What is to be done by Erasmus

I think there was a major problem with the locks and the loosies yesterday and some of the backs were clearly off the boil.   Aside from team selection problems there is also the continuous and predictable box kicks by Faf,

I would think that there is the need for some changes to the team based on performances yesterday - but taking into account that some o the players had an off day yesterday but were good in the England test,

15  Willie le Roux, 14  Sbu Nkosi, 13  Jesse  Kriel, 12  Damian de Allende, 11 Pha Dyantyi, 10  Handre Pollard/Damian Willemse, 9  Faf de Klerk, 8  Duane Vermeulen, 7  Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6  Siya Kolisi,  5  Lood de Jager, 4  Eben Etzebeth, 3  Frans Malherbe, 2  Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

I would also put Schickerling on the bench as a lock replacement and Willemse must be on the bench as well.    

The box kicks by Faf are part of the gameplan. A big part of it. Watch the game again, the worked the ball several phases to set up the kick. Time and time again.

Based on performance:

1. Kitshoff 
2. Marx
3. Malherbe
4. Eben
5. Snyman
6. Louw
7. Du Toit 
8. Vermeulen 
9. De Klerk
10. Pollard
11. Dyantyi
12. Esterhuizen 
13. Kriel
14. Kolbe 
15. Le Roux

AO

You as always missed  he pot 100%.    Lets face facts -

*   De Allende had a poor game yesterday - but Esterhuizen had a string of poor games this year in tests - he was for instance atrocious in both test he played \in against the English;

*    the further Louw is away from the Springbok team - the better, but then you and Mozart thinks that 3 ball turnovers in 9 tests is something to be admired - while for ther est his work rate was atrociously low in all tests he played in this year, yesterday was no exception;

*     I do not think that Snyman is a better lock than De Jager - in any event he is a 4 and not a five lock according to Erasmus;

*     Kolbe is  way too small physically to be successful on the wing

In any event any squad will have extra back-up players  so your list of 15 players are both haphazard and wrong in iro the positions where we differ. 

It would be interesting to see what Erasmus comes up with next week against Scotland.          

André has yet to have a truly bad game all season. He has comprehensively outplayed Damian.

Not one test from Lood can compare to even Snyman's worst test. He is hopeless. A flat track bully at best.

Kolbe handles himself much better than the sieve that is Nkosi. Better all round game.

OMG - the man is blinded by prejudice.  Go and look at the 3rd English test in June and in what he failed to do in the game last week where he buggered up badly as well.

When did he outplay De Allende in reality - maybe on Cloud 9 you may have imagined  that he did - but in fact it never happened.     

You have an option - you an give examples in which component of the game he outplayed De Allende, but make sure it is factually  proven and not a cloud nine im agination.   

I know the third England test. I spliced the footage a month ago. In fact, I've watched it four times. Why don't you review Damian's game in the first and second England test? 

He is a better defender and attacker. Every aspect of his game is better. Often vastly superior. André can read the game. Damian cannot. 

AO

I am sad to  say that your reviews are totally worthless as the case was in the June test:   According to you Esterhuizen had a wonderful test in Jume - so lets look whether that statement hold water.

Even though  stats are not the alpha and omega of player evaluation it can identify  advantages and deficiencies in player performances.   So lets loo at the stats tos ee whether there are some holes in your statement above:-

Balls  passed       -     6

Balls carried        -     6

Territory gained  -     25 meters 

Defenders beaten -      1

Tackles made      -      4

Tackles missed    -      3

Summary may just be  average on attack - but very poor in defense,

As to the first test in June against England the stats are as follows:-  

 Balls  passed       -     5

Balls carried        -     8

Territory gained  -     20 meters 

Defenders beaten -      2

Tackles made      -     10

Tackles missed    -      0

Looking at the factual situation in attack the two players were very much on par.   Un respect  of defense Esterhuizen failed badly 

So ty again - you have this far produced zero eviden ce.

My Team 

1. Kitshoff /Tomas Tank
2. Marx/ Mbombi
3. Malherbe/ Strauss
4. Eben/ Lomp
5. Mostert/ Snyman
6. Kolisi / Louw. (If Kolisi is not playing well, cart him off in the 2nd half)
7. Du Toit/ ?  (We need more bulk in the backrow)
8. Vermeulen / 
9. De Klerk
10. Pollard
11. Dyantyi
12. Esterhuizen/ In 2nd half switch Jantjies to 10- and move Pollard to inside center 
13. Kriel/ Can Dyanti play at 13? He is getting exposed under the high ball
14. Nkosi/ Kolbe 
15. Le Roux/ Willemse

The DDA situation has to be sorted out.

Rassie might agree with Mallett in that the Jantjies Pollard combo works best later in the game when it's looser but doesn't trust it as a starting solution.

He can solve half that problem by letting Pollard start at 12 anyway, and brining on another 10 to start, with Jantjies still coming on as a sub. 

Pollard is quite a menace at 12 and has on multiple occasions now outshone DDA almost immediately after the switch has been made.

Who would the starting 10 be though? 

Willie's maybe? 

Le Roux at 10 is an interesting one, but this is not a player who can play in congested areas. I entertained the idea more seriously several years ago. We already have André and Serfontein, so we don't need to be playing Pollard at 12. I agree, he can actually do a good job there, but he is by far our best 10. In 2015, after Jean's injury, my call was Pollard at 12, with Morné at 10. I think we would have fared better against New Zealand. Pollard can pass, and read the game, he also has a better kicking game than Damian. So, there is very little way for Damian to compete with him. André compares more favourably. He can pass, offload, hit the line like a truck, tackle and organise. He tidies play up nicely and is calm when things go wrong. Serfontein isn't physically blessed to play centre, but he is smart and skilled. Rassie's belief in Damian will cost him further down the line. He is wasting the resources he has available to him on a myth. 

This really is another case of dreamworld,    It is like opening a flood gate when it comes to defense.

All three players mentioned by SB and AO - namely Pollard, Jantjies and  Esaterhuizen are proven defensive liabilities.   It may be reasonable to have one of them playing  but two of them is looking for serious trouble.

So carry on talking - it shows a serious degree of ignorance about the players involved.  This was proven when  Kantjies played at flyhalf and Esterhuizen as 12 in the third England test in June and again in the test on 3 November - when Esterhuizen came on and promptly missed two of four tackle attempts.   

In matches where they played together even from the bench playing two of the three mentioned players together cause  serious defensive problems.   So try again.