We are average to poor right now as we are not selecting the correct forwards who would give us the go forward and impose themselves physically. Right now, all we are achieving is parity in the forwards and with that comes closely fought test matches. Playing at home against a depleted Irish side should have yielded three convincing wins but instead we snuck in a series win by fluke. We only managed 30 min of convincing rugby in the whole series.
Our backs are getting no platform to work off, I don’t recall a single ball going down the line in Saturdays test. We need to be selecting the correct forwards, we need a balanced backrow for a start, we can’t begin to dominate with an openside playing blindside in Kolisi, a lightweight 8 who is great with ball in hand but offers no grunt, a hooker that is leaps behind our best in terms of physicality and a loosehead who is no longer the best in his position.
Beast had a good test, but Kitshoff was far better when he came on, so has to start. He is potentially the best loosehead in the game. Strauss is a good player, but does not possess the raw power of Bismark that would add to our physical edge, same applies with regards to Marx who is the future. Bismark should be starting with Marx on the bench. Etzebeth, PSDT and Lood are spot on as options at lock, one of the few positives over the past year in terms of our side. All physical and great athletes.
Louw is a complete passenger in the side, have never rated him, one steal per game and no contribution in general play is not what we want from our openside. Kriel in his 20min made more of an impact that Louw did in 3 tests. It’s a no brainer, move on from average Louw in total, start Jaco Kriel at 6 and use Kolisi as an option off the bench as an impact player. I rate Kolisi but he is not a 7, just like Louw is not a 6. This infatuation with Louw is costing us as it means we have to play a player like Kolisi out of position at 7 in order to fulfil the quota and in the process deprive the backrow of balance. It would be better to start Kolisi at 6, his usual spot and play a true 7. But that is compromising the side as Jaco Kriel one of our best players just simply has to start.
We need a big physical bruiser at 7 in the Alberts mould. We have options to burn in Jake White’s favourite player in Jacques du Plessis or find of the Super series in Kirtsen at the Bulls or the freakish physicality of the du Preez twins. Mostert and PSDT also offer options here although I think of late PSDT is too big for that role.
At 8 we need physicality and a ball player……for me Marcel Coetzee would be perfect here, Arno Botha is getting back to his best, Mtembu has always impressed me and is back from injury. Notshe could be our new Skinstad in that role, but he will need to bulk up a little.
In the backs, Mapoe has had very few opportunities but Jessie Kriel is a far better option. While JP won MOM, he has not impressed me. We could do with some x factor on the one wing in Senatla, Sergeal Petersen or Kolbe. Combrink will make the other wing spot his own.
The Faf/Jantjies halfback combo needs to be invested in, they showed some great touches at times. We need more of the de Allende in the second half of the second test. Willie needs to recharge his battery.
