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An all white backline won't happen. Can you imagine the backlash!How can we incorporate Pollard, Goosen, Lambie (if hes not going to retire) and J.Kriel into the same team ? As i see these guys as the Future of our backline.
15. Goosen
14.Combrinck
13. Kriel
12.Lambie
11. F. Hougaard (senatla still has some proving to do in fifteens)
10.Pollard
9. de Klerk/ Reinach
Now thats a team that wont lose a territory battle no matter who they are playing add to that the fact that all of them are good defenders.
No, not at all. That is very, very unlikely. Jantjies at his best is better than Lambie and Pollard, and is just going to get better and better on the next years. I can see Reinach and Faf rotating, but Hougie on wing is not going to happen. Perhaps in a tier 2 match or as an alternative, but Habana, is still there for a couple of years and in the following years, we are likely to see Skosan, Senatla and maybe Pietersen if he can last these few years cover the left wing. With Mapoe just getting better, and it noy making sense to play a flyhalf/fullback ahead of a fantastic, in-form 12 like Rohan Janse van Rensburg, AC will simply be too pressured to not start the best centres in the country. Jesse for me, should be our first-choice FB and a backup 13, and must rotate with Goosen for that 15 jersey, but if Goosen doesn't return to SA soon, he might fall out of the Bok setup, considering if you have a fit Pollard, Jantjies and Lambie in waiting, AC being pressured to pick SA-based players, and with him likely introducing Kolbe to the Bok setup in the next couple of years. Combrinck is there to stay, so for me, the most likely back line say perhaps 2018/2019.
9. Faf de Klerk
10. Elton Jantjies
11. Courtnall Skosan/Seabelo Senatla
12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg
13. Lionel Mapoe
14. Ruan Combrinck
15. Jesse Kriel/Cheslin Kolbe
21. Cobus Reinach/Rudy Paige
22. Handre Pollard/Pat Lambie
23. Cheslin Kolbe/Johan Goosen
Wow, those Lions specs look cool! Jantjies is at best 3rd in line IMO and will only be starting because of injury to Pollard and Lambie and the fact Goosen plays overseas and Coetzee probably only sees him as a utility player to provide cover. Put Pollard or Goosen in that 10 jersey for the Lions and watch them go. Jantjies won't be afforded close to near the amount of time and space at test level he gets in SR, with the Lions and at Jo'burg. Don't get me wrong its not that I don't rate Jantjies and the margins are slim but as a guy without a horse in this race (I won't pretend Du Preez or Du Plessis are in this debate) my mind says Pollard has the higher ceiling while Lambie and Goosen are more dependable while they can go toe to toe with Jantjies on his strong points. All of them have had their good and poor days but IMO Jantjies has them more regularly and it can get spectacularly poor when it does.