To me 12 is Hooker’s natural position, so I’d like to see him playing there. Also like the back three, perhaps we need one taller bloke but Edwill was brilliant under the high ball earlier this season. And the idea of those guys hunting together is exciting.
That said, given we have France the following week, can’t a case be made that the first team needs a run before that match after a four week layoff?
Yeah was thinking that re French match the week after
Maybe load the bench with the likes of Marx, Ox. Wilco, RG, PSDT, Williams, Sacha, Willemse and get them on for 35 min
My Aunt is going to the match…..no-one knows why her son got her tickets as she doesn’t support either side !
I hope your aunt is in good voice Becs and supporting the good guys.
Dave
I llke your team against Japan will not be outside the test window and I do think that Hooker will not play at 12 - but that Esterhuizen - useless as he really was in the match against Ulster - will be played at 12.and be replaced by Willemse at 12 at halftime when Esterhuizen will move to his best positon as flank forward, The test window will - like happened in 2018 - not cover the match against Japan. That is why Esterhuizen is in the squad at all.
The top team will play against France and Ireland after a break of only 4 weeks since the match against Argentina in London. Oherwise why is Esterhuizen in the squad at all? Hooke was cut out in the Ultster match - that is why he ill nt be wasted at 12 - where he lacks the physicality needed and it will not serve any real purpose. In that regard it must be bone in mind he will play on the wing as happened thus far when he played use him against France and Ireland for the Springboks at his best position at wing - as well as against Italy.
Incidetally Hooker has not played for any team at 12 this year at all and will not play against Japan in that position at all. The other is who will captain the side against Japan? I think it may be Wilemse in that match against Japan.
Even if they tried desperately to lose the match against Ulster - Scarlets will not be strong enough to beat the Sharks at all. The Bulls will play their best team this weekend since they are up against Glasgow.- another loss will be bad for the Bulls this year in the URC. and the European Champiosship start in January before the test window in February when the SA teams will play against each other in the URC.
That is why I doubt whether Libbok will play against Japan with Wilemse likely to play at 10 or may try to play Pollard at 10 despite his poor match against Leinster - and if so Pollard wil be the captain.
. . . .
True to your form Uncle BS ….can’t stop lying about Esterhuisen, now can you??
Pathological liar….
Oherwise why is Esterhuizen in the squad at all?
Shame. It really hurts, doesn't it?
Mighty Mostert's apparently a candidate for captain should Kolisi succumb to injury.
Mozart…..my Aunt is always in good voice !! :)
I’ll tell her to support SA then…..
BB
Forget about that - As long as Du Toit is around he will be captain if Kolisi is not available this coming tests, By next year Mostertw ill be out of the squad.
Mpower
I watched the match against Ulster following Estehuizen carefully. From every one thing he did well - he fucked up 5 times or contributed nothing. He was for instance the main reason for the Ulster backline running circles around the Sharks backline and an easy example was his missed tackle attempt on Kok by Eaterhuizen - where eh was too late an arrival to stop the rot.
You people are all alike - you do praise eveything - even when he got the ball and passed it - he made a brilliant performance - but he enve made a line break until the end of the match to score a try when the match was already lost. You fail to realize with the Ulster forwards being destroyed and the backline getting plenty of balls - why did the Sharks lost, I looked at Masuku and St Esterhuizen and forecasted on Superbru the Sharks would be losing the match by 7 points - they lost by 8.
That si why I believe in rational performnce evaluation - not hero delusion.
.
Relieved to hear that Becs!
Ha ha ha !
I just hope it’s a good game :)
30,233 posts
Given the Japs look pretty weak these days we should select more of the fringe squad players along the lines of:
15 Kolbe
14 Arendse
13 Moodie
12 Hooker
11 Edwil
10 Libbok
9 vd Bergh
1 Wessels
2 Grobelaar
3 Porthen
4 Kleyn
5 Nortje (c)
6 Kwagga
7 BJ Dixon
8 Wiese