De Jongh’s time to dance …

Tank Lanning

Just two more Tests for the Boks this year … Which means only two more opportunities to get into the draw to win a top trip to Argentina to support the Boks next year with me and four of your closest mates – thanks to Energade … That is if you correctly predict the exact Bok side Heyneke Meyer will pick at 12h00 today! Ice cold beer, massive steaks, good looking babes, and Bok rugby … Last week Graham Matthews’ name was drawn from a pot of only 109 correct entries … Pretty good odds, especially as the team suggested on this very blog was the exact one Heyneke Meyer picked! Entry details below …

Below my usual stab at the side I think Meyer will pick based on the utterings in the media this week, together with the side I would pick to take on the Scots at Murrayfield on Saturday …

First up, the current Springbok squad in the UK:
 
Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Schalk Brits, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (c), Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Zane Kirchner, Juandré Kruger, Pat Lambie, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Raymond Rhule, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, Jaco Taute, CJ van der Linde, Heinke van der Merwe, Flip van der Merwe, Franco van der Merwe, Jano Vermaak, Duane Vermeulen.
 
The 23 I think Heyneke Meyer will pick to play Scotland on Saturday:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Bench: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Morne Steyn, 22 Jaco Taute, 23 Lwazi Mvovo

And this is the side I would select:
15 Jaco Taute, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Bench: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Franco van der Merwe, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Raymond Rhule

Reasoning:

Word from Edinburgh suggests that Meyer was thinking of giving his skipper a rest, but then probably looked at the list of alternate inside centres in the squad and promptly changed his mind! Perhaps a little flaw in the initial selection?

Meyer has gone on record saying that De Jongh will get a run, so I see that being the only change with him coming in for Taute at outside centre. He is also on record saying that he believes Taute’s best position to be fullback, but is not keen on making too many changes, so his buddy Zane will get yet another run.

That said, Kirchner did not have a bad game against the Irish. In fact he has been pretty consistent for the Boks, but he is no Electric Light Orchestra, and we all know what we get from him, so why not give someone else a run? More of the Pierre Spies and Morne Steyn saga where he stuck with the player for too long? I would give Taute a run at the back …

I also think Heinke van der Merwe did enough to get a start against the Scots. CJ is the safe option, and like Zane, he will not let the Bok side down, but Van der Merwe is destructive, and offers the Boks a potential front row weapon rather than a holding pattern.

Perhaps the biggest bolter in the side I would let loose on the Kilt wearers is the selection of Jano Vermaak at scrumhalf. Neither of Pienaar or Hougaard have exactly set the scene alight, so why not have a little look at the other option in the squad? He also strikes me as a player who will make use of the five second rule well, and combine nicely with Lambie, who simply has to improve on his rather lack luster performance last week.

I then also disagree with Meyer with regard to handing out Test caps … In the modern era it is about building squad depth, and that means giving guys a chance to experience Test rugby when you can. Hence the All Blacks being able to make ten changes between games and still dominate. As such, I would give the likes of Ralepelle, Botha, Franco van der Merwe, Jantjies and Rhule time on the bench.

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 but 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 that select the exact Springbok team – including jersey numbers – that takes to the field for just one of the Bok games this year will go into a draw, with weekly winners announced every Monday after a Bok match.

Each match winner will receive R5 000 and a personalised Springbok jersey signed by their favourite Springbok. The grand prize will see the winner and 4 mates join Tank in Argentina next year to watch the Boks play their Rugby Championship match, courtesy of Energade.

The weekly winners thus far:
Winner 1: Ashley Groenewald drawn out of a pot of 989 correct entries.
Winner 2: Johan Weideman drawn out of a pot of 1 238 correct entries.
Winner 3: Rowan Nefdt drawn out of a pot of 711 correct entries.
Winner 4: Michael Openshaw drawn out of a pot of 157 correct entries.
Winner 5: Brian Norton drawn out of a pot of 12 correct entries
Winner 6: Luway Mongie drawn out of a pot of 16 correct entries
Winner 7: Johan van Eyk drawn out of a pot of 4 correct entries
Winner 8: Kyle John Leigh the only player to get it correct.
Winner 9: Jonathan Bishop drawn out of a pot of 112 correct entries.
Winner 10: Graham Matthews drawn out of a pot of 109 correct entries.