Bok selection time!

So the England series is in the bag, perhaps not as convincingly as coach Meyer would have liked, but he has at least had some time to work with the players, and now it’s time for the real deal – the all new Four Nations. Well, not quite the real deal, as Argentina at Newlands should really be easy pickings for the Boks. But the Argies away, and then the All Blacks and Aussies will definitely be the real deal … So as usual, it’s time to have a stab at picking the actual Match 22, which is set to be announced at lunch today …
First up, the full available Springbok squad:
 
Backs: Zane Kirchner (Bulls), JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), Jean de Villiers (Stormers), Juan de Jongh (Stormers), Francois Steyn (Racing Metro), Bryan Habana (Stormers), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Morne Steyn (Bulls), Patrick Lambie (Sharks), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Jano Vermaak (Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)

Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Dean Greyling (Bulls), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Pat Cilliers (Lions), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Flip van der Merwe (Bulls), Andries Bekker (Stormers), Juandre Kruger (Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Keegan Daniel (Sharks), Jacques Potgieter (Bulls), Siya Kolisi (Stormers)

Courtesy of Energade, I am hosting the winners of the Energade Bok Barometer competition on a trip to see the Boks play in Argentina this time 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 Argentina on Saturday:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Jacques Potgieter, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Elton Janties

And this is the side I would select from the squad of 32:
15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Zane Kirchner

Reasoning:
The obvious concern has to be around the form of both Hougaard and Steyn, but with Peter Grant in Japan (and seemingly not in Meyer’s eyesight) and Johan Goosen injured, it probably makes sense to give Styen another chance. I would be seriously tempted to give Pienaar a run at scrumhalf, but he only joined the squad this week, so again, it seems to make sense to stick with Hougaard. They need to up their games though.

That said, the half back performance is directionally proportional to the pack’s dominance. And here the concern has to be around the backup to Jannie du Plessis. Of the props in the squad, Cilliers is the guy who can play both sides best, but against the Bajada, on a wet field – which Newlands will be, I would be very nervous indeed if Du Plessis had to go down early in the game.

As said before, 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 coming back from injury, and looked properly rusty in the Sharks game against the Chiefs, so the bench is perhaps not the worst option right now, but he is the complete package.

With Spies out, it makes sense to play Daniel at 8. In fact, even if Spies had not got injured, I would have been tempted to make the move. Daniel has been magnificent for the Sharks and deserves a crack. Alberts has been nothing short of outstanding at 7, so to my mind it makes sense to keep him there, rather than move things around by playing him at 8 with Kolisi coming in at 7. I would, however, have Kolisi on the bench instead of Potgieter.

Bekker is back, and it makes sense to play him. But if I were Meyer, I would be having very strong words with him about hitting rucks rather than hanging around in the backline. His obvious back injury issues are a concern, and one has to wonder if hanging around in the backline is easier on the back than clearing out 120kg tight forwards at a ruck! To ge that pack dominance and go forward, the Boks will need all of Bekker, Alberts and Etzebeth on the pick and go and taking pop passes round the fringes.

Both Steyn and Pienaar can cover flyhalf, so it does not make sense to have Jantjies on the bench (and given how nervous Meyer was to use him in PE, even when Morne was having a mare, it’s a wonder that he is even in the squad), so it makes more sense to have the attacking flair of De Jongh as back up to the centres.

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