[2014 Mid-Year Tests] South Africa

[SomeOke]

But if that is the perception its not Lanning's fault. I do have a problem with that perception though as that's all I see it being; a perception built on the fact that Beast, Steenkamp and JdP have been hogging the caps for so long all we see is the 'inexperience' of the guys only now coming through.

Certainly you can't mean that!?! Aussie props? Never. Beast is still a world class prop. Even more than he was. He has some time on the clock as well. Coenie I see as a very good player to bring in off the bench and so too Marcel van der Merwe and Nyakane. These guys will be abe to scrum with the best as replacements as the opposition 1st choice guys will be tired and for the most part the opposition bench options coming on shouldn't be any better than either of these guys as is. Malherbe has shown last year he can scrum with the best and doesn't drop off tackles ala doc Jannie. We've seen Lourens Adriaanse has what it takes and I am with Lanning that the Lions duo have outperformed everyone at least in the scrum. So I just don't see a probelm for us other than not being able to look past the amount of caps to a player's name. I don't rate Cilliers though. I see Coenie as a better scrummiger under the new engagement sequence. Bit of a dud the Stormers bought there.

Maybe not the Aussies .
I rate Malherbe as a scrummager but he's not very mobile and doesn't offer much else (not that it's a problem for a tighthead, I quite like malherbe)
I haven't seen Coenie ever scrum well at tighthead against decent opposition, I still think he's a loosehead, tighthead is such a wily position I really feel you have to play there constantly.
Jannie is like Malherbe except better in the scrums (for now) and a worse tackler and carrier. Beast is playing well but I can't think of another Loosehead that's stood out this season. I don't typically watch all the Lions games to be honest (residual bitterness after knocking out the Kings and then beating the Stormers round 2 ) but I know their scrum completion rate is the best, maybe there is something there?

I'm not saying we don't have good props, but I want better props than anyone else .

 

[TRF_heineken]

I think you guys are underestimating our props. Last year the Springboks used the scrum as a big vantage point for attacks, and our props was influential in getting front foot first phase ball.

I think we have a lot of top notch props which goes maybe unseen in SR. a guy like Morne Mellett for instance comes to mind.

 

[Jaguares]

And what about Francois Uys and Warren Whiteley???

I would like to see this team:

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Flip van der Merwe
6. Heinrich Brüssow
7. Jacques Du Plessis
8. Willem Alberts
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Marnitz Boshoff
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Jan Serfontein
13. JJ Engelbrecht
14. Damian de Allende
15. Willie le Roux

 

[SomeOke]

And what about Francois Uys and Warren Whiteley???

I would like to see this team:

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Flip van der Merwe
6. Heinrich Brüssow
7. Jacques Du Plessis
8. Willem Alberts
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Marnitz Boshoff
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Jan Serfontein
13. JJ Engelbrecht
14. Damian de Allende
15. Willie le Roux

Jacques du Plessis is not complete enough at the moment otherwise a decent team, I'd rather have de Allende at outside though and JJ at inside (if you must have JJ) JJ is all out pace, where as de Allende can also batter players and has a decent offloading/passing game. In the end Steyn and de Villiers will play though, the former because his boot adds strategic depth to our style, and the latter because he is the captain (and also a continues to play extremely well despite the ageist hate).

 

[Jaguares]

Jacques du Plessis is not complete enough at the moment otherwise a decent team, I'd rather have de Allende at outside though and JJ at inside (if you must have JJ) JJ is all out pace, where as de Allende can also batter players and has a decent offloading/passing game. In the end Steyn and de Villiers will play though, the former because his boot adds strategic depth to our style, and the latter because he is the captain (and also a continues to play extremely well despite the ageist hate).

Jacques had good games this year. And what about this team?

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Francois Uys
6. Heinrich Brüssow
7. Willem Alberts
8. Warren Whiteley
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Marnitz Boshoff
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Jan Serfontein
13. JJ Engelbrecht
14. Damian de Allende
15. Willie le Roux

 

[IRISH RUGBY MAN]

Jacques had good games this year. And what about this team?

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Francois Uys
6. Heinrich Brüssow
7. Willem Alberts
8. Warren Whiteley
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Marnitz Boshoff
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Jan Serfontein
13. JJ Engelbrecht
14. Damian de Allende
15. Willie le Roux

Are you not forgetting about a certain Bismarck?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well I don't know if any of you saw some of the news reports today, but news are coming in thick and fast about who will not be available for the incoming tour tests. One of them might be Etzebeth. According to his doctor he's still a month away from any contact related training. at the moment he's just doing fitness exercises.

Another guy is Jaque Fourie, who will miss the entire incoming tour and will only be available for the Rugby Championship.

So a lot can change between now and the first test...

 

[Jaguares]

Well I don't know if any of you saw some of the news reports today, but news are coming in thick and fast about who will not be available for the incoming tour tests. One of them might be Etzebeth. According to his doctor he's still a month away from any contact related training. at the moment he's just doing fitness exercises.

Another guy is Jaque Fourie, who will miss the entire incoming tour and will only be available for the Rugby Championship.

So a lot can change between now and the first test...

With Etzebeth out, comes an opportunity for Francois Uys?

Are you not forgetting about a certain Bismarck?

I think that Bismarck and Adriaan are at the same level, both are top class players. It's the best thing about Boks right now.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

4 Paul Willemse
5 Flip van der Merwe

18 Victor Matfield

The Bulls still manage a monopoly on our most class locks (with Bekker overseas and Etzebeth and PSdT and the other F van der Merwe injured that is)

Personally I don't rate either of the Cheetahs locks. I'd rather bring in Lewies ahead of them as well even if this has been he has had less exposure to top flight rugby than the others. I am hoping Ruan Botha also keeps on improving (but that is me having my WP shades on but him and Etzebeth can become a nice complementory combo for us- 2 very similar 'all rounders' even if Etzebeth is undoubtedly the better). The future past Bakkies and Matfield is looking rosy indeed in the pack.

 

[TheSaffycen]

If everyone is going to put out 15's

1.Beast 2.Bismark 3.Malherbe 4. Van Der Merwe 5.Etzebeth 6.Brüssow 7.Burger 8.Alberts 9. du Preez 10.Boshoff 11.Mvovo 12.Steyn 13.de Allende 14.Hendricks 15.Le Roux
16.Strauss 17. 18.Oosthuizen 19.Matfield 20.Vermuelen 21.Hougaard 22.Goosen 23.Serfontein

 

[Draggs]

Sharks developing good second row depth, PSdT, Lewies, Bresler, Oosthuizen, Marais (and his little bro). Also PSdTs younger brother coming through. That being said, Marais and Bresler are probably off.

Flip is good, but he still worries me with his penalty counts. We already have Jan to worry about, and second row depth is better than tighthead.

 

[IRISH RUGBY MAN]

I might as well do mine to be honest too
1. Beast
2. Bismarck
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Lood de Jäger / Eben Etzebeth
5. Flip van der Merwe
6. Heinrich Brussow
7. Willem Alberts
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Fourie Du Preez
10. Johan Goosen
11. JP Pietersen
12. Francois Steyn
13. Jean de Villiers (C)
14. Lwazi Mvovo
15. Willie Le Roux
subs
16. Adriaan Strauss
17. Trevor Nyakane
18. Jannie du Plessis
19. Viktor Matfield
20. Schalk Burger
21. Francois Hougaard
22. Marnitz Boshoff
23. Damian de Allende

 

[Gena_ZA]

I don't know what the deal is with Jannie, never have. Personally I've never rated him, he always looks for trouble and is usually involved in of the ball ****le more than doing anything else.

Also glanced over this article last week, and my reaction was is this guy for real?
http://www.sport24.co.za/Columnists/TankLanning/There-is-life-after-Jannie-20140515

You don't read tablot paper to get the real news right?
Same can be said about sport24 and rugby

 

[Darwin]

Oh, come on Darwin. Everyone knows your an Aussie...

That's not very nice. There is no need to throw insults around

 

[Draggs]

JdV out, Lewies (!) in. Glad for the chap, but hope he isn't going to play centre.
I guess this paves the way for Oom Vic to captain...

 

[Bada-Bing!]

JdV out, Lewies (!) in. Glad for the chap, but hope he isn't going to play centre.
I guess this paves the way for Oom Vic to captain...

JDV out for 8 weeks. Francois Steyn or Serfontein and Engelbrecht as the centre pairing v Wales and Scotland?

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,3561_9325601,00.html

 

[Draggs]

Steyn could end up at standoff, well, he won't though... Boshoff would be the best option.
Morné has been kak beyond this year, awful.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Steyn could end up at standoff, well, he won't though... Boshoff would be the best option.
Morné has been kak beyond this year, awful.

It's his way of taking a sabbatical before the tests...

 

[Draggs]

I mean, I find it simply astonishing that Morné has managed to be involved for five years now, without anybody getting close to displacing him...

 

[TRF_heineken]

I mean, I find it simply astonishing that Morné has managed to be involved for five years now, without anybody getting close to displacing him...

He has had his good games and bad games just like any other player.

And yes, it's astonishing that we haven't found a proper replacement in 5 years, or at least an understudy. But all of a sudden we have a lot of good fly halves, the only problem is that they are so fragile, Lambie gets injured if someone just winks at him (pussy!), Johan Goosen is just skin, bone and poephol alone...