I wouldn't actually be that upset to see Kolisi, there is definitely an argument for another player in that last loosie spot, but I could also argue for Siya. Paige over Faf or Hougard is much harder to swallow.
I'm going to assume the rumour isn't true though, it's exactly the kind of rumour I'd expect paranoid Saffers to circulate
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Edit: Guess we'll know soon enough!
Agreed if Paige is coming it wouldn't be a left field pick it'd be an out-of-this-world inclusion from nowhere. On Kolisi I have a soft spot and wouldn't mind him coming in though I think having just 1 fetcher (and Louw isn't a 100% too-the-ball player in the first place) would be a mistake if Louw got injured again which is a distinct likelyhood.
That just got me thinking a bit about what would a full SA non-white look like (and just an excuse for a 'what if?' XV) and I'd go for:
1 Trevor Nyakane (seeing as the ANC has come out saying it has issues about Mtawarira being Zimbabwean-born)
2 Scarra Ntubeni (no idea what sort of form Chiliboy or Maku are in)
3 ..? (I'd go Brian Mujati but he is also Zim-born)(Maybe shift Nyakane to 3 and bring in Gqoboka at loosehead)
4 Giant Mtyanda
5 Teboho Mohoje
6 Siya Kolisi
7 Sikumbusa Notshe
8 Nizaam Carr
9 Godlen Masimla (who I rate higher than Paige)
10 Elton Jantjies
11 Bryan Habana
12 Howard Mnisi (Despite what the politicians are saying I'll go with Damian and his dad saying he sees himself as white)
13 Lionel Mapoe (JPP if experience is your priority and seeing as De Jongh is out injured)
14 Lwazi Mvovo
15 Warrick Gelant (Kirchner or Aplon if you're going for experience)
Not bad at all actually.
I think the Government is going to shoot themselves in the foot if they enforce the quota system. I don't know if any of you guys are members of Afriforum, but they are curently running a petition which they are going to take to the Human Rights Court over BEE laws.
They have also shared their plan in which they will draft another petition if the Quota system gets enforced in rugby, which they will hand over to the WR (IRB) which is in direct violation of WR laws.
So this is going to reach boiling point and I think there is now enough intent and structure in place that if the politics keeps on interfering, then action will be taken, where in the past we just took it on the chin.
I watched Boots & All last night, and Bob Skinstad said that he also thinks that Kolisi needs to go ahead of Brussouw. Now I don't know if that's his WP bias coming through or that SS paid him to say that, but he was one of the guys that always sang praise towards Brussouw, why now all of a sudden say the opposite??
Also, could one of you guys post the team on here when it is announced tonight. I will not be able to as I will be at work function.
I'll be out for dinner. Will post when I get home.
On to Afriforum I've always been a bit skeptical. I see them as just another race-related quasi-political body. Why act now with quotas for rugby and not previously with other sports such as netball where quotas have been inforced for some time now on a large scale? Its just publicity as far as I'm concerned. On BEE and AA, again, why only now? Also, what sort of teeth does the human rights court have *if* they were even inclined to see racial discrimination against white minorities for what it is? If anything came of it I'd be very surprised and will have to adjust my somewhat skeptical outlook on these institutions. But until then I remain unconvnced. I'd back World Rugby if they were to ban the Bokke from test rugby but I just can't see them doing so- it'd take too much balls.
The IRB should step in. Just boycot SARU again until they resolve the issues. Politics should stay out of sports. I don't see any white South African complaining about Bafana Bafana. Sport is sport. The best players should be picked, regardless of skin color.
Agreed. Banning SA from test rugby would hit a few pockets. That's the only way for any sort of impact to be made.
Onto something a little lighter- Bakkies Botha has named his World XV dream team for the upcoming RWC:
15 Israel Folau (Australia), 14 Julian Savea (New Zealand), 13 Jesse Kriel (South Africa), 12 Damian de Allende (South Africa), 11 Bryan Habana (South Africa), 10 Morne Steyn (South Africa), 9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand), 8 Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), 7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand), 6 David Pocock (Australia), 5 Victor Matfield (South Africa), 4 Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 3 Cian Healy (Ireland), 2 Dane Coles (New Zealand), 1 Marcos Ayerza (Argentina)
TBH I'd have expected a little more SA bias in the forwards. TBH I feel Matfield, Steyn and Habana look like sentimental picks; tips of the hat to mates. I'd have thought Etzebeth or Du Plessis could've had more legitimate claims here. Not that any of these XVs ought to be taken even remotely seriously of course.
