[2014 Mid-Year Test] South Africa vs Scotland 28/06/14

[TRF_heineken]

Zane Kirchner <_<

When will the madness end?

Who else!!???

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Jaco Taute covers 13 and 15 and has been in the Bok mix before. Sure he hasn't been in the same form since those 2 horrendous injuries but still at least on a par with Kirchener all while being young and actually based in SA.

 

[Big Ewis]

that's still a very nice team. A few fresh youngsters in there, and lots of veteran sailors too.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

that's still a very nice team. A few fresh youngsters in there, and lots of veteran sailors too.

I suppose. Still somewhat off my ideal squad but injuries have been an issue this June. This is what our ideal XV would look like (with a few qualifiers; 1 in my opinion, 2 looking ahead somewhat 3 and everyone considered fit)

Starting XV (players actually starting in bold)

1 Tendai Mtawarira - off form ATM but not one to throw away IMO
2 Bismarck du Plessis - read above
3 Frans Malherbe - our best TH IMO but that might be WP bias and anyway he is injured ATM
4 Eben Etzbeth - injured
5 Pieter-Steph du Toit - injured
6 Francois Louw - unavaiable for this test
7 Arno Botha - a young Juan Smith but injured for some time now
8 Duane Vermeulen - perfect fit for SA; a workhorse 8 rather than a roamer
9 Fourie du Preez - foreigners generally don't know how important he is for us
10 Handre Pollard - Morne Steyn minus the bugs even if not quite as accurate as the incumbent yet
11 Bryan Habana - currently unavaiable
12 Jean de Villiers - injured
13 Damian de Allende - form SA back but injured
14 I am undecided; JPP if on form / Hendricks / Mvovo / one of our younger centers
15 Willie le Roux - sure he is not as polished as Bin Smuth or as imposing an athlete as Folau but he works well enough for us

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Who else!!???

Well, if they are going to pick overseas players, Ludik could be an option but I prefer home-based players.

Taute, SP Marais, Jesse Kriel, Coetzee... We don't need mediocre players who won't get any better. Give young guys a shot against a team like Scotland.

 

[Jaguares]

Congrats Handré Pollard!

But what about Marnitz Boshoff?? How he should feel? He also deserves a chance

 

[Draggs]

Meyer likes to go outside the squad. Last year he called up Vermaak despite another SH in the squad. Olivier over Sithole, and now Kirchner, despite all other NH players leaving.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

The Springbok team to face Scotland in Port Elizabeth is:

15 Willie le Roux - 14 caps, 30 Test points
14 Cornal Hendricks - 2 caps, 10 Test points
13 JP Pietersen - 53 caps, 80 Test points
12 Jan Serfontein - 11 caps, 5 Test points
11 Lwazi Mvovo - 8 caps, 5 Test points
10 Handré Pollard - uncapped
9 Fourie du Preez (vice-captain) - 69 caps, 75 Test points
8 Duane Vermeulen - 18 caps, 10 Test points
7 Schalk Burger - 70 caps, 65 Test points
6 Marcell Coetzee - 15 caps, 5 Test points
5 Victor Matfield (captain) - 112 caps, 35 Test points
4 Lood de Jager - 2 caps, 0 Test points
3 Jannie du Plessis - 53 caps, 5 Test points
2 Bismarck du Plessis (vice-captain) - 59 caps, 45 Test points
1 Coenie Oosthuizen - 16 caps, 10 Test points
Replacements:
16 Adriaan Strauss - 33 caps, 25 Test points
17 Trevor Nyakane - 3 caps, 5 Test points
18 Marcel van der Merwe - uncapped
19 Stephan Lewies - uncapped
20 Teboho "Oupa" Mohoje - uncapped
21 Francois Hougaard - 27 caps, 20 Test points
22 Marnitz Boshoff - uncapped
23 Zane Kirchner - 28 caps, 25 Test points

so 5 uncapped players in the matchday 23.

F**K! that is one good team :| btw thanks for posting it up. damn...

 

[Jaguares]

F**K! that is one good team :| btw thanks for posting it up. damn...

Yes, you must give me 10 Scotland jerseys if you want to have any chance

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Yes, you must give me 10 Scotland jerseys if you want to have any chance

eh. naw mate

 

[SomeOke]

Interesting team, makes me grateful we have the depth we do, as although about 2/3rds of the squad aren't "first choice" I'm still excited to see them play.
In the end with regards to Boshoff it may seem he's getting overlooked but Handre has been in and around SA rugby for much longer and in my opinion has done more over the past three years to deserve the call up. Not to mention he is more of a complete player.

I would be a bit more worried but it seems it's not Scotlands best either. Hopefully the up and comers can show some class, can't wait! Will be at this game, hopefully PE can come out in full force.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

How glad am I not to see Strokosch's name!

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Adam Ashe, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c), 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Al Dickinson
Replacements: 16 Kevin Bryce, 17 Moray Low, 18 Euan Murray, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Tyrone Holmes, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Dougie Fife, 23 Peter Murchie

 

[gaston le gaff]

WILL THE SCOREBOARD BE BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL S A's POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

A lot of new faces there. 5:uncapped for SA and many with only a handful. Kirchner shouldnt count as well. Lets not expect cricket scores.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Should be an interesting game, fresh meat

 

[Jaguares]

What about de Allende's injury? How much recovery time?

 

[Big Ewis]

WILL THE SCOREBOARD BE BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL S A's POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol. Yeah, Scotland are missing a bunch of their best players...this is just silly. Calendar interference. If you can't pick guys for country who aren't even injured and have a different reason for not being there, just wtf are those tours for...send half the Scotland team to South Africa, yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

What about de Allende's injury? How much recovery time?

He is only expected to be fit at the end of SR so maybe possibly if all goes well and he is fit and HM is so inclined he might get a bench spot in the Rugby Championship. A lot depends on the fitness of other players and if HM feels he need extra cover for fullback in which case Mvovo might get in ahead of him. Such a pity he was injured; this was the ideal set of games to start him.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

How glad am I not to see Strokosch's name!

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Adam Ashe, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c), 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Al Dickinson
Replacements: 16 Kevin Bryce, 17 Moray Low, 18 Euan Murray, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Tyrone Holmes, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Dougie Fife, 23 Peter Murchie

yeah strokosch is injured atm he isn't likely to play. btw thanks for posting this up. might not watch this it going to be horrible

 

[Will]

How glad am I not to see Strokosch's name!

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Adam Ashe, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c), 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Al Dickinson
Replacements: 16 Kevin Bryce, 17 Moray Low, 18 Euan Murray, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Tyrone Holmes, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Dougie Fife, 23 Peter Murchie

I don't think that's such a bad team all things considered so I don't know why all the negativity. Not Scotland's strongest starting 15 by any means but there's a lot of potential there. For one thing, the backs are (other than De Luca) made up of Glasgow players who will all know each other well and are coming off the back of an excellent club season. Also, I'm a big fan of Seymour on the left wing. Good in attack and a proven try scorer, and offers more in defence than Visser.

Up front is where I feel we are weakened with injuries and selection issues. Ford, Dickinson and Cross provide the experience with the rest relatively green. I am a big fan of Harley however and feel he should be pushing to become a Scotland regular after being such a consistant performer for Glasgow. As for Adam Ashe however, I have no idea. I'll need to wait and see...

We also have Murray and Low on the bench in terms of further experience, and of course a new and emerging Scotland favourite in Jonny Gray. I've also been very impressed with Tyrone Holmes for Glasgow this season and expect to see him get his first cap on Saturday.

WILL THE SCOREBOARD BE BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL S A's POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, thank you for your contribution there.