2015 rwc xv

[Seaton]

He seriously needs to work on his kicking though, a terrible hoofer of the ball at this stage

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Well, keep an eye on Sibusiso Sithole... Like LordHope and I already mentioned in the Bulls-Sharks match thread, he only turned 21 three months ago and he is already more athletic and faster than Mvovo and Pietersen.

He seriously needs to work on his kicking though, a terrible hoofer of the ball at this stage

Wing or fullback?

Did he play in the match against the bulls? I havn't seen that match yet.

 

[Seaton]

He's played a couple of matches this season. He's a wing, but even a wing needs to be able to consistently put up good, hanging up-and-unders, or kick for touch. His kicking is pants.

The thing most will know him for is that try he scored in the last play of the game in the Ediburgh final of the Sevens tournament vs. Aus, hands off 2 players IIRC, then paces a third on the outside to give the Blitzbokke the win.

 

[Draggs]

You sure you can count on Ben Morgan he has the option to play for England aswell doesn't he?

I have heard that he turned down an offer from the Saxons to play for them, and come next season England will only pick Premiership players. He is with the Scarlets for another 2/3 seasons, I'd imagine.

 

[JW.]

I have heard that he turned down an offer from the Saxons to play for them, and come next season England will only pick Premiership players. He is with the Scarlets for another 2/3 seasons, I'd imagine.

Can't honestly see that happening, and I hope it doesn't really, I think its a weird rule. But I wouldn't be sure that he gets picked by England 1st anyway, I don't know about Wales.

 

[William18]

Ardie is waay off atm. He really needs to polish up his game quite a bit. I wouldnt be suprised if he took up a league contract

Well, yeah, and in 4 years he would probably only be 22. I just wanted to full my team up with actual up and comers and not 26 year olds who will still be around in four years.

 

[Steveskiez7]

I'd rate Demetri Catrakilis to give Jantjies & Lambie a run at the starting spot by then. I reckon Christian Wade will also set the international scene on fire.

No one rating Danny Barnes to be there abouts in the Irish squad?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'd rate Demetri Catrakilis to give Jantjies & Lambie a run at the starting spot by then. I reckon Christian Wade will also set the international scene on fire.

No one rating Danny Barnes to be there abouts in the Irish squad?

Christian Wade looked phenominal in the u20 RWC. Will be keeping an eye open.

SA has a couple of good potential 10's and though I am quietly optimistic about Catrakilis he has only had a good run in the varsity cup and half a CC season. Lamnie, Sias Ebersohn and Elton Jantjies have all had more opportunities to date with mixed success and undoubted promise and though I see both Catrakilis and Johan Goosen there sooner rather than later I'll wait patiently.

 

[JW.]

Christian Wade started for Wasps last weekend and looked very sharp too, hoping to see him in the Senior England squad very soon. As did Launchbury at 6 btw another good player from Englands U20.

 

[Steveskiez7]

Christian Wade looked phenominal in the u20 RWC. Will be keeping an eye open.

SA has a couple of good potential 10's and though I am quietly optimistic about Catrakilis he has only had a good run in the varsity cup and half a CC season. Lamnie, Sias Ebersohn and Elton Jantjies have all had more opportunities to date with mixed success and undoubted promise and though I see both Catrakilis and Johan Goosen there sooner rather than later I'll wait patiently.

Yeah that's fair enough, it seems as if Cape Town has this production line of amazing young, promising fly-halves. Lionel Cronje, Gary van Aswegen & Kurt Coleman are quite talented. My favourite would probably be Cronje, however I think they should try & mould him into a fullback because I think it seems more suited for him.

Anyway, my England XV

1. Alex Corbisiero
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. James Gaskell
6. Tom Croft
7. Alex Gray/Jamie Gibson
8. James Haskell
9. Ben Youngs
10. George Ford/Owen Farrell
11. Christian Wade
12. Jordan Turner-Hall
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Ben Foden/Billy Twelvetrees

16. Rob Buchanan/Koree Britton
17. Joe Marler/Mako Vunipola/Kieran Brookes
18. Kieran Low
19. Tom Wood
20. Danny Care/Joe Simpson
21. George Ford/Owen Farrell
22. Miles Benjamin/Ben Foden

 

[TRF_heineken]

What I like about South Africa's current structure to get the young players into the game is the Varsity Cup. you get some guys there that plays amazingly well that didn't get noticed at the craven week or so and then they start to show their worth when they are at age 22-25.

A few examples like Catrakilis, Tecklenburg, JJ Engelbrecht and so on.

so we might get to see some names pop up in the coming years, we never thought about.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

What I like about South Africa's current structure to get the young players into the game is the Varsity Cup. you get some guys there that plays amazingly well that didn't get noticed at the craven week or so and then they start to show their worth when they are at age 22-25.

A few examples like Catrakilis, Tecklenburg, JJ Engelbrecht and so on.

so we might get to see some names pop up in the coming years, we never thought about.

The varsity cup certainly is a great platform but I think SA rugby is losing out on a lot of good players due to our club rugby being just about non-existent; there is no attendance or media coverage. Not even a mention in the papers. These players could contribute to squad depth in the extended S15 and I'm sure the better ones might even shine with the quality of players that would surround them. But they don't get the opportunity so either play in SA under the radar or move North. The only players that make it to the top in SA are players that stood out in age groups and either attend franchise academies or now get launched through the varsity cup competition.

I guess it only makes sense as the pinnacle of the SA rugby pyramid (Springboks) only really requires so much as a base and the rest is surplus as the S15 is limited in relation to the NH comps ITO sustainability. That's the main reason why i'm all for the expansion of the S15 and getting another country (Arg) or two on board to expand the viewer/advertising/money base.

 

[Seaton]

Thought there would plenty of media coverage (obviously not TV though) of Cape rugby in the relevant newspapers?

The Mercuary in Durbs at times has more on the club scene than the Sharks, a few games where crowds reach a few hundred or so, just a pity that College Rovers and Collegians dominate everyone with most of the non-selected Sharks players, even then the one humped the other by 38+ points the weekend past.


But yeah, there needs to be a pyramidal structure where a team can rise from the bottom to the top flight, not CC level necessarily, but if there were 2-3 national divisions for both unions and clubs (invariably we would see unions calling up well performing club players), followed by several divisions of regional/ provincial leagues, so that clubs can have something to aspire to other than a shot at the national club champs. Thus they can rope in suppliers, have something to entice more fans with, etc...

Interestingly enough, SA and Scotland have very similar problems in this regard.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

No, you'd be lucky to spot something on club rugby in a minor column of the bigger newspapers. Some of the district papers feature something now and then but that's about where it stops. Schools and Varsity rugby is big in the Cape though.

 

[BladeMode]

Hey, Don't forget Naas Botha @ nr 10 for the Springboks. In 2015 he will have at least 10 solid years of rugby left in him.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Did Icemn just hack into BladeMode's account?

 

[Seaton]

Did Icemn just hack into BladeMode's account?

Nah, otherwise it would look like this.

Hey... Don't forget Naas Botha... @ nr 10 for the Springboks..... In 2015.... he will have at least..... 10 solid years of rugby left in him........................................................................................................................................................

 

[BladeMode]

 

[Sker]

I know it's a bit silly, but I'd like the Ebersohn brothers to play in the Bok team. It's just... I don't know, hard to explain.

I'll give the backline an attempt...

9. F. Hougaard
10. J.Goosen
11. L.Mvovo
12. J.de Jongh/S.Ebersohn (can he play 12?)
13. R.Ebersohn
14. That Sharks winger setting the world on fire/G.vd Heever/JJ Engelbrecht
15. P.Lambie

Bah! Can't really choose, all I know is we have some exciting young talent on the way!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

What about Jantjies, Taute, Sithole? I guess we have some nice talent coming through the ranks... man, that's why I love the Currie Cup more in RWC years