John Smit is world's best hooker

[Nicolaas]

bismarck du plessis, chilliboy, deon fourie, tiaan liebenberg, schalk brits, adriaan strauss, even guys like craig burden and bandise maku (cant believe im saying it) are better than him!!! who do you choose first - the player or the leader? and its not like he started playing badly yesterday, fuke, he has been pathetic for years! how the hell is this whole situation fair to all the other hookers that are better than him? i think the whole SA shook their heads with bismarck as he had to leave the field in the last tri nations test.

prick divvy should never even have been appointed as coach in the first place! who the hell is he trying to bluff with "john smit is the best hooker in world rugby"?

)*&*&%%^#&!!!!! im gonna effin' break something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[i tickle ur tum]

Ah P Divvy willl you ever learn?

i doubt it somehow!!!

 

[i tickle ur tum]

Normally I never think this way, but I really hope Smit twists his ankle before the first match which takes 2 months to recover from

harsh but fair...lol maybe the best option wud b that he plays absolutly crap & pdv has no choice but 2 replace him....there no injurys, just a damaged ego!!

 

[Nicolaas]

harsh but fair...lol maybe the best option wud b that he plays absolutly crap & pdv has no choice but 2 replace him....there no injurys, just a damaged ego!!

pdv will never drop him eventhough he is the opposition team's best player.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

harsh but fair...lol maybe the best option wud b that he plays absolutly crap & pdv has no choice but 2 replace him....there no injurys, just a damaged ego!!

That won't happen if PdV's past decisions (or lack of any decision making) are anything to go by. Hell, if Os du Randt didn't retire from rugby PdV would have had him in the team and said; 'form is temporary, class is permanent'. At least Os had the good sense to quit while he's ahead. Smit...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I do think that John is chosen from an experience and psychological point of view, and not for his physical contribution to the game. Remember Gary Teichman and when they left him out in the previous world cup after arguably one of the best periods in SA rugby. Even though he was not the best player in that position, his leadership qualities was sorely missed. I dont think they will play John for longer than 20 minutes a game, but merely having him around to organise the troops, will be essential me thinks.

Maybe a good solution would be to appoint John as the coach of the team. He knows how to win a world cup. He also has awesome leaders in his ranks but none as good as him. I think the players respect and follow him the way any employee follows a good Manager regardless of his technical competence.

I'd rather appoint a coach with a proven track record in coaching. Smit might know how to win a WC but as a hooker on the field and not a coach.

I don't agree. We need a brand spanking new coach and leadership. Look how horrible we were in 2003, we need someone to come and cut out all the dead wood and bring in the next generation of boks. Sure we're going to need some of the more senior players, but let's pick the senior players that are on form.

100% agreed.

If Smit is actually the best leader they have then his selection can be justified. It's hard to lead a team off the bench. In my mind if Smit's leadership is strong enough then it's better to have him, even if he isn't the best hooker.

There are more than enough senior members and successful leaders. Matfield has lead SA in the past and very sucessfully so as well as leading the Bulls to 3 S14 ***les.

I have to defend Smit here. In 2007 he was ONLY playing hooker. Later he was however tried on prop, that is why he looks a bit better looked after. I remember P Divvy saying that John is going to soften up for prop. . . Although he is a bit more lovable these days, I still think he is fit, and I believe he will have what it takes to play 50min games and bring the ***le back. . .

I think it speaks volumes that you are arguing that he is fit enough to play for 50 min rather than trying to say that he is possibly competition for Bismarck at 2 and playing 80 minutes of high intesity rugby is a given...

IE your'e basically saying (even if between the lines) that Smit is dead wood and dragging the team down.