Two reasons for this I think. Firstly the fragmentation of our rugby after Super Rugby means it’s harder to spot and verify talent. Secondly Harrassmiss has introduced very few new players.
Two reasons for this I think. Firstly the fragmentation of our rugby after Super Rugby means it’s harder to spot and verify talent. Secondly Harrassmiss has introduced very few new players.
Add these 26 and under to the list:
Fassi
David Kriel
Stravino Jacobs
Tambwe
Stiaan Pienaar
Penxe
Angelo Davids
Green
Similane
Xamlashe
Henko v Wyk
Marnus Potgieter
Jurenzo Julius
Sebastian de Klerk
Rickus Pretorious
James Mollentze
Bruce Sherwood
Sasha
Hendrikse
Lombard
Bosch
Chamberlain
Hendrikse
Nohamba
Papier
Zak Burger
Williams
vd Bergh
Matanzima
Mchunu
Klopper
Sadie
Ntlabakanye
Gerhard Steenkamp
Boan Venter
Ig Prinsloo
Grobelaar
JJ Wessels
Kotze
Hugo Venter
Moerat
Ruben v Heerden
Andre Smith
Nortje
Ruan Vermaak
Connor Evans
Janko Swanepoel
JF v Heerden
Jason-Dixon
Kobus Wiese
James Venter
v Rhyn
Buthelezi
Dayimani
Augustus
Vincent Tsituka
Emmanuel Tsituka
Ruan Venter
Theunissen
Elrigh Louw
Ja, forgot about Elrich Louw, Nortje etc, Ruan Venter is only 19 and already a handful to contain. I hope some of them can make a break through next season.
Some really good talent here, just wondering which ones have been standing out in the URC and should have been in the bok mix by now.
Our A teams seems to be a shambles.
Where as Ireland identified their youngsters a while back and sent them on a tour of SA to play against the currie cup teams.
New Zealand is using the All Blacks 15 to build team cohesion and let the players know that they are next in line.
Where as we still seem to prone Erasmus cronies player selection
Kade wolhuter
Yes we completely got our A side wrong along with the coach
Fuck me our A side had Hendricks in it
It should have been something along the lines of:
15. Fassi / Kriel
14/11. Tambwe / Green / Jacobs / Penxe / Davids
13/12. Xamlashe / Similane / Henco v Wyk / Potgieter/ Rickus Pretorious / James Mollentze
10. Sasha / Chamberlain / Lombard
9. Nohamba / Papier / Zak Burger / vd Bergh
1/3. Steenkamp / Boan Venter / Mchunu / Sadie / Klopper / Ntlabakanye
2. Grobelaar / Wessels / Hugo Venter / Kotze
4/5. Vermaak / Moerat / Ruben v Heerden / Andre Smith / Nortje / Kobus Wiese
6/7/8. Buthelezi / Theunissen /James Venter / Ruan Venter / Vincent Tsituka / Jason-Dixon / Elrigh Louw / Emmanuel Tsituka / Dayamani
Pretty handy young side of:
15. Fassi
14. Tambwe
13. Xamlashe
12. Pretorious
11. Jacobs
10. Sasha
9. Nohamba
1. Steenkamp
2. Grobelaar
3. Sadie
4. Moerat
5. Ruben v Heerden
6. Buthelezi
7. Ruan Venter
8. Elrigh Louw
16. Hugo Venter 17. Boan Venter 18. Klopper 19. Ruan Vermaak 20. Vincent Tsituka 21. Papier 22. Chamberlain 23. Similane
Blimey Saffex, it looks like you’ve chosen half of SA there ??
Xamlashe is very good with ball in hand and isn’t Rickus Pretorius a 13?
Maak almal n Bokke!
Hope my afrikaans is up to scratch
Ja, Fassi has dropped completely out of favour at the moment. Think injury and form was his biggest concern.
What I did notice was that France and Ireland had a lot of first class rugby players in their under 20 team at the recent junior World Cup. Some players have already played 20 first class games before the age of 20, that is insane. I definitely think we are missing a trick and having players in Varsity Cup and Currie Cup doesn't give them the exposure what it is like playing against a professional outfit.
Look at the A tour last year, complete disaster. Most of that team wasn't close to being a bok. Why did they cap Muchunu when he is not even starting for the Sharks.
I think the Stormers are on the right track in terms of giving a lot of players exposure, I think they had something like 50+ players that they brought through. Bulls aren't far behind, but unfortunately some of these players are still very green or you have 35+ year olds take up space. They need a core of players who are between 25 and 32 that have at least 50 first class games under their belt. Then bring the youngster through.
I almost believe that SA need to arrange tours like Ireland and New Zealand, not as an A team SA 15. Go on a 3 week tour of UK or even New Zealand / Australia, playing against those kiwi team. I think they go in Feb / March when the URC is quiet and the Super Rugby season hasn't started. Players could be any age but predominantly the young ones and maybe some veterans just to guide the youngsters.
I would also recommend that we bring back A games during the championship and the tour up north. These are players that are not in the match day 23 but a player like Jantjies could try regain form and exposure.
Imagine if we had an A game the weekend before or even on a Tuesday in New Zealand. We would have quickly identified what shape Kriel, Kwagga, Dud etc are in even well before the New Zealand game kicked off. But that would mean sending a squad of 25. To my mind it is worth the investment, but if players are based at some foreign club and they could only be released during a certain period then that would not work.
But like Ireland and New Zealand which selects from within their local teams. We could easily identify these guys, put some good coaching around them. There is no reason who Rassie and Nienaber could not take these guys on SA 15 tour given that they only really need to start their job in June. Rather than have that hapless Bafana and Stick who both fucked up the Junior boks and A games.
So ja, all these names are great, but if they don't get exposure or part of a winning team, then we will have to scrape the bottom of the barrel and we'll continue to select the Duanes and Fouries of the world
At least they are bringing in a RC for the U20’s
No Mpower Rickus is a 12
2,905 posts
So we are in a very precarious place right now where we have an aging bok team with many players who will be in their last World Cup, unless you are like Deon Fourie and Vermeulen that just get better with age.
So I'm just looking at the players we have now, who is in the bok team whether we should back them for the next 5 to 10 years. Pollard, Kriel, Etzebeth were all players that got capped relatively young and are still around today. Then, Os Du Rant was another player that got capped as a 20 year old and a starting prop for the boks which is unheard of.
Now, I'm looking for player under 23, maybe 25, but I don't see that many in our current bok team who are starters. Willemse is the only player who has been backed and is yet to really find his position.
Here is the list
Moodie, Wing/Fullback, Age 20, Caps 4
Willemse, Utility, Age 25, Caps 29
Libbok, Flyhalf, Age 26, Caps 4
Hendrikse, Scrumhalf, Age 23, Caps 12
Roos, 8, Age 23, Caps 4
That is it, all the other players are above 27 and average 29 or even 32.
My question, is do we see them as the spine of the next generation of boks? I just haven't seen many young players coming through at all.