I like Arendse a lot. He is to my mind a top dveloping player. I am not worrying about our wings - but shortage in the fluyhalf position. That to my mind needs to be fixed since I cannot see Pollard still playing in 2027. Any suggestions on that one?
Manie Libbok and Kade Wohuter
Agreed Arendse closely followed by Moodie, Willemse, Libbok and Am
Ardense played exceptionally well, but in the key games was marginally eclipsed by Kolbe.
It might be a coincidence that Kolbe just got more ball - very close, both are exeptional.
Kolbe has the x-factor that turns close key games.
Ardense, tears teams apart when their is a bit more space.
It is good to see South Africa producing some of the best wingers in the world.
Agreed Arendse closely followed by Moodie, Willemse, Libbok and Am
Someone is not happy about your list, Dave.
He is not playing in SA :)
De Allende was not a tpoic for discussion. I personaly think that Willemmse should replace De Allenmde when replacement becomes necessary. At present it seems if Erasmus does not agree with the experts on site.
Mpower
I fdully agree with Wohuter but he is not goig to get anywheere since he neraly never plays for the Stormers, In one S tormers team he was outstanding and I thought he may develop firther - but a fter a subsequent injury he never played fir the Stormers. He from 2020 he played only 2 games for the S tormers and 6 for WP/
Wonder why th at happened - if he is still woth the S ttomers he shoud move to a fdranchise to get more game times.
I agree Mike…I think he is playing for the lions now, not sure though?
That one try Arendse scored against Oz, beating 3 defenders by doing that odd lateral roll...it looked almost accidental, but it wasn't.
His brain did some weird math and found way to score when he had no right to. I can't see any other winger in SA scoring that try.
And the French game sealed it for me.
The guy is special.
And now we have Willemse(special), Moodie(special) and Arendse(special) in our backline.
Exciting years ahead, boys.
Plum
Agree with you about the players mentioned - but what about the critical issue of a future flyhalf. Other than Pollard as from 2018 we had the worst concotiion of flyhalfs the Springboks had since 2012 were total disasters and the roblem is they either fail in goalkicking or alternatively unable to use Backline attack properly/
.
Mpower
You are right there was a report in September 2023 on Wolhuter moving to the Lions for "the next season" - but it does not seem as if he has played for them yet.
And that is sad….the guy needs game time…let’s hope he gets more game time.
Still enough years left in Pollard.
We always panic about finding replacements...and when look again there's a new prodigy on the scene.
Pollard is as cool as ice….top class BMT.
Libbock?
Flakey as fuck, especially his kicking, has the potential, but not sold on him yet. Time will tell if he can step up.
I think he will get there as the potential is there….let’s hope he applies himself.
Sexton is 38….Pollard is 29. Good till the next WC barring injury. Pollard is a better athlete, his strong, hard running could be an alternative to Dud Allende, freeing up the 12 slot for a more creative player.
All our backs are starved of the ball and of imaginative coaching. There is a dormant attacking side to all our inside backs that would come alive with the right back line coach.
Mozart
Pollard is plaguued by injuries.- that was why he was not in the 2023 World Cup squad initially. He hardly played any rugby in 2016 and 2017 and he was constantly injured and out of test rugby in 2022 and 2023 before the WC. That is the reason why we need another reliable flyhalf. In this case age is not a problem - potential injuries are.
In any event - Pollard's career was nearly destroyed by Meyer and he became a top class player under Erasmus - so he would plan his further career wih care to protect him from potential injuries, but that may not work out. So some replacements must be developed before the 2027 WC,
Agreed. We cannot only count on Pollard as our only Pivot…everybody on here was fuming with the little depth that was created up till now in vital positions….prevention is better than cure….with all due respect, anything else would just be dumb.
Arendse dies not have the brilliance of Kolbe who repeatedly makes tries out of nothing.
Personally I hope we don't end up with two tiny wings and a small 15.
I think Moodie, Grant Williams (superb) pace and Williams are excellent attacking players.
There is no reason to think a great backline can't be built. Defence though must remain a top priority as again this World Cup again showed.
Libok should continue to improve. Apart from the Ireland game his place kicking was good and his line kicking top notch.
IDK Beens..
for me it's a coin toss between Arendse and Kolbe...both very good...Arendse is a bit better in the air and Kolbe a slightly better stepper and a bit stronger, but both are magical players.
Nope Draad Kolbe is quite a bit better. Not quite in tbe same league right now.
Dunno, from what I've seen of Arendse so far I put him ahead of Kolbe. He feels more dangerous.
For me, they're not light years apart, but Arendse's record is better than Kolbe's after as many games. Arendse is faster than Cheslin too. Probably our second fastest back after Williams. He seems to be more aware and able to capitalise on spilled balls or attacking errors more readily.
Having two featherweight backs is a problem though, so I agree on that front, Beeno.
Next I'm gonna hear that I hate Cheslin Kolbe.
Arendse has a fantastic try scoring rate for the Bokke...
Well we have Kolbe, Am, Pollard ( if he can stay injury free) Arendse, Willemse, Libbok, Kade Wolhuter,Moodie, Esterhozen….Then Henco van Wyk, Rikus pretorius, Sacha and I Think Gelant will reach his best again….Willie was playing well for the bulls, setting up try for Moodie….maybe he will be a bit to old come 27? But talent galore….that combined with a Attack Minded Backline coach and a lot of good Forwards we can be unstoppable : )
"........that combined with a Attack Minded Backline coach..."
And who would that be?
"Dunno, from what I've seen of Arendse so far I put him ahead of Kolbe."
Well now, that's a delightful debate to be had with a klippies and coke in hand around a camp fire .
Brandy & coke ...................... is it still SA's favourite topshelf?
...brandy&coke and beer!!!
At the start of the WC I was more excited about Moodie. I still am. The best pass I saw in 2023 was that insta-offload on the turn to Willemse against the ABs. That little move tells you everything you need to know about his instinct, timing, hands, awareness...he's got everything it takes and then some. That kid is gonna make some serious money.
But after the WC I can't help but think Arendse might not only be the best back in SA but possibly a top 3 in the world.
The guy is an absolute sniper. He may not have Kolbe's step but he's faster, and that makes him more dangerous in space.
Just ask Marcus Smith who had all the time in the world but couldn't even get a finger on him.
I like Kolbe a lot but Arendse is just on another level.
I dunno, these coloured guys have something that others don't. The Islanders are good at running in moving traffic. But you look at the coloured chaps in SA, from Willemse to Kolbe, Moodie, Arendse...
In the dog world it's called hybrid vigour.
I'm gonna coin the phrase Coloured Cool.
How about Swys de bruin or Dawie Snyman from the stormers?
"Cool" will do just fine leave the ethnic bit to the colour conscious.
How about Swys de bruin or Dawie Snyman from the stormers?
Hard to say, who knows, you don't want instinctive flair coached out of them, we know Jake co-opted Eddie Jones who made an immediate impact....reason enough to believe there wasn't a SAFFA around to do the job. Also know the players had a ton of respect for unsung hero Felix Jones who has departed the Boks and is now the Irish assistant coach. Almost think it might not be a bad idea if the players coached themselves instead of the drop kick who poses as the current backline coach.
Can't even remember his name....anyone know?.....no matter.
Since I am nt a drink anymore - I had my fiirst glass of wine his year on X-Mas day - I cannot comment on the drinking anymore. However, I incident many years ago when i ws at a party fo a friend of mine. A lady ws aksed what she would like to drink and she sad whiskey please. Ny frind then asle her what she would have as a mix and she said coke. Not in my H ouse you wont
I found it vey funny at th e time. Noawadays I would like a beer when vey hot - but thu,s fa this year we did not really have a really hot day - so it jsut did not happen. I always try and serve wine at meals iro vistors - but that did not happen this year as well.
Deny...there's a definite ethnic component to it...the guys from Behind the Ruck calls them Power Rangers...the people from the so called "Coloured community" brings something special to the game...a lot of heart, grit and almost supernatural dexterity...and Bok Rugby is the richer for recognizing and embracing it...size isn't everything.
The kiwis have Will Jordan......should say sensational Will Jordan, slick, smart and skilled but wait on, in Moodie, Kurt Lee, Kolbe, Grant Williams and Willemse there's three if not four who matches him.
Draad..I think we're having a different conversation.
...there's a fine line between forced woke culture and actually embracing diversity and making it work for you...rugby is ideally suited to accommodate all shapes and sizes...and everything that goes with it...it has brought together people from vastly different backgrounds...the makeup of the members of this board being a prime example...
I don't what I've said to spark your off topic comments but to be quite frank I really don't know what you're talking about.
Agreed, Draad.
You see it too.
And no, Denny, I'm keeping the word coloured in my name because what we see happening with these player's reaction and decisions making has a lot to do with whatever is going on the coloured gene pool.
It's like trying to say I shouldn't call it Mauri Magic...and just say Magic.
That doesn't work for me.
Hard to say, who knows, you don't want instinctive flair coached out of them - I don’t think Swys or Dawie will do that…players like Libbok, Willemse, Zas are all allowed to play there natural flair or Clayton Blommetjies….interestingly Dawie is the cousin of the old Springbok Dawie Snyman ( now in his seventies)…the younger Dawie started his coaching career under his uncle in stellenbosch at Paul Roos….then to the WP with Dobbo and ever since made a positive impact….I also don’t think Swys will do that…so Definitely a better option than the stick we have now.
Oops : )
Well, I've always rejected the idea of putting ethnics into boxes, never have and never will. That's an Apartheid culture, a South African thing which I've always refused to accept. But if it pleases you go ahead, not even going to try and convince you otherwise. But why stop there, what about calling the Afrikaner players 'Boeremag" and what say we call our black players "Black Power" or some other nonsensical rubbish. That way the Apartheid legacy lives on maybe not as we know it but lives it does in peoples mentality.
Nothing in it between Kolbe and Arendse at a push I’d give Kolbe the edge
We have some serious attacking clout with the likes of Kolbe, Arendse, Moodie, Willemse, Libbok and Williams
I’d add Gelant, Fassi, Green, David Kriel and Sacha to that list
There is a lot to be excited about in the following options:
15. Willemse / Gelant / Fassi / Moodie
14/11. Kolbe / Arendse / Moodie / Fassi
13. Moodie / Willemse
12. Willemse / David Kriel / Sacha
10. Libbok / Sacha
9. Williams
I would love to add Griquas outside centre Sango Xamlashe to that list but is unfortunately not getting the recognition he should be - he looks like another Am
Another is Similane at the Bulls who is being ignored by stupid Jake
Oh look MPower I don't really know, you could be right but I'm just a little bit wary of so called SAFFA backline coaches......and that's based on what I've seen from Bok backline play since re-admission.
Agree uncle Mike….drinking a good Whiskey with coke is sacrilege : ) either with soda water or neat on the Rocks.
Yes, Dentsie.
Orientals aren't over all the best at Maths and we can soon expect a white guy to break Bolts record.
I'm also sure Swedes can traverse the desert as easily as Bushmen and that the Bushman will cope just as well in cold weather as the whities do.
Get real man.
"either with soda water or neat on the Rocks"
A friend of mine was working in the USA...years ago...went to a bar and ordered whiskey with ice...the barman poured the whiskey gave him the glass and a bucket of ice and said "here, you fck it up yourself"
Yes Draad you can see it that way…a couple of neat ones is not bad, but I can’t imagine drinking neat whiskey on a hot SA day without having something cold in it : ) I will have to go lie down after the Fourth or Fifth neat shot….in a cold place like Scotland, when it is snowing outside, it will go down better neat.
I too prefer it with ice...
Which whiskey do you like Draad? I like The Famous Grouse or Chivas Regal….Chivas Regal is when I have extra money to blow : ) another good whiskey I like, is Paddy’s.
Jameson or Johnny Black...but only once in a while...I prefer beer...my brother distills all his bad batches of home brew beer...has made quite a few unexpectedly good whiskies. ...takes forever though.
Wow that’s cool : )
Johnny Black with ice is a winner.
Drinking whiskey with ice reduces the flavor release. Leave it alone and drink it the Scots way, covering a centimeter of the bottom of a dirty glass.
Drinking whiskey with ice reduces the flavor release. Leave it alone and drink it the Scots way, covering a centimeter of the bottom of a dirty glass.
Highland Park is my favorite, with a Lagavulin or Laphroig as a change of pace.
Never had those whiskey’s before….will have to try them.
Arendse was brilliant in the Bools game yesterday….the way he took the high ball off Gelant for example. He’s a try threat from anywhere on the park.
's what I'm saying Moz.
He seems to have everything. In a league of his own for sure.
This thread is proof that talking about SA backs can drive you to drink.
1. Lagavulin
14,221 posts
My pick is Arendse.
Unlike some other wingers that simply run in scores, he has a nose for a try that I haven't seen too many match.
X factor and brains.