So round 1 is out of the way and we had a chance to see all SA teams in action. Which players in your opinion have impressed and which players did you expect more from so early on in the piece?
Name your Bok starting team (based on week 1 performances only) after round 1..
I can not list a team as I did not watch the Kings game so it would be unfair to exclude any of their players as I am sure they would have had a few stand outs.
boklogic
You ask a very difficult question and I have not made up my mind as yet - but I am going to put three players in each position to my mind in order of performance - taking in account s well that some came off the bench and had limited playing time. Simultaneously it must be borne in mind that some players play against Stronger opposition than others:-
Full Backs
Taute, Ludick and Danillier
Wings
Habana, Pietersen and Mvovo
Centers
13 - Jordaan, Sadie and De Villiers
12 - Steyn, Olivier and Ebersohn
Flyhalfs
Lambie, Goosen, Catrakillis
Scrumhalves
Reinach, Van Zyl and Duvenhage
No 8
Vermeulen, Engelbrecht and Van der Walt
Flanks
Coetzee, Labuschagne and Botha
Locks
Bekker, Bullbring and Du Toit
Props
Du Plessis, Mtawarira and Malherbe
Hookers
Strauss, Burden and Fourie
Worst Performers
The worst two high profile players on the day was Jantjies and Hougaard - both put in performances that can at best be described as atrocious.
If the criteria is strictly form shown in the first round, then the best fullbacks were Daniller and SP Marais.
Clever mike you're forgetting the Kings 18 year old winger who scored two tries, Morne who got MOM and Spies who for once played the full 80 and looked decent. I am in no way a supporter is Spies or Morne.
IMO Jantjies and Taute was lank crap. I know they have to fit into a new team and all, but of all the "names" they were surely off par. The Kings as a team did way better than anticipated.
Shezza
I did not really forget about the younger Pietersen of the Kings. For me it was a straight choice between Mvovo and him for selection - if I did add a fourth player -he stood out above the rest. I would add that I really think this youngster is an absolute MUST for the Under 20 WC squad.
Ddraad
The real crap at full back was Kirchner - following in third position aftter Jantjies and Hougaard as the worst three performers this weekend
Sorry - duplication
Draad I agree Taute was awful. The best fullback I saw by some distance, granted I was watching the 6N, not the Kings.....was Henny Daniller.
15. Taute 14. JP 13. Jordaan 12. Frans 11. Habana 10. Goosen 9. Hougaard 1. Beast 2. Strauss 3. Jannie 4. Flip 5. Bekker 6. Watson 7. Coetzee 8. v/d Walt
Close call between Lambie and Goosen, Goosen ignited the Cheetahs comeback
Saffex
Just a few corrections here. Hougaard was not really up to standard - reinach performed much better than he did. Hougaard stillhave elements of the 2012 unsatisfactory performances in evidence, Secondly - the loosie Engelbrecht was vastly superiror to Watson after he replaced him.
Mike bullshit, Hougaard's service to Morne was by far the best of the SA 9's. Reinach was good, but did nothing of note.
Englebrecht came on as an 8, Watson was an openside - wake up
Saffex
Watson was originally named to play at 8 according to the published selections. He did mob to flank and was replaced by Engelbrecht who did play at 8.
What exactly did Hougaard do that was better than Reinach. Reinach had a faster amd more accurate service to the backline than Hougaard smf hs covering anf kivkving game was better than Hougaards. The gantasy game system allocate points for every activituy a player is involved in on the field of play. Reinach got 8 points - Hoiugaard a misreable 1 point. That in fact indicates the real difference between the two players on Sarirday exacrly
I dont care where Watson was named, he played openside. Engelbrecht replaced him and played 8, with the original 8 moving to flank.
Absolute crap, Hougaard's service was by far the best of the SA 9's - no questions asked. His service was accurate, speedy and sharp. His kicking at first was good, it let him down once or twice, so what.
He never showed anything on attack, that will come. Hougaard was spot on and I dont give a shit about fantasy scores
One thing I hope to put all of this to bed. Hougaard MUST play every game he is fit at 9 for the Bulls. They must not lose confidence in him at 9 and shift him to the wing. If they can not take much more of him at 9, he must be dropped from the team.
This way, come Bok selection, he is considered only as a 9 and we would have a season to base the decision on. At the moment, he is still pretty new to scrummy in the sense that his last competitve games were at 11 for the Boks. I really hope he settles in to 9 and shows what we all know he can do. He is a talent and a half that boy but in my opinion, he is going to be pipped at the post by a guy like Reinach as he is a more complete scrumhalf. His passing is better, his base kicking is better, he clears the ruck faster. These are traits all good scrummies posess and I dont doubt Hougaard has the ability, he just needs to dig deep and find them again. It doesn't help with him playing wing. He must play 9 and 9 only! His first instinct is to run with the ball and this I believe is why his clearance is laboured and his kicking is hit and miss.
None of our fullbacks looked as if they belong at this level. The two that everyone seems to be talking about - Taute and Daniller - were both ordinary at best. SP Marais had a good game for the Kings but looks a limited player. The only solution I see for the Springboks is to put Frans Steyn back in his best position.
Wingers Mvovo, Sergeal Peterson, Habana, Rhule and JP all looked sharp enough but some way below the level of Aussie and Kiwi wingers like Folau, Tikoirotuma, Shipperley and the very exciting Frank Halai.
Centres: Paul Jordaan and Johan Sadie stood out for me but admittedly Wynand was pretty good as well. Anyone who thinks the pedestrian Jean de Villiers was the standout SA centre this weekend hasn't got the first clue about centres. Must add, what a tackle from Francois Venter!
Flyhalves Pat Lambie and Johan Goosen were both excellent. Morne Steyn was very average while Elton Jantjies had a complete nightmare and may have played his way out of the Stompies starting XV.
I thought Cobus Reinach was the best SA scrumhalf by some distance this weekend. Hougaard kicked too much and did nothing of note with ball in hand.
Have to laugh at some of the rugby noobs having a little pop at Marcel Coetzee again. The ultra consistent Coetzee was as good as ever and at the moment would be one of the first names on any Springbok team sheet. The Free State loosies were all good this weekend while the overrated Stompies backrowers were very, very average.
I was quite surprised by Franco van der Merwe. None of the other locks really shone for me but Pieter-Steph looked very good while he was on.
As for the front row, Jannie and Beast confirmed their status as the best props in the country and I was a bit disappointed by our S15 hookers, espacially Burden who I rate very highly.
Jalap
Excellent summary - I cannot improve on it. I am not entirely convinced that Steyn should move to full bck though - but lets see what happens next.
Somebody else commentd about Steyn's jersey being a bit on the big side for him - he must have lost some serious lard over the last month or so. He really looked slimmer recently.
Talking of looking slimmer, Piri Weepu is looking in good shape for the first time in about 3 years and it showed in his play.
Yeah Mike, I made that comment. His jersey was clearly the largest fit of anyone on the team. I can only think he drastically reduced his body fat and mass pre season.
Jalapeno, good summary but one correction. Israel Folau was easily the worst fullback of the round from any team. Huge hype surrounding his first super rugby game. I expected to see him carve the reds up and for that reason, I selected the Waratahs ahead of the reds in my multi. It was like lighting the fust to a cherry bomb but when it blows up, its much like a tom thumb! He added nothing. Made a few mistakes. Nerves they say ;-)
Not too bum'd about the multi though as I had the Force 13+ over the Kings so I would have lost there too ;-) Only 2 games I got wrong this weekend.
JalaRooiArse- Folau was playing fullback you fool. Also his performance against the Reds was very poor. Did you even watch the match? Your comments that "SA wingers were some way below the level of Aussie and Kiwi wingers like Folau".
I actually meant to say Savea, don't know why I said Folau. I know Folau played fullback and I agree he looked pretty crap. I meant Julian Savea.
Edit: You haven't changed your name to Twatbok yet and your avatar is still a Shark instead of a gay traitor.
The agreement was that I would change my Avatar, not my name.
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Jalapeno!
So, Twatbok, who will you be supporting on Saturday evening?
You still haven't changed your avatar as requested. Please do so immediately.
Sharkbok
Rooiarse(Aka JalaRooiarse) I will change my Avatar, if you change your name back to what everyone in the past knows you as- RooiArse. A name is far more indentifiable than an Avatar.
Which Newzealand and Australian sides will you support against other SA teams other than the Sharks?
It is an international tournament dickhead, with South African players. You are like the Stormers crowd that supports foreign teams
I see . . . so could you not find an avatar of a feeble little gay turncoat kissing Barbie Stinkgat's arse while plunging a knife into Gary Teichmann's back?
Whahahaahhahahahaha rooitwit crashes again.
