer will select anyone as long as they are not Deon Fourie. Schalk britz was given some chances but did not really perform at bok level, he seemed a bit light. He is a mobile unit, and good when the game opens up. Perhaps a good impact player for the last 30 minutes but not really a starting player at test level.
If anything has be learnt by Meyers selections this year, is that we need players who are good at the rucks. Not just clumsy Donkey like Potgieter.
The backrow combination against Argentina in the away game brought back memories of the Rodeolf Straeulie era.
We need a fetcher at the rucks, and with Francois Louw possibally inured, Brussouw looking like his days are over, Deon Fourie is the best we have,
As for Burden, not sure what he has done wrong. However the logical choice if dropping him is play Deon Fourie he has been one of the best players for South Africa this year, not Schalk Brits who stands out in a poor premiership rugby competition
Ou Visbok, care to remind us about the chances that Schalk Brits had and didn't perform?
Schalk brits played near the start of the PDV era. Done very little and looked to small for test rugby. Many people at the time said this vindicated what Jake White said all along. It was some time ago but he did not do much that was memorable
No no. Don't be vague. Tell us how many game time he had and where and how he stuffed up. I know, but I would like you to tell us, without the use of Google.
Brits never failed at test level, he was selected to start in a poor Bok side and was blamed for the Boks losses and the world was told he was too light.
For a start Brits should never have been selected to start. Any coach at test level, worth his weight, would have emloyed Brits off the bench as an impact player.
Am impact player weighing 100kg and having the skills of centre would have made the perfect bench hooker - but good old SA rugby missed the boat on this talent. Its a travesty
Sure Dave....and then we have a crucial scrum in the last 10 minutes and concede a penalty because Brits is so brittle? There is no room in tests for hookers who can't scrum.
No man Saffex. You are making life difficult for ou Visbok now. He still has to figure out how and when Brits was selected and then has to figure out where and when he failed. Tsk.
bongani2 I do not have time to educate you.
However what you find to be a useful exercise to actually express an opinion instead of just disagreeing what other says.
Why do you feel Brits should be in the squad instead of Burden and Deon fourie?
Why do you think Britz should have not been dropped. I only ever see you disagreeing with other bloggers. But you never have your own opinions, let alone any argument to support your own opinion.
Ou Visbok you are over rating yourself if you think that you could educate me or anybody else for that matter. Why don't you just admit that you have missed the boat with Schalk Brits?
Let me help you with the Brits issue. If you think back, you will remember that John Smit signed with Clermont Auvergne after the 2007 RWC, and for the initial tests in 2008, Bismarck "moved up" to take Smit's place and Brits got his chance from the bench. John Smit then returned and got his ploace in the team back, with Bismarck moving to the bench again, for the first TN test. Smit then picked up an injury and Bismarck moved into the starting 15 with Brits on the bench again for the Dunedin test that we won. In fact, IIRC it was at the time that John Smit was injured with the infamous spear tackle by Brad Thorn. Bismarck picked up an injury in the Dunedin test and Brits moved up into the starting line-up with Adriaan Strauss on the bench for the next test against Aus.
That was the sum total of Brits' appearances for the Springboks because he then anounced thathe has signed for Saracens for 2009.
Why do I think Brits should be in the squad ahead of Burden and Fourie? I have watched a lot of Brits' play for Saracens and I watched him again for Saracens against Exeter Chiefs this weekend, and I am of the opinion that with Bismarck out he is the ideal back-up for Adriaan Strauss ahead of Burden who was pretty crap for the Sharks and his throws into the line-outs were atrocious and one of the reasons the Sharks lost their game. At one stage the Sharks have lost five out of seven line-outs on their own throw. Fourie has been playing at loose-forward for a number of games and was doing quite well despite his size, but he does not make the WP team as hooker ahead of Liebenberg. why should he make the Bok team, espcially if you have someone of the calibre of Brits, already in the UK and famliliar with the conditions, etc.
Finally, I did not know that I have to agree with any blogger, least of all with everything that you have to say.
Ah Moz, based on what exactly is your take on Brits and his scrumming - what bullshit to finger him as a poor scrummager, its never been the case and less so these days. If he was that poor Sarries would be starting with Smit at 2 and playing Brits off the bench.
Get your facts straight Moz, it would help
No comments from ou Visbok either.
Jalapeno - " Schalk Brits is yesterdays news and hasnt played a test in more then 4 years!!!! Meyers anti Sharks bias is showing again!"
Are you mad? Brits is in better form than anyone else we have, Possibly better form than andries Strauss, plus he knows the conditions in Europe far better than any of our hookers. Watched any Saracens games lately?
"Watched any Saracens games lately?"
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
yeah right, like Im going to waste my time watching pathetic NH club rugby! LMAO!
Not surprised Brits looks a decent player for Saracens. Zane Kirchner would look like a decent player in NH club rugby! LMAO!!!!!!
Jal your take on NH club rugby is way off the mark. Sarries would challenge the WP side selected for the CC final anyday and this comes from a staunch SA supporter.
One only needs to look at the sides man for man and one would be inclined to sway the Sarries way.
Neil de Kock vs Groom
Brits vs Skara
Barritt vs de Allende
Hargreaves vs de Kock Steenkamp
Farrell vs Cat
Ashton vs v/d Heever
etc
Well exept for Barrit and Ashton, those comparisons are all proving my point and if u make it Ashton vs habana then its 5-1 to the CC!!
The top NH club would finish mid table in the CC B div!
Jalapeno!
"Watched any Saracens games lately?"
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
yeah right, like Im going to waste my time watching pathetic NH club rugby! LMAO!
Not surprised Brits looks a decent player for Saracens. Zane Kirchner would look like a decent player in NH club rugby! LMAO!!!!!!
Becarefull Jal, Comments like that point to ignorance...
Jal so de Kock Steenkamp is better than Hargreaves and Cat is better than Farrell - ag nee man!!
Reading repports it appears that just about every SA player going overseas look good. To me however the point is why Brits is slected ahead of the young Deon Fourie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dropping Burden is not really the main issue here.
One also has to ask what in the world has chilli boy done to deserve a spot - he seems to have a divine right to be selected. I would rather have Wepener!!!! Bwahahahahahahahaha.
i think selecting a overseas based player send the wrong signal to local players. fourie as a opensider offers more and might just give us that edge on the dirt. if louw is not starting then fourie should replace him. hopefully brussouw can make a proper comeback and reclaim his spot
Beeno
Have I not warned you before not to pay too much attention to reports on the Keo website? They are not worth the paper they are written on.
About a third of the selected players are in the squad on merit, another third is average players with better counterparts not selected and the remainder are Meyer's Bulls that is tagging along. This is the worst squad from a merit performance perspective that I have ever seen.
I have no trust in that squad and do not think they will beat anything.
Mike: "I have no trust in that squad and do not think they will beat anything. "
So Mike, according to you we won't win a single test on tour?
Ek
I wrote previously that there is a chance that they could beat ireland - remember Ireland has a lot of elderly players going down due to age. However, after reflection I think the irish would beat them if Steyn is at flyhalf and kicks away everything.
The best chance of the Springboks is against Scotland - they have a 50:50 chance there. However, a loss against the irish would eb a demoralizing factor and that could swing the game in favour of the Scots.
A loss against the POMS is an absolute certainty.
There are way to many players in that squad with selection not based on merit and we are going to get bitten badly - mark my words.
Personally I think you are over negative Mike. no one will always agree with the coach so selection will always be an issue. but to be honest, the team is young and building, It sounds cliche but it's true. Give it about 6 months until the Tri nations next year, then you can start to be a Killjoy. :)
Ek
I am really disheartened about the squad and frankly said I think that the selection of out-of-form and poor players cannot be condoned by anybody. I may not even watch the tests if there is any better programmes on TV .
I sad previously that players who perform above average in Super 15 should be selected for next years tests - but Meyer is hell-bent to select his own set of players whether they perform or not. That happened this year - why should it happen next year? Why is why there are so many under-performers in the present squad? Frankly I am demoralized by that.
