Springboks add some OOMPH to their squad for the Australasian tour

[TRF_heineken]

The Springbok squad for the Australasian leg of the Rugby Championship is:


Willem Alberts
Andries Bekker
Craig Burden
Pat Cilliers
Marcell Coetzee
Juan de Jongh
Jean de Villiers (c)
Jannie du Plessis
Eben Etzebeth
Johan Goosen
Dean Greyling
Bryan Habana
Francois Hougaard
Zane Kirchner
Juandré Kruger
Pat Lambie
Tiaan Liebenberg
Francois Louw
Tendai Mtawarira
Lwazi Mvovo
Ruan Pienaar
Jacques Potgieter
Frans Steyn
Morné Steyn
Adriaan Strauss
Flip van der Merwe
Jano Vermaak
Duane Vermeulen

The Guys in Bold are the additions...

At least we have a specialist openside and no.8 again in the team!

 

[Draggs]

I sincerely hope Goosen is on the bench. Lambie is languishing keeping the bench warm. Hasn't played in weeks.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I sincerely hope Goosen is on the bench. Lambie is languishing keeping the bench warm. Hasn't played in weeks.

Lets Hope Morne Steyn is going along just as the waterboy and let the 2 young guns have a crack at the Aussies.

 

[Draggs]

Lets Hope Morne Steyn is going along just as the waterboy and let the 2 young guns have a crack at the Aussies.

I know I am a massive Lambie fanboy, but I honestly don't care who is at outside half now, provided it isn't Steyn in current form.
Loose forward trio of Coetzee, Louw, Alberts; Vermeulen off the bench. I'd like to see something like this:

01 Mtawarira
02 Strauss
03 Cilliers (I do like Jannie, I just don't know if he is an international anymore)
04 Etzebeth
05 Kruger
06 Louw
07 Coetzee
08 Alberts

09 Pienaar
10 Lambie/Goosen
11 Mvovo
12 Steyn
13 de Villiers (not going to be dropped)
14 Hougaard
15 Kirchner/Lambie

16 Liebenberg
17 du Plessis
18 Bekker (out of form, but a smaller risk than van der Merwe)
19 Vermeulen
20 Goosen/Steyn
21 Habana
22 de Jongh

 

[psychic duck]

Some fans I feel are overreacting after last weekend's poor performance by the Boks.

The side is in the process of a large transitional period with the loss of some experienced stalwarts in the team (Botha, Matfield, du Preez, Fourie) and isn't helped with several injuries to other players like Bismarck du Plessis and Schalk Burger who would both be considered experienced leaders in this period. They have lost the old reliability of Morné Steyn's boot, which could always be relied upon during PDivvy's reign.

Too much has been made of the Springboks gameplan and Steyn. But it is the execution of the game plan which is lacking, not the game plan itself. Steyn is not kicking acurrately enough right now and needs to be dropped.

Meyer is in charge at a lot more difficult time than PDivvy was. PDivvy had some of the world's best players like Matfield, du Preez, Fourie and Brussow at his best but was a crap coach and that side despite being good on paper didn't achieve as much as it should have.

Meyer needs to be given time in this transition period, as the replacements for the players mentioned above and the injured players mentioned above simply aren't at that standard right now.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I know I am a massive Lambie fanboy, but I honestly don't care who is at outside half now, provided it isn't Steyn in current form.
Loose forward trio of Coetzee, Louw, Alberts; Vermeulen off the bench. I'd like to see something like this:

01 Mtawarira
02 Strauss
03 Cilliers (I do like Jannie, I just don't know if he is an international anymore)
04 Etzebeth
05 Kruger
06 Louw
07 Coetzee
08 Alberts

09 Pienaar
10 Lambie/Goosen
11 Mvovo
12 Steyn
13 de Villiers (not going to be dropped)
14 Hougaard
15 Kirchner/Lambie

16 Liebenberg
17 du Plessis
18 Bekker (out of form, but a smaller risk than van der Merwe)
19 Vermeulen
20 Goosen/Steyn
21 Habana
22 de Jongh

My Team would differ a little bit in that I'd have Keegan Daniel in Bekker's spot. with Alberts as the back-up Lock. Also I'd Swap Mvovo with Habana in the starting 15.

Some fans I feel are overreacting after last weekend's poor performance by the Boks.

The side is in the process of a large transitional period with the loss of some experienced stalwarts in the team (Botha, Matfield, du Preez, Fourie) and isn't helped with several injuries to other players like Bismarck du Plessis and Schalk Burger who would both be considered experienced leaders in this period. They have lost the old reliability of Morné Steyn's boot, which could always be relied upon during PDivvy's reign.

Too much has been made of the Springboks gameplan and Steyn. But it is the execution of the game plan which is lacking, not the game plan itself. Steyn is not kicking acurrately enough right now and needs to be dropped.

Meyer is in charge at a lot more difficult time than PDivvy was. PDivvy had some of the world's best players like Matfield, du Preez, Fourie and Brussow at his best but was a crap coach and that side despite being good on paper didn't achieve as much as it should have.

Meyer needs to be given time in this transition period, as the replacements for the players mentioned above and the injured players mentioned above simply aren't at that standard right now.

I couldn't agree more. like I said in the other thread, It was HM's and 7 players first test overseas, they'll just grow stronger and more unified as time goes by

 

[Gena_ZA]

HM should start using Lambie at 15 as he will never be the permanent Bok 10 - not with Steyn, Goosen and the young Pollard coming through
Lambie is being wasted warming the bench and not even being used as a sub

Glad Flo is back, actually over the moon about it.
Duanne should just stay injury free

 

[big ginger 8]

If you play Lambie at 15 you will Jeremy Staunton him.

 

[welshglory]

Lambie was pretty rubbish at fullback in the Super rugby final

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Lambie was pretty rubbish at fullback in the Super rugby final

Every player for the Sharks was rubbish due to the major jetlag issues the team suffered. Not his fault.

I like the inclusion of guys like Vermeulen, Louw and de Jongh but I fear we will still struggle. We have Liebenberg as a replacement hooker and I am afraid we will still see Morne Steyn as our starting fly-half. Despite all fans wanting to see Lambie and Goosen play, he will stick to what he knows, not what works.

 

[Darwin]

Four good additions to the squad in my opinion. I have got a bit of time for de Jongh - he is probably not a test starter, but is good cover for F Steyn and de Villiers. It will be interesting to see if Goosen gets much game time, as he appears to have the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders! I think Louw and Vermuleon are the two key additions though - assuming they are match fit I would start both of them. Vermeulen has been the best number 8 in South Africa for the last 2-3 years in my opinion, and only injures have preventing him from getting test caps before now. Louw is exactly what South Africa needs - a loose-forward who excels at the breakdown. I would be tempted to go with a 6. Louw, 7. Coetzee, 8. Vermeulen loose-trio, with Alberts providing impact from the bench.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I guess it all depends on what you want on the bench. You want a big impact off the bench or take advantage of the holes at the end? Louw will be a definite starter I feel. Coetzee moving to blindside, where he plays for the Sharks, and Vermeulen at the back of the scrum. If Coetzee is replaced, Alberts moves in, if any other player is replaced, Coetzee moves and Alberts to blindside. So many options with Alberts on the bench.

I feel we will see Strauss, Bekker, M. Steyn and Kirchner but I really, really, really hope we see some other options. The hooker position is just not up to standards with Bismarck out. Strauss spends too much time out of position and Liebenberg is scum.

 

[admartian]

What's happened to Gio Aplon?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Nothing, he is playing good rugby for WP. I guess our new coach only wants big guys playing, hence Lambie sitting on the bench 160 minutes against Argentina...

 

[Darwin]

I guess it all depends on what you want on the bench. You want a big impact off the bench or take advantage of the holes at the end? Louw will be a definite starter I feel. Coetzee moving to blindside, where he plays for the Sharks, and Vermeulen at the back of the scrum. If Coetzee is replaced, Alberts moves in, if any other player is replaced, Coetzee moves and Alberts to blindside. So many options with Alberts on the bench.

I feel we will see Strauss, Bekker, M. Steyn and Kirchner but I really, really, really hope we see some other options. The hooker position is just not up to standards with Bismarck out. Strauss spends too much time out of position and Liebenberg is scum.

Surely Bekker can't start again after his performance against Argentina. The guy has some great skills, but he was dire in the weekend - missing tackles, losing the ball in contact etc. You would hope would start Kruger at 5, who I thought looked very comfortable versus England.

I don't mind Strauss too much - he does play a bit loose for my liking, but he is still a step up from John Smit!

 

[Draggs]

What's happened to Gio Aplon?

Being, for the most part, ineffective in a poor WP backline. He scores the old try every so often, but not often from a backline move or anything set.

If Meyer is going to play Lambie at fullback, don't bloody select him in the first place. He simply isn't a fullback. He lacks the pace and line-breaking abilities that a well-rounded fullback has. I blame Joe Pietersen for this, not staying in good form for the whole season

Alberts is most effective off the bench, find a proper eight and let Alberts kill everything with 20-30 to go.

Whilst I am not a huge Meyer fan, I want to see where he is after next November. Bring some new players in this year, see what works and use it for the 2013 4N, changing things, if needed, for November 2013.

 

[Sam Owen]

What's happened to Gio Aplon?

HEY!! Dont worry about Aplon, mate!

What happened to your club?...I didnt know you were a Hurricanes. What a sad guy. Dont come back to us then. Of all teams the Hurricanes, pffft.

 

[admartian]

Nothing, he is playing good rugby for WP. I guess our new coach only wants big guys playing, hence Lambie sitting on the bench 160 minutes against Argentina...

HEY!! Dont worry about Aplon, mate!

What happened to your club?...I didnt know you were a Hurricanes. What a sad guy. Dont come back to us then. Of all teams the Hurricanes, pffft.

I'm a supporter of both since forever - right now though the young talent of Barret, Savea, Perenara, and one of my favourite ABs ever in Conrad Smith has swayed me. I know I know, sems very bandwagon but I've been behind the Blues through the wrost of times. Looks promising with JK and Sir Ted but we'll see.

On topic:

I though Aplon was promising, but maybe just fallen out of favour.

Lambie on the other hand, probably just needs more reps at 10. I agree the he's not explosive enough to be a traditional attacking FB But for the current Bok gameplan, maybe he makes sense there.

 

[Shaggy]

The Boks may need that openside specialist, as I think the Wallabies may go with Hooper at blindside, and Gill at openside, as Dennis hasn't really worked out as a blindside. I'd have Samo at 8, but they'll probably go with Higginbotham again.

Maybe Meyer will give Goosen some game time off the bench, and utilise him even more against the ABs

 

[TRF_heineken]

Heyneke Meyer has now since his reign added the following uncapped players to the Bok-squad:

Tiaan Liebenberg, Pat Cilliers, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Marcell Coetzee, Jacques Potgieter, Keegan Daniel, Coenie Oosthuizen and JJ Engelbrecht. That's 9 guys already that got caps.

then there's also:
Craig Burden, Duane Vermeulen, Johan Goosen and Siya Kolisi. That brings the total of 13 new guys to the bok squad in a more active role. Has this many players ever been picked in the history of Bok rugby?

All of these guys except Tiaan Liebenberg has had major praises by many during the super 15 season this year and deserve to be there. For the first time in 4 years there's a proper structure in the bok camp. the biggest problem Heyneke has had was the time he had with the players. He strives for perfection and with such a big squad coming together for the first time is not that easy to get everything working immediately. I think this break week has come at just the right time, and I hope the guys will rest properly before they start their tour next week.