We got our last log points in the Rugby Championship yesterday and we will end up third on the log.
Unless there are some real squad changes - we are doomed. The rot starts with the props. We really have a serious problems with players like Jannie du Plessis and Gruthro Steenkamp in the squad. Jannie has been a mixed baf\g in Super 15 - mostly deficient in scrumming and giving away more penalties for scrum deficiencies than any other thight head prop.
I would select on loose head the following props _
* Tendai Mtawarire, Schalk van der Merwe, Thomas du Toit
At Tighthead the osition is more critical - I believe NMalherbe would not be available diue to his injury yesterday. We have to look seriously at Dreyer of the Lions and Marcell van der Merwe - worse than Jannie they cannot possibly be.
In th lock situation the roblem is that Bakkies Botha has shown zilch in the tests he played for the Sringboks thus far and I still beleve that Matfield is physically deficient in Tight 5 play. He showed some line out proficiency in the tests he played in - but otherwise was poor in the physical stuff. Meyer is bounrd to pick him - but I do not think he will make the grade. I think Willemse needs to be brought into the squad as a lock and I would drop Botha from the squad.
At loosie - we need to start thinking again. Coetzee is far too valuable a player to waste him on the bench. The dieal situation would be to get rid of Juan Smith - he just is not up to standard anymore. They can bring in Alberts - but in the CR last year he was lost as well and in fact a liability. Prefer Whiteley as the abck up loosie.
I would leave Pienaar out of contention at scrummie - he is not up to standard anymore - I think the scrummies should eb Hougaard and Reinach.
Monne Last year was very poor in the CR and was seriously deficient in most aspects of play. He stll does not know when to pass balkls and when to kick - his one kick yesterday could have been disastrous for the Springboks. However, Meyer is likely to retain him - so lets leave the flyhalfs as is.
I cannot see how the center situation can be changed - but De Villier showed zero yesterday and also the week before. Is he still good enough? I woiuld start with Sefontein and keep De Villiers on the bench - he seems to have gone off the boil this year.
The above should eb seriously considered and I think it is time to make funcemental changes and forget about the often seriously-deficient Fraech Club players in future.
