Both Morne and Frans Steyn would not be on the bus to Brighton if Tank Lanning were picking the Bok World Cup squad, which only has space for two hookers and five props.
Tank Lanning
Birds do it, bees do it, hell, even educated fleas do it … Let’s pick a World Cup squad!
An old soak suggested to me when I first started this writing lark, that the best columnists are those that take a look at what’s being bandied about in mainstream media, and then write about something completely different. It’s a piece of advice I have taken to heart, but not today!
It’s the day before Heyneke Meyer announces his Springbok squad for the 2015 World Cup. Something that happens once every four years. It’s hardly the time to be rabbiting on about how referees are now policing players entering mauls ahead of the ball carrier, or how horrible the Eddie Jones appointment is for what new kid on the block John Dobson is trying to achieve in Cape Town.
Nope, I am going to bloody well jump on the bandwagon and select the 31 man squad I would be sending to the UK in a few weeks’ time:
Fullback: Willie le Roux, Zane Kirchner
Wing: Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen
Centre: Damian De Allende, Jean de Villiers, Jan Serfontein, Jesse Kriel
Flyhalf: Handré Pollard, Pat Lambie
Scrumhalf: Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Cobus Reinach
8th man: Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger
Flank: Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Siya Kolisi, Oupa Mohoje, Heinrich Brussow
Lock: Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Pieter-Steph du Toit
Tighthead: Jannie du Plessis, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe
Hooker: Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss
Loosehead: Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane
With 14 backs and only 17 forwards, it’s not exactly mainstream, and it most certainly borrows from the Michael Cheika school of selection in the two hooker department. But given the miniscule part the third hooker has played in the Bok set up, and that a replacement is only 12 hours away (if we play by the book, if not, he may actually be “On holiday” 12 minutes away), I think this is a risk worth taking.
The same could be said at scrumhalf, but given that we have all forgotten what Fourie du Preez looks like, his is a risky selection that needs some back up. Another risk worth taking given the difference he makes to the side when on song, even after long periods out the game.
Players unlucky not to make the side would be Lood de Jager (Both Alberts and Mohoje could play lock in an emergency, while Du Toit can play both lock and flank), Cornal Hendricks (Kirchner and De Allende can play wing), Frans Steyn (to my mind it’s him or De Villiers, with the latter winning hands down, also a risk re squad harmony), Marcell Coetzee (could easily be selected ahead of Kolisi, but under a bit of an injury cloud), and Schalk Brits (who loses out to the 2 hooker strategy).
Players a little lucky to make the squad include Kirchner (Frans Steyn’s big presence and boot were sorely tempting), Reinach (the bolter could well have been Francois Hougaard), Habana (not exactly at his best, but a fantastic squad man) and Mohoje (De Jager as a 4th lock would have seen him drop out the squad).
Koch and Nyakane would need to spend some time throwing balls at Matfield’s lollipop because you have to have a nominated player who can play hooker in case one of Du Plessis or Strauss get injured in a warm up. Koch gets the nod as the 5th prop because he can also play loosehead (something he did for the Pumas as recently as last year).
Righto, over to you Heyneke. Bring on 17h30 tomorrow evening!
The above was first seen as a column on Sport24. To see it as a Oregan Hoskins type announcement (with Coetzee in ahead of Kolisi, that’s how close it is), see below:
Tank
The World Rugby Tournament Rules for the World Cup state:
“Only players in squads will be eligible to take part on match days; a player can be replaced for medical or compassionate reasons, but would not be allowed to return to the squad. There is also a stand-down period of 72 hours before the new player is allowed to take the field.”
This is why it is essential to take 3 hookers & scrumhalves. If a player in one of these “specialist” positions goes down injured with less than 72 hours before a match, you are buggered.
Thanks HA. Fair point. Aussies willing to take the risk. As have Argentina at every World Cup. But if forced to take another hooker, I would take Scarra (Meyer would take Brits), and I would drop one of Kolisi or Oupa, probably the latter.
They should have pool on super bru just for picking the squad, and the match day team for each game in the WC. Any way interesting times ahead. Now that you have the squad penned down the next question is what game plan will be execuded come game day?