The Springbok side named to take on Australia in Perth on Saturday:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Johan Goosen, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Lwazi Mvovo
Comments from Tank Lanning:
I reckon this is a very strong Bok side … The only change I would make would be to have Lambie starting at 15 and De Jongh on the bench. Almost unbelievable that Lambie has not had any game time in the tournament thus far … Perhaps the coach is under pressure to keep players of colour in the side?
But there is still a better balance to this side …
I thought Bekker had a nightmare against Argentina. Kruger deserves his recall based only on that. But Bekker should be home recuperating from what is clearly still a debilitating back injury … Not holding bags on tour …
Tough on Mvovo, who has not done anything wrong, but Hougaard is a special talent, and has skills better suited to wing. Like Lambie, Ruan Pienaar deserves a go at scrumhalf …
Obvious concerns have to be around the game readiness of both Vermeulen and Goosen, but at least the former has had two games for WP, and he will add a lot of value to the Bok back row. And perhaps more importantly, it allows Alberts to move back to 7, where he is 100 times more effective.
Hope you got your team in on time … Courtesy of Energade, Tank is 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 …
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (captain), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson
Bench: 16 Tatafu Polota Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga’a
The 28-man Springbok squad in Aus:
Forwards (16): Willem Alberts, Andries Bekker, Craig Burden, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Dean Greyling, Juandré Kruger, Tiaan Liebenberg, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarira, Jacques Potgieter, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen
Backs (12): Jean de Villiers (captain), Juan de Jongh, Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn, Morné Steyn, Jano Vermaak.
I am happy with the team as announced.
Backline reserves perhaps a little inexperienced and in the event of an injury will result in major reshuffles, can be very interesting.
Go BOKKE GO!!!!!!!
Side still too weak – oz by 5
Great for Duane Vermeulen – long overdue – I just hope it is not a rushed job and that it is a long term plan of HM’s.
With the side he has picked I don’t see to much change in the way the Springboks will play – Ruan Pienaar there to do a lot of kicking from the base of the scrum. Kruger is going to have to find the form he had during S15 prior to the Tests – post tests, S15 form was poor.
This just out: “No Potgieter!” Hallelujah! Great team considering all the injuries, with the exception of Kirchner on 15, and yellow card van der Merwe on bench. Hope HM gives this team time to gel.
Boks by 7!
Good team. As you said only Lambie for Zane is the obvious mistake.
I would have love Flo at 6 esp against Hooper. But Flo only played 2 games and only arrived yesterday so prob better on the bench.
Good to see Pienaar having a start.
Glad Goosen is on the bench …hope he gets a run. So sorry for Lambie. HM is doing the game no credit by not giving him a run. Hope Duane V is fir enough as he is just
back from a long break. Good Luck. Hope we can pull it off.
Hello Tank
What about Morne Steyn? If Bekker had to go because of bad form, ( A matter we all agree on. ) then way is this plonker still here.
He will cost us possession, and speed, as he is to far back to get the backline going. Cooper is going to make Morne his ” Cow “.
Now that I think of it, all the Ausies as a collective have to do is put Morne under pressure, and they should win by 10. That way they shut an already defunct back line ( Due to Morne. ) down even more. As the Wallaby’s have shown in the last 6 from 7 games against us, there forwards don’t have to dominate ours to win, their backline scores tries.
As for JDV, he will do his best to hog the ball, and make bad decisions as he has for the last year with both the Stormers and Boks. After all, why should a leopard change it’s spots then.
Just can’t understand it.
Hi Shaun. I might be completely wrong, but I think we will see a better Morne Steyn with Pienaar feeding him from scrummie. Also disagree re De Villiers. Think he has played well, and perhaps the only back to take any sort of gap. Does tend to die with the ball or cough it up though. But will adapt as they try more of that. All starts up front though. No backline can operate with a pack being man handled. Boks missing Bismarck, but hopefully Vermeulen will make an impact, and Alberts a MUCH better 7 than 8 …
This is a little late Tank. But if HM is being pressured to keep a certain demographic on the field why drop Mvovo? Doesn’t make sense. But then selecting Inzane to the Boks in the first place should have got HM the make-up to paint on his clown face.