Righto, with the banter surrounding the 32 man squad announced by Bok coach Heyneke Meyer still very much alive, especially given the Baby Boks failure to neutralize a physical Irish side on Monday, it’s time to fuel that fire even more, by having a stab at picking the actual Match 22, which is set to be announced at lunch time on Wednesday …
First up, the full 32 man Springbok squad:
Backs: Zane Kirchner (Bulls), JP Pietersen (Sharks), JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), Jean de Villiers (Stormers), Wynand Olivier (Bulls), Francois Steyn (Racing Metro), Bryan Habana (Stormers), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Bjorn Basson (Bulls), Morne Steyn (Bulls), Patrick Lambie (Sharks), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Jano Vermaak (Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)
Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Werner Kruger (Bulls), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Flip van der Merwe (Bulls), Franco van der Merwe (Lions), Juandre Kruger (Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Pierre Spies (Bulls), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Keegan Daniel (Sharks), Jacques Potgieter (Bulls)
Courtesy of Energade, I am hosting the winners of the Energade Bok Barometer competition on a trip to see the Boks play in Argentina next year. The winners being the guys or girls who correctly predict the Bok side that Heyneke Meyer picks each week this year – More details on the comp below … So it makes sense for me to then select 2 sides … The one I think Meyer will pick, and the side I would pick …
So based on what Meyer has been saying in the build up to the Test this weekend, this is the 22 I think he will pick to play England on Saturday:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Jacques Potgieter, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Bjorn Basson
And this is the side I would select from the squad of 32:
15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Eben Etzebeth, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Lwazi Mvovo, 22 Bjorn Basson
Reasoning:
I do not think Zane Kirchner, while being a very good Super Rugby player, can take the step up to international level. And at best, he will be there for his defence, while Patrick Lambie is the future of Springbok rugby, and we should be playing him now. He is the complete package. The fact that he has been playing flyhalf for the Sharks for most of the season probably counts against him …
I think Alberts should be on the bench, as he adds a massive impact in the second half, but we are short on quality 7’s at the moment, and I just cannot find it in me to select Jacques Potgieter into a Springbok side.
Given his form this season, Spies is lucky to make this side. But Ryan Kankowski is the only other option, and he has not played enough rugby to justify selection just yet. Meyer needs to find a way to get Spies running onto the ball at pace though …
Eben Etzebeth is the future, and I think he could start on Saturday. But given the injuries at lock, I think it makes sense to start Van der Merwe , utilising his experience for what will no doubt be a testing and physical opening 20 minutes. I also think Etzebeth will have more of an impact than Van der Merwe.
Adriaan Strauss has been superb this year, but Ralepelle has been the heir apparent for a very long time, and again played well in the Super15. I think he deserves a spot on the bench.
Oosthuizen is a specialist loosehead, Kruger is a specialist tighthead. It is much more difficult to play tighthead, and Jannie is the potential weakness in the starting front row. I would sleep better as a coach with a tighthead on the bench.
Pienaar can cover flyhalf and fullback (as could Steyn), so it frees up the last two spots on the bench for both wings, Mvovo and Basson, who can both count themselves unlucky in not getting a starting berth.
How To WIN the trip to watch the Boks play in Argentina next year …
- Head to the Energade Bok Barometer – http://www.supersport.com/rugby/bokbarometer
- Select your Springbok XV by clicking on the jersey in each position, and picking a player from those provided in the drop down … Hit the Save button once your team is finalised, and you are in the draw!
- You can update your team as often as you like for the duration of the 2012 Springbok season. The entries for each game will be locked before the announcement of the Springbok team each week. You are then able to select your team for the next match.
- All those with the exact Springbok team – including jersey numbers – that takes to the field for each Bok game will go into a draw and the winners will be announced every Monday after a Springbok match.
- Energade is the sponsor. Each match winner will receive R5 000 and a personalised Springbok jersey signed by their favourite Springbok. The grand prize will see the winner jet off to watch the Boks play their Rugby Championship match in Argentina in 2013
Spies is a wing!! That’s where he started rugby and should have remained. THere we will also have him running onto the ball at pace as you wish. Player management in south Africa still have miles to go. Kanko is also more a wing then he will ever be an 8. neither like the rough stuff or when the going gets tough. They will have such a huge impact on wing and free up the pack for another more rough and tough loose forward.
Nice one Tank. A whole blog where I totally and completely agree with everything you say. Hooray, at last! haha
Hells Bells Gavin … We do not want that happening too often 🙂
I feel VERY sorry for Josh Strauss. He always gives 120% and could have been another line-out jumper. He definitely would have been in my squad.
Kirchner just has to be a “get the politics right HM” selection. If the IRB ever banned kicking, he would not know what to do onn the field. I think you are going to be very close to what HM will pick and what you would have picked. I thought he may have gone for Franco Vd Merwe as he does not have an experienced line out caller – Flip Vd Merwe – a penalty & yellow card specialist.
Nico Zandberg – you got it spot on. Wasn’t there a Zandberg on TV years back who did not mince his words.
Now that the selection issues are calmed and the focus now more on the starting team, It becomes very worrying on the glaring chinks in the armoury of his system. A team\system can only be as strong as its weakest links. I worry about tighthead (first line) and fullback (last line) both in attack and defence. Best of luck to the boys, the first test will be really tough.
Hey Fino. Jannie has neber really let the Boks down. Not the world’s best, but will be OK. Also concerned re Kirchner, but one thing he does not lack is defence … Will be a goold old fashioned arm wrestle …
Now I am a bit confused because I raised the point on Sportbilly’s blog that I think Heyneke will go with Kruger on the bench as he is an out and out tight head…
Billy then put me at ease saying that Coenie is actually a tighthead playing at the loose for the Cheetahs…and so I thought okay that is strange but great because Coenie offers so much more accross the rest of the park.
Now Tank I think I can trust you more seeing as you are somewhat of an engine room guru…so is Coenie a loskop or a vaskop?
Agree with all your other selections except I can not bring myself to select Jacques Potgieter into a green blazer. The guy has played one or 2 good games but surely you can not make him a bok yet? Surely Daniel has to be on the bench?…surely.
Hi Phil. Coenie is without doubt a loosehead. Os tried to convert him for the Cheetahs when WP Nel was injured, but to my mind it was not particualrly succesful. Hence my going with Kruger on the bench … And you will see in the team that I would select, that I agree with you on POtgieter and Daniel …
Sorry Tank, but there is another option for 8 other than Kankowski and that’s Daniel. He is probably far too flashy for HM’s tastes though.
And probably too small. Meyer has already said that he will only consider him at open side …
You think Frans and Jean can work as a centre combo?
I agree with Daniel on the bench. SA’s best number 8 by far in Super Rugby this year. Would be great to have Basson AND Mvovo on the bench!
On Supersport site, article (“Zane fits Meyer’s fullback mould better”) quoting Ricardo Loubscher says Kirchener will be preferred to Lambie at 15 because he fits the mould of being safe under the high kicks and has a good kicking game. And that kicking will play a major factor in the Bok’s gameplan.
Kirchener has a better kicking game than Lambie? Really?
It then says that Lambie has other strengths that might be useful in other games such as having the “x-factor” the Boks might need on a different day.
Hell, I thought “x-factor” was needed every game.
I have nothing against Kirchener. I picked him as a future Bok prospect when he was still at Griquas. I just don’t see that he offers more in any department than Lambie does.
I still can’t believe that Jacques Potgieter is in this Bok squad!! This guy is useless!! Even Elstadt or Josh would have been a better, more deserving choice. Will be a sad day if he is awarded Springbok colours, a very sad day!!!
Uit watter boom het jy geval my ou?